Slips is a device used to grip and hold the upper part of a

drill string A drill string on a drilling rig is a column, or string, of drill pipe that transmits drilling fluid (via the mud pumps) and torque (via the kelly drive or top drive) to the Well drilling#Drill bits in mechanical drilling, drill bit. The term ...

to the

drill floor The drill floor is the heart of any drilling rig. This is the area where the drill string begins its trip into the earth. It is traditionally where joints of pipe (fluid conveyance), pipe are assembled, as well as the BHA (bottom hole assembly), d ...

on an

oil rig {{about, , the mnemonic OIL RIG, Redox An oil rig is any kind of apparatus constructed for oil drilling. Kinds of oil rig include: * Drilling rig, an apparatus for on-land oil drilling * Drillship, a floating apparatus for offshore oil drilling * ...

. The slips are constructed as a collection of metal wedges, hinged together to form a circular shape around the

drill pipe Drill pipe, is hollow, thin-walled, steel or aluminium alloy piping that is used on drilling rigs. It is hollow to allow drilling fluid to be pumped down the hole through the bit and back up the annulus. It comes in a variety of sizes, strengths, ...

. On the inside surface, the slips normally has replaceable steel teeth that grips the pipe. The outsides of the slips are tapered and meets a similar taper on the

. Usually the pipe goes through a

Rotary table A rotary table is a precision work positioning device used in metalworking. It enables the operator to drill or cut work at exact intervals around a fixed (usually horizontal or vertical) axis. Some rotary tables allow the use of index plates f ...

- machinery that makes the pipe rotate. After the slips is placed around the

, it is lowered so that the teeth on the inside grip the pipe and the slips are pulled down. The wedges then holds the drill pipe by the compressive force. After work is completed, the drill string is raised, thereby unlocking the gripping action. The slips are then lifted away.

References

{{reflist Petroleum production Oil wells Petroleum geology Oilfield terminology