A stabbing guide helps workers to align two separate sections of drill pipe, tubing, or casing for male-to-female connection. Stabbing guides can be used when stringing a whole new pipeline, as well as for connecting replacement sections to existing lines. This simple tool is vitally important in the energy industry, necessary for faster, easier stabbing and to protect threaded connections from damage.
A stabbing guide enhances your ability to maintain control and to achieve ultimate safety while guiding sections of pipe together. When you use the right guides, stabbing will be more efficient, taking up fewer man-hours to complete.
Connections Matter
“Good enough” doesn’t suffice when it comes to making up pipe connections for the oil and gas industry. Inconsistently aligned and poorly connected sections create several potential problems for a pipeline system, and can introduce some very serious safety risks. Improper alignment increases the risk of damage to threading and other surfaces. This can lead to extensive and expensive repairs, as well as the frustrating downtime associated with them. Connections can even fail outright if they are not aligned and paired properly. In order to ensure compliance with environmental and safety standards, and to gain optimal performance from your equipment, always use an appropriate stabbing guide to facilitate connection-making.
Anatomy Of A Stabbing Guide
All stabbing guides have a collar and shell. The shell is engineered to decrease metal-on-metal shock. This kind of shock should be minimized as much as possible since it can cause serious damage to the box or pin threads, as well as to the seal’s surface. Many quality guides have shells made from polyurethane because it is a durable and fairly low-maintenance material. The collar is usually a simple torsion spring-loaded latching mechanism that allows you to open, place, and remove the guide by hand. Corrosion-resistant stainless steel collars are recommended for applications that involve exposure to seawater. Collars are typically adjustable to suit a range of casing sizes and connections.
High Quality Stabbing Guides from Keystone Energy
Keystone Energy carries a variety of heavy-duty stabbing guides ideal for use on drilling pipe. Made from lightweight aluminum to reduce weight without compromising strength and durability, this heavy duty hardware is resistant to corrosion and wear. The heavy duty stabbing guides available through Keystone are outfitted with an adjustable latch cam and have a range of 2 3/8 inches through 8 1/2 inches. Keystone also carries specialized rubber guides recommended for use with tubing. These rubber guides from Hyril feature a durable one-piece body as well as a replaceable catch & latch.
The only way to sufficiently prevent pipe and thread damage and minimize potential connection failure is to use an appropriate stabbing guide. A good stabbing guide will help to ensure precisely aligned, securely connected pipe sections. The experts at Keystone have over 50 years of combined of industry experience to draw from, and can provide you with the best stabbing guides and other energy tools and equipment for your sensitive operations.