Application, Care, and Use of Wire

Rope for Oil Field Service

API RECOMMENDED PRACTICE 9B

FOURTEENTH EDITION, OCTOBER 2015

ADDENDUM 1, SEPTEMBER 2020

Special Notes

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Copyright © 2015 American Petroleum Institute

Foreword

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Contents

Page

1 Scope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2 Field Care and use of Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.1 Handling on Reel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
2.2 Handling During Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
2.3 Care of Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
2.4 Seizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.5 Poured Sockets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
2.6 Attachment of Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
2.7 Casing-line and Drilling-line Reeving Practice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
3 Recommended Design Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.1 Importance of Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.2 Socket Baskets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.3 Material for Sheave Grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.4 Bearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.5 Diameter of Drums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.6 Drum Grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.7 Diameter of Sheaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
3.8 Sheave Grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
4 Evaluation of Rotary Drilling Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.1 Total Service Performed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
4.2 Round-trip Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
4.3 Drilling Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
4.4 Coring Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.5 Setting Casing Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
4.6 Short Trip Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.7 Other Operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.8 Evaluation of Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
4.9 Rotary Drilling Line Ton-Mile Calculators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
4.10 Rotary Drilling Line Service Record Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
5 Cutoff Practice for Rotary Drilling Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.1 Service Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.2 Initial Length of Line . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.3 Service Goal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.4 Variations in Line Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
5.5 Cutoff Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
6 Inspection and Retirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.1 Inspection Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
6.2 Wire Rope Removal Criteria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
7 Common Types of Wire Rope Deterioration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.1 General . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
7.2 Wire Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
7.3 Broken Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39

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7.4 Drum Wear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

7.5 Corrosion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
7.6 Rope Distortion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
7.7 Lay Length . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
7.8 Diameter Reductions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
7.9 Heat Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
7.10 Extraordinary Wear/Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
8 Field Troubles and Their Causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Figures
1 Efficiency of Wire Rope Reeving for Multiple Sheave Blocks Cases A, B, and C
(Fast Line and Efficiency Factors for Derricks, Booms, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
2 Efficiency of Wire Rope Reeving for Multiple Sheave Blocks Cases D and E
(Fast Line and Efficiency Factors for Derricks, Booms, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
3 Efficiencies of Wire Ropes Bent Around Stationary Sheaves (Static Stresses Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
4 Fatigue Fractures in Outer Wires Caused by the Formation of Martensite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
5 Putting a Seizing on a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
6 Correct Method of Attaching Clips to Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
7 Incorrect Methods of Attaching Clips to Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
8 Typical Reeving Diagram for a 14-Line String-up with 8-Sheave Crown Block and 7-Sheave
Traveling Block: Left Hand Reeving (See Arrangement No. 1 in Table 5). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
9 Fleet Angle from Drum to Sheave and Sheave to Drum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
10 Relative Service for Various DT/d Ratios for Sheaves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
11 New Sheave Grooves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
12 Use of Sheave Gage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
13 Facsimile of Rotary Drilling Line Service Record Form . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
14 Relationship between Rotary-line Initial Length and Service Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
15 Example of Abrasion of the Outer Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
16 Example of Peening of the Outer Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
17 Example of Single Broken Wire on the Crown of a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
18 Example of Valley Wire Breaks that are Displaced from their Unbroken Position . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
19 Example of External Damage Resulting in Broken Wires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
20 Example of Pattern of Drum Crushing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
21 Example of Crushing on a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
22 Example of Surface Corrosion on a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
23 Example of Pitting Corrosion on a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
24 Example of Fretting Corrosion in a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
25 Example of a Kink in a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
26 Example of a Permanent Bend in a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
27 Example of Waviness in a Wire Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
28 Diagram Showing the Lay Length of a 6-Strand Wire Rope. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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29 Diagram Showing Correct and Incorrect Ways to Measure Wire Rope Diameter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
30 Example of Loss of Core Support Resulting in Localized Diameter Reduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
31 Example of Electrical Arc Causing Severe Wire Rope Damage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

Tables
1 Typical Sizes and Construction of Wire Rope for Oilfield Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Minimum Design Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
3 Attachment of Clips. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4 Attachment of Double Saddle Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5 Typical Reeving Arrangements for 14, 12, 10, 9, and 6-Line String-ups Using 8-Sheave Crown
Blocks with 7-Sheave Traveling Blocks, 7-Sheave Crown Blocks with 6-Sheave Traveling Blocks,
and 6-Sheave Crown Blocks with 5-Sheave Traveling Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
6 Sheave-Diameter Factors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
7 Relative Bending Life Factors for Various Construction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
8 Grove Radii for Sheaves. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
9 Ton-Mile Goal per Foot of Rope . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
10 Field Troubles and Their Causes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

vii
 Application, Care, and Use of Wire Rope for Oil Field Service

1 Scope
This recommended practice (RP) covers typical wire rope applications for the oil and gas industry.

Typical practices in the application of wire rope to oil field service are indicated in Table 1, which shows the sizes and
constructions commonly used. Because of the variety of equipment designs, the selection of constructions other than
those shown is justifiable.

In oilfield service, wire rope is often referred to as wire line or cable. For the purpose of clarity, these various
expressions are incorporated in this recommended practice.

2 Field Care and use of Wire Rope

2.1 Handling on Reel

2.1.1 Use of Binding or Lifting Chain

When handling wire rope on a reel with a binding or lifting chain, wooden blocks should always be used between the
rope and the chain to prevent damage to the wire or distortion of the strands in the rope.

2.1.2 Use of Bars

Bars for moving the reel should be used against the reel flange, and not against the rope.

2.1.3 Sharp Objects

The reel should not be rolled over or dropped on any hard, sharp object in such a manner that the rope will be
damaged.

2.1.4 Dropping

The reel should not be dropped. This may cause damage to the rope as well as break the reel.

2.1.5 Mud, Dirt, or Cinders

Rolling the reel in or allowing it to stand in any medium harmful to steel such as mud, dirt, or cinders should be
avoided. Planking or cribbing will be of assistance in handling the reel as well as in protecting the rope against
damage.

2.1.6 Lifting the Reel

The preferred method for lifting a reel with slings is to use a spreader bar that is of sufficient length to keep the sling
legs from contacting the reel. This will prevent the flanges of the reel from being bent, distorted, broken, or damaged
in any way by the slings.

2.1.7 Shaft through Arbor Holes

When lifting reels of wire rope, care must be taken that the shaft through the reel is of adequate length for the task,
plus its wall thickness and diameter are of sufficient strength and size respectively to safely support the weight without
damaging the center holes of the two flanges of the reel.