Question about steel pipe for fencing

[tanglefoot]

I've bought quite a bit of used 2 7/8" oilfield tubing for fences, and I've learned to buy from a reliable source. I have one supplier who I can count on to bring me good quality pipe every time. Other suppliers, even big steel companies, are hit or miss. They don't mind charging full price for defective pipe. I may start using the lighter tubing I've seen advertised. It's new, and it comes in 21' lengths, so it will be easier to haul than used oilfield pipe.
Butch

 

[jeffgreef]

Good advice from one and all. Thanks a lot folks. I'm going to wait til I can get galvanized. sounds like oil pipe is risky at best, and I don't want uranium or PCBs in my orchard. Rather have the deer in there....

JG

 

[EastTexFrank]

As Eddie alluded to, it all depends on what the pipe was used for.

Most new oilfield pipe comes with a plastic coating on the inside. I don't see how that would affect the cutting or the welding of the pipe. It usually wears off pretty quickly in use and shouldn't even be present in used pipe.

If the pipe has been used in any well with hydrogen sulphide gas in just about any concentration, it's junk. The H2S causes embrittlement and microscopic, sometimes not so microscopic, cracks which leads to early failure and nothing you do to it will prevent it. It'll also rust like a son-of-a-gun.

On the other hand, if it's relatively good pipe, it will last a lifetime. The problem is that you just never know how and where it's been used when you buy it but before it's being sold you can bet that it's reached the end of it's useful life and has most probably been sold by the drilling company as scrap. Pay your money and take your chances.

 

[cowboy357]

As Eddie alluded to, it all depends on what the pipe was used for.

Most new oilfield pipe comes with a plastic coating on the inside. I don't see how that would affect the cutting or the welding of the pipe. It usually wears off pretty quickly in use and shouldn't even be present in used pipe.

If the pipe has been used in any well with hydrogen sulphide gas in just about any concentration, it's junk. The H2S causes embrittlement and microscopic, sometimes not so microscopic, cracks which leads to early failure and nothing you do to it will prevent it. It'll also rust like a son-of-a-gun.

On the other hand, if it's relatively good pipe, it will last a lifetime. The problem is that you just never know how and where it's been used when you buy it but before it's being sold you can bet that it's reached the end of it's useful life and has most probably been sold by the drilling company as scrap. Pay your money and take your chances.

EastTexFrank I was hoping someone would address the plastic lining . the stuff I have is not coated , But appears to be some type of plastic sleeve inside & is flanged over the end where the pipes connect .

I was surprised no one else had seen or mentioned it before , would this type not take the risk out of what might have been inside before ? Or is it posable it was used for something else , such as water or gas ? There 32 foot lengths I beleive . I can take a pic afterwhile if it would help . I dont even want to try to sell it to someone if it could be a danger to others . Thanks Bob

 

[tallyho8]

There's a large lot not far from here where they used to take oilfield pipe to clean and resell. Now it's deserted and classified as a hazardous waste site.

 

[bontai_Joe]

In my neck of the woods, just about any steel except stainless, pounded into the ground will rust off in about 10 years. I would think it depends a lot on how wet your soil stays and rainfall per year.

 

[EddieWalker]

I was also worried about pipe rusting away, but it doesn't seem to happen like I thought it would. I've pulled out pipe used for bascket bal hoops and laundry lines that were 50 years old and they were still very solid. I've also wondered about T posts. Do they ever rust away? Wood posts rot out in as little as a couple of years, pressure treated wood can go as quickly as five years, but metal seems to last for decades and longer.

No snow here, just high humidity and about 4 ft of rain per year. Soil is very acidic.

Eddie

 

[tallyho8]

Eddies right! I pulled up two clothesline poles that were put in when the house was new 74 years ago and they were like new. The hot dip galvanized process they used then was probably thicker and better than the process they use today. And this is in South Louisiana where we have very high humidity and high groundwater.

 

[al darby]

well,I dont use oil field but use 2inch steel sprinkler pipe which will last for a long time and i have had friend that were in the cattle business and that is the only thing they use.I would put some of that rust preventing paint on it and it will last a long time.You could buy some boedock post which will last for a while .If you keep that pipe treated it would last for a long time.

 

[Western]

I,ve got some of the old oil feild pipe thats been in the ground for years, I cant see any signs of weakening & its not even painted .

I also have about 2000 foot of it I,m trying to sell , I was told by a fence builder Mine isn,t worth as much to some , because it is Lined with some type of plastic inside & makes it difficult to cut with anything other then a cut off saw, But still hard to weld . So You might keep that in mind when Buying some pipe off of CL .

I,m only going off of what this one Guy said though as I had never heard that before . Hopefully someone that knows for sure will jump in. Best of luck. Bob

I have used many joints of sleeved drill stem, don't like it because it's harder to cut with a torch and keep a smooth cut (makes saddling the pipe harder at times), welds just fine. I dislike magnetized pipe and sucker rod worse.

I like using drill stem and any I have seen rusted out like Eddie describes, is usually pretty obvious. Hit it with a big hammer and the inside scale will flow out the end. I like the oil field pipe, dont know if it poses anymore hazard than you using hairspray in the house, or vehicle exhaust you breath everyday. Big thing about metal post (any post) is mound/slope the cement to run water away from the base of the post/pipe, standing water around or in it speeds up the degradation.

I have found very few joints that are described as Eddies friend say's, at least from suppliers that depend on a reputation, I have seen some, but it was sold as junk.

If you dont want it, bring it down here :laughing: