1. n. [Drilling]

Two or three single joints of drillpipe or drill collars that remain screwed together during tripping operations. Most modern medium- to deep-capacity drilling rigs handle three-joint stands, called "trebles" or "triples." Some smaller rigs have the capacity for only two-joint stands, called "doubles." In each case, the drillpipe or drill collars are stood back upright in the derrick and placed into fingerboards to keep them orderly. This is a relatively efficient way to remove the drillstring from the well when changing the bit or making adjustments to the bottomhole assembly, rather than unscrewing every threaded connection and laying the pipe down to a horizontal position.

See related terms: bottomhole assembly,  connection,  cut-and-thread fishing technique,  fingerboard,  make a connection,  racking back pipe,  short trip,  slips,  tripping pipe