Frequently Asked Questions

MTS offers tubular connection qualification, completion equipment qualification, combined load testing, HPHT and thermal-cycling testing, resonant and rotary fatigue testing, torque and make-and-break testing, flow testing, strain gage services, fully managed (turnkey) connection testing programs, field measurement and on-site testing services.

Tubular connection qualification is full-scale testing that verifies a threaded connection’s structural integrity and sealing performance under service loads. MTS qualifies premium connections, OCTG (casing and tubing), and specialty joints to API 5C5, ISO 13679, and customer or ExxonMobil evaluation protocols.

MTS tests to API, ISO, ASME, ASTM, ANSI, and AWEA standards, plus customer-specified protocols. Common connection standards include API RP 5C5 (CAL I–IV), ISO 13679, and ExxonMobil Connection Evaluation (1st and 2nd Edition); MTS has also completed full-scale programs to API 19AC and API 11D1 (V3 and V0).

Combined load testing applies multiple forces at once — tension, compression, bending, internal/external pressure, and temperature — to reproduce real service conditions. Connections are first made up using MTS’s torque systems, then loaded in the frame, so combined loading exposes failure modes that single-parameter testing misses.

Resonant fatigue testing reaches its speed by applying controlled oscillatory vibrations that cycle a specimen at high frequency (up to 30 Hz) rather than stroking it with a hydraulic actuator. MTS delivers up to 2.5 million cycles per day this way, running 24/7 under automated control until the specimen fails to establish its precise fatigue limit. That lets MTS simulate years of field fatigue on pipe girth welds and mechanical connectors (3.5" to 14" diameter) in days or weeks, without sacrificing data accuracy.

Rotary fatigue testing rotates a specimen (up to 30 RPM) while applying controlled bending forces, often under pressure, to reproduce the combined rotational and bending stresses a component sees in service. MTS runs it at up to 40,000 cycles per day on specimens up to 6" outer diameter, using wireless strain gages to measure stress on the rotating part without slip rings or trailing wires. Where resonant fatigue drives bending cycles into a stationary pipe, rotary fatigue physically turns the specimen — surfacing combined-load failure modes that single-parameter testing can miss.

High-pressure/high-temperature (HPHT) testing qualifies equipment for extreme downhole and process environments. MTS tests at internal pressures up to 50,000 psi (liquid) and temperatures from -112°F/-80°C up to 1,200°F/650°C, using a three-stage centralized gas system for precise pressure and thermal cycling.

Make and break testing repeatedly assembles (makes up) and disassembles (breaks out) a connection to evaluate galling resistance, thread and seal performance, thread-compound effectiveness, and reusability. MTS performs make and break on vertical torque units up to 150,000 ft-lb, generating the data needed before sealability and combined load testing.

MTS provides make-and-break torque testing up to 150,000 ft-lb using power tong and bucking systems in vertical and horizontal configurations. The units handle tubulars from 2-3/8" to 20" outer diameter, with live data tracking through MTS’s custom software.

Yes. MTS’s fully managed programs cover the entire project — material procurement, mapping and saw-cut, tensile testing, specimen threading and inspection, make and break, sealability testing, fixture design and machining, testing, and final reporting. Clients get a single point of coordination from "cradle to grave."

Flow testing evaluates downhole tools and production equipment under realistic flow rates and pressures. Through our network of specialized vendor partners, MTS can custom-build the exact flow loop required to meet your project's precise parameters. We test vital assets including valves, sleeves, and a variety of downhole completion equipment.

Yes. MTS brings strain measurement, pressure and temperature monitoring, and basic load and pressure testing to client sites within its service area — useful when equipment can’t be transported or must be tested in its operating environment. Each field project is scoped for capability fit and location.