Stuck Pipe Prevention

Prentice & Hill, LLC

Second Day
Differential Sticking
Causes
High Differential Pressures
Excessive Mud Weight
Drawn Down Formations
Poor Well Planning
Well Bore Contact
Poor Filter Cake
Little or No Pipe Motion
Solids Induced Pack-off
Formation Loose w/ Little or No Bonding
Insufficient Hydrostatic to Hold Back
Formation


UNCONSOLIDATED FORMATIONS
Causes
Pack-off Due to
Unconsolidated Formations
Prevention
Gel up Mud / Run Hi Vis Sweeps
Control Drill
Spot Gel Pill Prior to TOH

Plan / Anticipate:
Solids Induced Pack-off
Increase Mud Weight, if possible
Use Under-saturated Water Base Mud
Pump Fresh Water Sweeps
Design Casing to Handle Collapse Loads
Causes
MOBILE / PLASTIC FORMATIONS
Formation Extrudes Into Well Bore Due to
Overburden Forces.
Prevention
Proper Well Planning:
Solids Induced Pack-off

Causes
Control Drill & Ream Connections
Anticipate Reaming on Trips
FRACTURED / FAULTED FORMATIONS
Prevention
Loose Chunks of Rock Fall into Well Bore
Plan / Anticipate
Solids Induced Pack-off

Causes
Raise Mud Weight, if possible
Set Casing Appropriately
OVER-PRESSURED SHALE COLLAPSE
Prevention
Shale Pops Off Wall Due to Pressure
Plan / Anticipate
Solids Induced Pack-off

Causes
Use Inhibited Mud System
Minimize Exposure Time
Be Prepared for Gumbo Attack
REACTIVE FORMATIONS
Prevention
Mud Filtrate Reacts Chemically with Formation
Plan / Anticipate
Solids Induced Pack-off

Causes
Increase Annular Velocities
Better Mud Properties

Subject of another section
POOR HOLE CLEANING
Prevention
Not Removing Cuttings From Well Bore
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
KEYSEATING
Minimize Dog Leg Severity
Case Off Curves Soon After Building
Use Keyseat Wiper
Make Frequent Wiper Trips
Back Ream Out of Hole
Abrupt Change in Well Bore Path (Dog Leg)
Long Hole Section Below Dog Leg

Prevention
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
UNDERGAUGE HOLE
Always Gauge Bit & Stabilizers IN and OUT
Run Gauge Protected Bits & Stabilizers
Ream Suspected Undergauge Sections
Undergauge Bit and/or Stabilizers
Coring (Core heads slightly U.G.)
Prevention
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
LEDGES & DOGLEGS
Run Packed Hole Assemblies
Ream on Trips Through Problem Zones
Limber BHAs
Hard - Soft Interbedded Formation
Prevention


Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
SHOE JOINT BACKS OFF
Do Not Overdisplace Cement
Thread Lock Bottom 3 Joints of Casing
Drill Out Carefully

Prevention
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
JUNK
Good Housekeeping on Rig Floor
Keep Hole Covered
Inspect Equipment Frequently
Prevention
Something Manmade is Loose in the Hole
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
CEMENT BLOCKS
Set All Casing As Close To TD As Possible
Ream Casing Shoe & Open Hole Plugs
Before Drilling Ahead
Hard Cement Falls In From Casing Shoe or From
Open Hole Cement Plug
Prevention
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
GREEN CEMENT
Wash Down Carefully to Top of Cement
Pre-Treat Mud Before Drilling Green
Cement
Prevention
Run BHA Into Un-set Cement
Mechanical / Wellbore Geometry Sticking
Causes
LINER & SQUEEZE CEMENTING
Hazards in Liner Cementing
Too Much Excess
Overdisplacement
Squeeze Cementing
Hold Pressure on Back Side, If Possible
Use Cement Retainers
DO NOT Cement Up a Squeeze Packer (RTTS)
Cementing Yourself in the Hole
Trend Analysis
Plot Property -vs- Depth or Time and Analyze
Drag on each Connection
Torque -vs- Depth
PWD -vs- Time
Soap Box
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Weight
D
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Recovery
Our Best Preventive Efforts Have FAILED
WERE STUCK !!
What Do We Do Now?
Identifying the Problem:
Why are we stuck?
Stuck Pipe Handbook Flowcharts
Problem Diagnosis
Computer Intelligent System on Network at
Cambridge Facility
Charts in Front of Sedco Forex Handbook
Solving the Problem:
What do we do now?
First Actions
Solids Induced Stuck Pipe
Stop pumps & bleed pressure to 500 psi
Hold pressure & cycle drill string up to MUT
with no up/down movement
Try pumping if pressure bleeds off
Begin working pipe up/down - max 50K
overpull




