What Are Elevators in Oil and Gas Drilling and How Do You Choose the Right Type?

Elevators are the handling tools that connect the traveling block or hook to the drill string so pipe can be hoisted, held, and lowered in and out of the wellbore. In the product line covered here, they come in two basic forms: side door drill pipe elevators (the CD type) and slip type elevators/spiders for casing. Choosing the right one comes down to three things: the pipe outside diameter you are handling, the rated load the string will impose, and whether you need a manual latch or an air-operated, mechanized tool.

What elevators do in the drilling operation

An elevator grips the pipe below a shoulder or upset and transfers the load to the hoisting system. During tripping, the elevator latches onto the drill pipe, the drawworks lifts the string, and the pipe is set back or run back in. The tool therefore has to do two jobs at once: hold a dynamic load safely and release and re-latch quickly enough to keep trip time reasonable.

The CD drill pipe elevators described here are conventional side door elevators for handling 90° shoulder drill pipe in oil and gas drilling. They are forged from alloy steel, heat-treated, and NDT tested, with rated loads from 150 t to 750 t covering pipe sizes from 2⅜" to 9⅞" OD.

Side door elevators vs. slip type elevators/spiders

These are not interchangeable — they suit different pipe and different handling philosophies.

The slip type elevator/spider is described as easy to operate and dependable, and its main practical advantage is reduced workload — the air-operated mechanism replaces manual latching on heavy casing. If you are running drill pipe with a 90° shoulder, the side door elevator is the correct family; if you are running casing up to 20", the slip type is the one to look at.

How to size an elevator: load rating and pipe OD

Selection is a two-variable problem, and both variables must be satisfied at once.

1. Determine the pipe OD. For the CD elevators this must fall within 2⅜"–9⅞". For the SE 350 slip type, casing up to 20" is covered. An elevator sized for the wrong OD will not seat correctly on the shoulder.
2. Determine the maximum string load. The CD range runs 150 t to 750 t. Pick a rating above the heaviest load the elevator will see, not the average — the rating is a working limit, not a target.
3. Match the elevator to the rest of the string. The elevator works alongside slips and tongs, so the pipe size and load class should be consistent across the set.

A useful rule of thumb: the pipe OD fixes which elevator you can use, and the load rating fixes which size within that family you need. Neither alone is sufficient.

Standards, materials, and testing

The CD elevators are forged from high quality alloy steel, heat-treated, and NDT tested — forging and heat treatment give the body its strength and toughness, and non-destructive testing verifies there are no defects that could propagate under cyclic hoisting loads. The SE 350 slip type elevators/spiders are designed and manufactured according to API & ISO. If a project specification calls for API or ISO compliance, that is the line to confirm against; if it calls for forged, heat-treated, NDT-tested drill pipe elevators, the CD type matches that description.

Matching elevators with slips and tongs

Elevators rarely work alone. On a typical trip you will also be using:

• Slips — to grip the pipe in the rotary table while the elevator is released. Rotary slips here cover 2⅜"–7" OD and are classified by gripping length as Ultra-Short (SDS-S), Short (SDS), Medium (SDML), and Extra Long (SDXL), with SDS-S/SDS for shallow drilling, SDML for medium depth, and SDXL for deep drilling.
• Manual tongs — to make up and break out connections. The Q60-178/22 handles 2⅜"–7" and adjusts by changing latch lug jaws and handling shoulders.
• Elevator links and bushings — the intermediate hardware between the hook and the elevator.

The practical check is that the pipe size range of the elevator, the slips, and the tongs all overlap the string you are running. A 7" drill pipe, for example, sits at the top of the rotary slip range and within the CD elevator range, so both tools are available for that size.

Common selection mistakes to avoid

• Sizing by pipe OD only. A 4½" elevator rated below the string weight is still the wrong elevator.
• Using a drill pipe elevator on casing. The CD type is for 90° shoulder drill pipe; casing up to 20" belongs with the slip type elevator/spider.
• Ignoring the mechanized option on casing. The air-operated slip type elevator/spider exists specifically to cut workload on casing running — on long casing strings that difference matters.
• Skipping documentation. If the job requires API & ISO conformance or NDT records, confirm which product line carries them before ordering.

For specific sizes, ratings, and current availability, the manufacturer's contact channel is listed as a 24-hour service hotline at 008613862776577.