API	American Petroleum Institute - issues standards for oil & gas industry
ASTM	American Society for Testing Materials - issues Guidelines for training and certification of personnel.
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.
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
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. Typical sizes range from 4-1/2" - 20"
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")
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#.
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
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
hard facing (hardband)	abrasion-resistant metal applied by welding (usually in strips) on the surface of softer material to increase wear properties
ID	inside diameter
joint	one length of pipe
LS	limited service - pipe not meeting specification, usually rejected at the mill
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
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
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
yield strength	tensile stress required to produce permanent elongation of a steel tube
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This technical data is presented in good faith; Arctic Pipe assumes no liability for recommendations or advice made concerning results to be obtained from the use of this information. Special Thanks to Inter-Mountain Pipe & Threading Company for use of there pipe Glossary.