Drilling Industry Glossary

Torque

Torque on the drillstring can be measured by inserting a meter for that purpose in the drive train between the drive engine and the rotary table. When the drillstring locks up downhole, the torque on the string shows a steady increase, giving the driller time to stop rotation before reaching a torque value, which will twist off the drillstring. A quick rule of thumb is that each 1,000 feet of drillpipe can be twisted through 3 complete revolutions before reaching critical torque value.