Blog

Slip-type tubing elevators hold and hoist tubing for completion and production operations. They are especially suitable for the hoisting of integral joint tubing. Keystone slip-type tubing elevators come in four types: the 20-ton “LYT”, 40-ton “MYT”, 75-ton “YT” and the 150-ton “HYT”. Tubular sizes are from 3/4” through 3 1/2”. All slip backs and dieRead more

Life on an oil rig can be tough enough without footwear that lacks the comfort, protection and durability to handle the rigorous demands placed on the wearer day-in and day-out. Just like other forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) — hard hats, eye protection, gloves and aprons — picking the right footwear for the job is essential. What should you look for in selecting aRead more

In case you haven’t heard, natural gas production in the United States has shot up in recent years and is expected to keep climbing. New drilling techniques such as hydraulic fracturing (fracking) have made us the world’s top producer of natural gas. Additionally, new processes for shipping liquefied natural gas (LNG) could make the U.S.Read more

Hydraulic and pneumatic power tongs include drill pipe tongs, casing tongs and tubing tongs. With all types, your crew needs safe, efficient, reliable performance with a good torque-to-weight ratio. Here’s a little more info about different rig tongs: Drill Pipe Tongs: Used to screw industrial tubular together to form a drill string and its components, which make the drill bit turn at the bottom of the wellbore. The drill string includes the drill pipe, bottom hole assembly,Read more

Working on an offshore oil rig is a hazardous job even under the best conditions. That’s why smart companies put such a strong emphasis on safety. Thanks to a growing “safety first, job second” culture, offshore oil rig fatality rates have decreased steadily over time, according to the CDC. Still, whether it’s the result of exposureRead more

Oil and gas is growing in the Gulf South, but low prices and an increasing supply mean the operations we service are still watching every penny. Let’s take a look at the changing production landscape, then review how Keystone meets the industry’s need for high-quality parts at competitive prices. Rig Count Continues Its Rise There are nearly twice as manyRead more

Modern shale gas exploration means more horizontal wells, longer laterals and more frac stages.  The market shift to horizontal wells has also brought different horizontal frac completions methods. The benefits and drawbacks of two of them, “plug and perf” (or limited entry) and pinpoint fracturing, continue to spark debate among operators. We won’t solve that debate here. The technical discussion is far from over. But we can briefly look at the two completion methodsRead more

Today’s deeper drilling calls for long and heavy casing strings. Drilling a well through rock formations means using casing to keep the sides of the well from caving in and to protect the wellstream from contamination. At a basic level, casing slips are steel wedges hinged together. Just like rotary hand slips, they are used to gripRead more

With 2017 halfway behind us, now is a good time to look at drilling activity and how it is impacting oilfield tools and services in 2017 — and how it will continue to affect us in 2018. When we published our 2015 Drilling Outlook here on the Keystone Energy Tools blog two years ago, things weren’t soRead more

Often, we get calls from rig supply companies saying they need Baker drill pipe float valves. For these folks, we have good news and bad news. The bad news: Baker float valves don’t exist anymore. The good news: Keystone makes a Baker®-style valve that improves on the original.  The Baker® drill pipe float valve wasRead more