If you’ve ever stood on a rig floor at 2 a.m. watching crews nip up a string, you already know pup joints are the unsung heroes. Small parts, big consequences. Over the past year, I’ve been comparing offerings from mainland China to the Gulf Coast, and—surprisingly—quality has tightened across the board. Still, the devil is in the metallurgy, threading, and test records. Let’s dig in.
From Hengshui Weijia Petroleum Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd., the Tubing Pup Joint is built for quick make-up and consistent drift. In fact, many customers say the thread finish and dope retention are the first things they notice—clean, precise, not over-burnished. It seems that Weijia keeps a tight grip on heat treatment and thread gauging, which is where some shops cut corners.
| Spec | Typical Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| OD / Size | 2-3/8" to 4-1/2" | Other sizes on request; drift verified per API 5CT. |
| Grades | J55, N80, L80, P110 (sour-service variants) | ISO 15156 suitability depends on environment. |
| Threads | EUE 8rd, NUE, premium compatible | Cut per API 5B; premium upon drawing approval. |
| Length | 2–12 ft (≈0.6–3.7 m) | Matched sets for spacing-out; real-world use may vary. |
| Testing | Hydrotest, drift, MPI/UT | Hydrostatic up to ≈30–35 MPa depending on grade. |
| Certifications | API 5CT monogram, API Q1, ISO 9001 | Plus ISO 14001/45001 at facility level (check current scope). |
| Service life | ≈3–7 years | Depends on corrosion load, make/break cycles, storage. |
Materials: API 5CT-grade tube → Upsetting/forging → Normalizing/quench & temper → CNC threading (API 5B gauges) → Phosphate or copper plating → Hydrotest & drift → NDT (MPI/UT) → Thread protectors → Marking & digital trace.
Onshore spacing-out, offshore completions, workovers, crossover assemblies, and sour-service wells where H2S calls for controlled hardness. I guess we forget how often a few feet of extra length saves a fishing trip.
| Vendor | Lead time | Grades | Thread scope | Certs | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hengshui Weijia | ≈2–4 weeks | J55–P110 + sour | API + select premium | API 5CT, API Q1, ISO 9001 | Mid |
| Global Maker A | 3–6 weeks | J55–Q125 | API + broad premium | Full API/ISO suite | High |
| Regional Shop B | 1–3 weeks | J55–N80 | API only | ISO 9001 | Low |
Note: indicative; availability, price, and premium thread licenses vary by quarter.
Custom lengths (to the inch), special coatings (phosphate, copper, Zn), laser marking, and matched hardness for sour wells are all routine now. QC typically includes hardness mapping, hydrotest hold ≈15 min, thread gauge records, and full MTR traceability. To be honest, ask for raw NDT images or reports—good shops share.
Middle East brownfield, H2S 2–3%. Weijia supplied L80-13Cr pups, EUE 8rd, 4 ft and 6 ft, hydrotested to 32 MPa. After 14 months, customer feedback cited “zero thread galling” and stable torque-turn curves. Service life is tracking toward 5+ years, but, yes, real-world corrosion will tell.
Standards and references
For buyers comparing Pup Joint Manufacturers, prioritize metallurgy for your environment, thread compliance (API 5B gauges), and recent hydro/NDT records. It sounds basic, but it saves jobs.