If you are running conventional oilfield drill pipe, drilling deep with a mud rotary or perhaps drilling 5,000 feet for natural gas with flush joint drill pipe, then you are familiar with the term “upset.” Sometimes elevator-shouldered drill pipe, where the tool joints are larger in diameter than the tubes, is referred to as upset drill pipe. In reality, drill pipe is considered upset when the tubes are upset prior to welding.
As we all know, a drill pipe typically consists of a tube with a rod end (tool joint) welded on each end of the tube. In water well applications, the tool joints are welded to the tubes as they are. This is sometimes called “straight wall” or “plain end” welded. In this application, drill pipe is usually assumed to be welded this way unless it is specified to be upset.