Requalifying Used Oilfield Tubing

Requalifying used oil country tubular goods (OCTG) is a standing priority for oilfield operations in Nigeria and West Africa, where the high cost of new tubulars, freight, and import duties makes reuse economically attractive. Existing American Petroleum Institute (API) standards address inspection, connection sealing, reconditioning, and acceptance individually, but none of them put these methods in sequence or attach a statistical confidence level to the resulting decision. The field-tested, eight-step layered protocol presented here aims to do both.

https://doi.org/10.32548/2026.me-04629

1. Introduction

Reusing oil country tubular goods (OCTG) makes economic sense across oilfield operations, particularly in land operations in Nigeria and elsewhere in West Africa, where the cost of new tubulars, freight, and import duties makes requalification a standing priority. A joint that passes requalification means a direct cost savings and a shorter intervention timeline. A joint that fails in service after a flawed requalification decision can cause a safety incident and, in the worst case, a well control problem.