What Does
Pipe Dope Mean?
Pipe dope is a heavy grease or lubricant that contains fine metallic particles. This thread lubricant is also a sealing compound used to make a joint or pipe thread leak proof and pressure tight.
As the drill string sections are screwed together, rig crews slather pipe dope on the threaded connectors to ensure the threads go together easily and that the threads are sealed properly.
Also referred to as pipe lubricant and thread compound.
Trenchlesspedia Explains Pipe Dope
The grease in pipe dope has two purposes. The first is to ease the process of tightening the connections between the pipe sections that make up the drill string. The second is to fill any gaps that might exist between the male and female thread of any two pipe sections.
The metallic particles in pipe dope create a very small amount of friction between the male and female pipe threads and keeps the pipes from separating when the torque from the rotary table or top motor is applied to the drill string.
The blend and proportions of pipe dope's constituent parts are determined by the standards of the American Petroleum Institute (API).