| API | American Petroleum Institute - issues standards for oil & gas industry |
| ASTM | American Society for Testing Materials - issues standards for line pipe |
| A53A, A53B, A53F, A106 | ASTM grades of carbon steel pipe |
| bevel | angle formed between the prepared edge of the end of the tube and a plane perpendicular to the surface. Standard line pipe bevel is 30 degrees. |
| billet | round, solid bar of steel which is pierced to form a seamless tube or pipe |
| black pipe | denotes lacquered OD finish (as opposed to bare or galvanized) |
| box | internal (female) threaded end |
| Brinell | hardness testing system which measures indentation of the subject using a standard weight, shaped point |
| BTC | buttress threaded and coupled |
| bundle | number of pieces (same length) banded together for shipping. Height and width is usually 1-2' but # varies with OD |
| burst | internal pressure at which a tube will yield - often tested hydrostatically |
| casing | pipe used as a structural retainer for the walls of a drilled hole |
| CAD | computer aided design |
| CAM | computer aided manufacturing |
| CNC | computer numerically controlled - refers to machinery |
| cold drawn | pipe or tubing which is pulled through a die to reduce diameter and wall. This process usually produces closer tolerances and higher strength. |
| chamfer | beveled end, usually done as a preliminary operation to threading |
| coupling | short piece used to connect two lengths of pipe |
| CW | continuous weld - a method of producing small diameter pipe (1/2-4") |
| cft | hundred foot (sometimes used in pricing, i.e. $425.97/cft vs. $4.2597/ft.) |
| cwt | hundred weight. Often used in handling or trucking pricing, i.e. .30/cwt loadout charge or $1.65/cwt (freight) with a minimum such as 30,000#. |
| DRL | double random length - line pipe with a 35'+ average length |
| drift | minimum ID clearance verified by pulling a mandrel of known size through a length of pipe |
| EMI | electromagnetic inspection - a method of determining wall thickness and detecting imperfections in steel tubes |
| ERW | electric resistance weld - most common form of manufacture for pipe in sizes from 2 3/8-22" OD |
| EUE | external upset ends - forging of ends on (API) tubing and drill pipe to provide additional thickness for strengthening connections |
| FOB | free on board - used to denote where pipe is to be provided to the buyer |
| flush joint | connection with male and female threads cut directly into the pipe (as opposed to T&C). This provides the same ID and OD clearance as in the middle of the tube, once lengths are joined. |
| FLD | full length drift (as opposed to "end drift") - usually performed as part of used tubing or casing (OCTG) inspection |
| hardfacing | abrasion-resistant metal applied by welding (usually in strips) on the surface of softer material to increase wear properties |
| hoist or lift plug | pin-threaded sub with hook, eye or rod on other end; used for picking up or laying down threaded pipe, casing or rods. |
| ID | inside diameter |
| joint | one length of pipe |
| LS | limited service - pipe not meeting specification, usually rejected at the mill |
| LT | loaded trucks - used in price quotation to indicate seller pays for handling |
| LTC | long thread and coupling (OCTG casing connection) |
| mid-weld | two or more joints welded to form a longer one |
| nipple | short length of pipe (<12") threaded on both ends |
| nominal | pipe size or wall thickness as specified (not actual). Sizes refer to approximate ID, even though OD is the fixed dimension. |
| NUE | non-upset end - OCTG tubing description (not as common as EUE) |
| OCTG | oil country tubular goods - pipe made to API specifications |
| OD | outside diameter |
| PEB | plain end beveled |
| pin | external (male) threaded end |
| protector | plastic, steel or composite cap to protect threads from handling damage |
| psi | pounds per square inch |
| range (R1, R2, R3) | lengths of OCTG (see Technical Data link - dimensional tolerances) |
| Rockwell hardness | relative resistance of a metal to indentation by a diamond cone, as expressed in hardness-scale units (A, B, C or G) |
| SAW | submerged arc weld - a method of producing very large OD pipe |
| schedule | numbers assigned to different wall thicknesses of pipe (i.e. sch. 40) |
| SEA | special end area - inspection to check for defects at either end of a steel tube which is also being inspected electronically. (EMI misses the ends.) |
| shoe | sub sometimes run on bottom of casing string with special metallurgy or design to help pipe to bottom through tight or bridged spots in drill hole |
| skelp | coiled strips of plate steel used to produce welded seam pipe |
| smls. | seamless - pipe with no weld in the circumference |
| spec | specification |
| SRL | single random length - line pipe with 17.5' minimum average length |
| STC | short thread and coupling (OCTG casing connection) |
| std. | standard - reference to wall thickness of line pipe (=sch. 40 for 1/8-10") |
| stencil | identification painted on pipe. Specification, size, wall, grade, test pressure, method of manufacture and mill are usually indicated. |
| sub | a short coupling with different types and/or sizes of ends |
| T&C | threaded and coupled. Male (pin) threads are cut into the pipe and a coupling provides female threads for both lengths being joined |
| T&D | tested and drifted - one method of verifying integrity of used tubing and casing (OCTG). "Test" refers to hydrostatic: ends are sealed and water pumped inside to a predetermined pressure. See drift def. above. |
| tensile strength | rating of steel's resistance to being pulled apart |
| tolerance | specified allowance (plus or minus) of the given dimension of a finished product due to inaccuracies in manufacturing; usually quite small (thousandths of an inch or very small percentage) and often part of a standard such as ASTM or API. |
| tool joint | threaded tube, usually thicker and harder, welded onto pipe to provide joint strength and durability exceeding that of flush joint or T&C connections |
| victaulic joint | grooves in the ends of pipe accommodate a coupling |
| xhy | extra heavy - pipe about 50% thicker than standard (=sch. 80 for 1/8-8") |
| xxhy | double extra heavy - twice as thick as xhy for 1/2-6" |
| yield strength | tensile stress required to produce permanent elongation of a steel tube |
