INTEGRATED® Equipment, Inc

Menu
Menu
Menu
Standpipe Manifolds Explained

Standpipe Manifolds Explained: Directing Drilling Fluid on the Rig

Leave a Comment / DRILLING, Pressure Control Equipment / By

Drilling | Pressure Control Equipment

Est. reading time: 4 minutes  ·  By INTEGRATED® Equipment, Inc.

In short: A standpipe manifold is the set of high-pressure valves, gauges and lines that sits downstream of the mud pumps and directs drilling fluid to where it is needed on the rig — the standpipe and drill string, the kill line, or the cementing unit. INTEGRATED® builds standpipe manifolds for working pressures of 5,000 to 7,500 psi, in single or dual configurations, monogrammed to API 6A and API 16C.
Cutaway of an INTEGRATED slab gate valve showing the handwheel, stem, bonnet and gate
Red skid-mounted standpipe manifold with gate valves and tees on a steel frame
Standpipe manifold 3D model with handwheel gate valves, an actuated valve and flanged piping
Line drawing of a standpipe manifold assembly with handwheel gate valves and numbered parts

Drilling fluid does a lot of quiet work on a rig. It carries cuttings up out of the hole, cools and lubricates the bit, and — above all — holds back formation pressure so the well stays under control. But the mud only helps if it goes exactly where it is meant to, at the pressure it is meant to. That routing job belongs to the standpipe manifold.

This post explains what a standpipe manifold is, what it does on the rig, and how INTEGRATED® builds one for dependable service.

What Is a Standpipe Manifold?

A standpipe manifold is a high-pressure assembly of valves, gauges and lines installed downstream of the mud pumps. Its job is to take the flow coming off the pumps and send it to the right place: up the standpipe and down the drill string to circulate the well, across to the cementing unit, or out to the kill line when it is tied into the well-control system.

Because it handles full pump pressure, every part of it is built and rated as pressure-control equipment — not as ordinary rig plumbing.

What a Standpipe Manifold Does

The manifold gives the crew a single place to direct and control mud flow. An adjustable choke built into the manifold lets the crew do several things that matter during drilling:
  • Bleed pressure off the drillpipe in a controlled way.
  • Reduce the shock to the system when circulation is broken or re-started.
  • Bleed off pressure trapped between the blowout preventers during stripping operations.
Those functions tie the standpipe manifold directly into safe pressure management on the rig, alongside the blowout preventer stack and the choke and kill manifold.

Inside the INTEGRATED® Standpipe Manifold

INTEGRATED® standpipe manifolds are offered in single or dual designs and can be supplied free-standing or mounted in a frame to suit how the rig is laid out. Typical working pressures run from 5,000 to 7,500 psi.

A standpipe manifold is made up of:

  • High-pressure valves
  • Pressure gauges
  • Line pipes
  • Adjustable choke

Connections are available as hammer unions, flanged, or butt-welded, so the manifold can be matched to the rest of the rig’s lines.

The isolation valves on the manifold are INTEGRATED® slab gate valves — the same IFC or IFLS™ slab gate valve family used across the company’s surface pressure-control equipment, chosen for a tight metal-to-metal seal and a long, maintainable service life.

Standards and Build Quality

A standpipe manifold holds full pump pressure, so how it is made matters as much as how it is laid out. INTEGRATED® standpipe manifolds are monogrammed to API 6A (valves and components) and API 16C (well-control and choke/kill systems) and are manufactured in INTEGRATED API-certified plant.

For a drilling contractor, that means the equipment routing high-pressure mud across the rig floor was designed, built and tested to recognized global standards — not assembled to a local spec.

Part of the Manifold Family

The standpipe manifold is one of a set of pressure-control manifolds INTEGRATED® builds for the rig. It works upstream of the well, routing mud; the choke and kill manifold works on the well-control side, controlling pressure during a kick. Together with the blowout preventers, they form the pressure-control package that keeps a drilling operation safe and circulating.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a standpipe manifold?

A standpipe manifold is a high-pressure assembly of valves, gauges and lines, installed downstream of the mud pumps, that directs drilling fluid to the right place on the rig — the standpipe and drill string, the cementing unit, or the kill line. INTEGRATED® builds them to API 6A and API 16C.

What does a standpipe manifold do on a drilling rig?

It gives the crew one place to route and control mud flow coming off the pumps. An adjustable choke on the manifold lets the crew bleed pressure off the drillpipe, reduce shock when circulation is broken, and bleed off pressure trapped between the blowout preventers during striping.

What pressure rating does a standpipe manifold have?

INTEGRATED® standpipe manifolds are built for working pressures of 5,000 to 7,500 psi.

What components make up a standpipe manifold?

An INTEGRATED® standpipe manifold is made up of high-pressure valves, pressure gauges, line pipes and an adjustable choke, with hammer-union, flanged or butt-welded connections, in a single or dual configuration.

What standards apply to a standpipe manifold?

INTEGRATED® standpipe manifolds are monogrammed to API 6A (valves and components) and API 16C (well-control and choke/kill systems), and are manufactured in an API-certified plant.

How is a standpipe manifold different from a choke and kill manifold?

A standpipe manifold sits downstream of the mud pumps and routes drilling fluid around the rig. A choke and kill manifold sits on the well-control side, downstream of the blowout preventers, and controls well pressure during a kick. They are different manifolds doing different jobs in the same pressure-control package.

INTEGRATED® standpipe manifolds are built to route high-pressure mud dependably, day after day, and to be maintained over a long service life. Tell us how your rig is laid out and the pressure you need, and our team will configure the right single or dual standpipe manifold for your operation.

See the manifold range Request a quote

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *