- Adding Pipe To The Drill String -
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The giant rig seen in this clip is called a triple. It can raise three sections of drill pipe completely out of the hole at once. Since each section is 30 feet in length, the derrick alone has to be greater than 90 feet tall!.

Every thirty feet of drilling, the drill string is lifted from the hole using the 400 ton winch attached to the derrick. Using gigantic wrenches powered by smaller winches, the new section of drill pipe is screwed onto the drill string and lowered back into the hole for another thirty feet of drilling.

The workers prepare the next section of pipe, and drop it into the mousehole where it will wait until the next thirty feet of depth is reached. Notice how they move with the precision of ballet dancers, even tho they are handling thousands of pounds of weight and torque.