World's First Commercial Application of Titanium Drill Pipe

11 Oct 1999

Houston, October 11, 1999

Following years of extensive testing by Grant Prideco and RTI Energy Systems, Inc., titanium drill pipe has recently been used commercially for the first time on record. Torch Drilling Services L.L.C. drilled the curved section of a short-radius horizontal well in Greeley County, Kansas, with a hybrid steel and titanium drill string. The bottom hole assembly combined four joints of 2-7/8¡¨ titanium alloy upset pipe with a patented rotary steerable horizontal drilling system.

The projected well path called for a 60¡¦ radius of curvature (ROC) to a target azimuth of 90 degrees. The actual well path resulted in a 58¡¦ ROC to a target azimuth of 93 degrees and a very smooth planar borehole. The pipe was rotated at 50 - 80 rpm while building angle.

Titanium is a physically robust and chemically resistant, long-life drill pipe material that weighs about half as much as steel pipe with twice its flexibility. These properties make titanium an excellent material for use in drilling difficult short-radius, extended reach and ultra-deep wells. A hybrid drill string including titanium drill pipe can significantly reduce drilling time and overall drilling costs. It can also be used in high temperature, corrosive applications and as a non-magnetic material for surveying.

Manufactured and supplied by a joint effort between Grant Prideco and RTI Energy Systems, Inc., the titanium drill pipe was fitted with Grant Prideco Fatigue Resistant „· (FR) steel tool joints specifically designed for high-stress, short-radius drilling applications. The joint effort offers lightweight, flexible and rugged titanium drill pipe in sizes from 2-3/8" to 6-5/8" and in combination with Fatigue Resistant„· (FR), eXtreme„· Torque (XT„·), HI-TORQUE„µ (HT) or standard API tool joints.

Grant Prideco, headquartered in The Woodlands, Texas, is the world¡¦s leader in drill stem technology development and drill pipe manufacturing, sales and service, in addition to being North America's pre-eminent source for engineered connections and premium tubulars. Grant Prideco is a subsidiary of Weatherford International, Inc. (NYSE:WFT).

RTI Energy Systems, Inc. of Spring, Texas, offers titanium solutions for energy applications and provides subsea riser components - in titanium, steel and other specialty metals - and titanium production tubulars. It is a subsidiary of RTI International Metals Inc., (NYSE:RTI), headquartered in Niles, Ohio. RTI International, through its various subsidiaries, manufactures and distributes titanium and specialty metal mill products, extruded shapes and engineered systems for energy-related, aerospace, industrial and consumer markets.

Torch Drilling Services L.L.C. provides short radius horizontal drilling services to oil and gas operators throughout the United States under a license granted by BP Amoco p.l.c. Torch Drilling Services is a wholly owned subsidiary of Torch Energy Advisors Incorporated, an employee-owned company headquartered in Houston, providing upstream and midstream outsourcing and energy asset management services to the energy industry.

Contacts:
Lori Tipton 281-297-8500
Jerry Rubli 281-379-3500
John Hunter 713-753-1254

Weatherford International, Inc.
515 Post Oak Blvd, Suite 600
Houston, Texas 77027
713-693-4000