Formation Movement / Poor Hole Cleaning
First Actions
Solids Induced Stuck Pipe
Do not commence jarring
Increase standpipe pressure to 1500 psi
Work pipe
Commence secondary procedures




Continued
First Actions
Differential Sticking
Circulate at maximum allowable rate
Set compression w/ 50% MUT
Pull tension w/ 50% MUT
Secondary Procedures




Overbalanced, Filter Cake, Contact Area
First Actions
Mechanical Sticking
Maintain circulation
Jar in opposite direction of last movement
Light loads (50K) w/ systematic increases
Secondary procedures




Dogleg, Keyseat, Junk, Undergauge
First Actions
Locating the Problem:
Where are we stuck?
Pipe Stretch Measurements

Pipe Stretch Equation

F
L W
L

000 , 735
L = Length of Free Pipe (ft)
L = Length of Stretch (in)
F = Incremental Force (lbs)
W = Weight of Drill Pipe (lb/ft)
Locating the Problem:
Where are we stuck?
Pipe Stretch Measurements

Free Point Tool
Review Stuck Pipe Handbook Procedures
Stuck Here
Pull On DP
Measure Stretch
Here
Measure Stretch
Here
Free
Point
Tool
Solids Induced Stuck Pipe
Jarring
Back off and wash over




Secondary Procedures
Differential Sticking
Attack Filter Cake -- Spotting Fluid
Spot within 4 hrs of sticking
Omit after 16 hrs
Rule of Thumb - Soak minimum 20 hrs and a
maximum 40 hrs




Secondary Procedures
Pipe Releasing Agents
Spotting Fluids
Pump shear thinning spacer
Viscosity: 100 rpm value > drilling mud
50 to 100 bbl spacer
Calculate volume of PRA - Example
Spot at highest allowable pump rate
Work pipe (up/down, torque) while soaking
Differential Sticking
Reduce Hydrostatic
Cut Mud Weight
U Tube - Kick it free
Caution - Well May Come In
Back Off and Wash Over




Secondary Procedures
Mechanical Sticking
Jar in opposite direction of last pipe
movement
Back Off and Wash Over




Secondary Procedures
Acid Pills
Calcium Formations, Strip Filter Cake
Typically 7.5% to 15% HCl
Cover stuck zone
Pump acid quickly to bit
Large water spacers
Work pipe while soaking
Circulate out after 5 minutes
Secondary Procedures
Fresh Water Pills
Mobile Salt
Cover stuck zone plus 20 bbl inside drill
string
OBM - Viscous weighted spacer
Maintain overpull while soaking
Repeat after 2 hrs
Secondary Procedures
Drilling Jars - Benefits
Jar stuck pipe immediately
Minimize fishing / sidetrack potential
Minimize surface loads (safety)
Something to do while waiting on tools
Mechanical Jars
Most basic type of jar
Sliding sleeve inside shoulder sleeve
Holding mechanism locks hammer
Overpull stretches drill string
Sudden release when holding mechanism is
overcome
Mechanical Jars - Advantages
Remain locked until loaded
More freedom of placement in string
No special tripping procedures
Do not jar unexpectedly
Short jar cycle
Cost
Availability
Mechanical Jars - Disadvantages
Load may not be varied
Jarring immediate once load is reached
Large shock to hoisting equipment
Rig may not pull over holding force
Difficult to load in deviated wellbores
Hydraulic Jars
Oil reservoir w/ orifice & bypass valve
Oil bleeds slowly until piston reaches
bypass valve
Hydraulic delay
Hydraulic Jars - Advantages
Allows time to set drilling brake
No torque needed to operate
Torque does not affect load
Varied impact force
Use in deviated holes
Hydraulic Jars - Disadvantages
May jar unexpectedly
Tripping more time consuming
Longer jar cycle
More expensive
Availability
Reasons Jars Fail to Fire
Incorrect weight - calculation incorrect
Pump open force exceeds compression
force
Stuck above jar
Jar mechanism failed
Jar not cocked
Drag too high to load jar
Reasons Jars Fail to Fire (cont.)
Jar firing not felt at surface
Torque trapped in mechanical jar
No patience
Accelerators - Functions
Compensate for short string
Compensate for hole drag slowing
contraction
Act as a reflector to jar shock wave
Intensify jar blow
Jar / Accelerator Placement
Considerations
Sticking point
Jar direction required
Differential risk
Neutral point of tension / compression
Buckling point
Drag in the hole section
Depth of hole section
Placement - Vertical Holes
Above buckling point at maximum WOB
Two DCs above jars
No stabilizers above jars
Accelerators needed in shallow hole
sections
Placement - Deviated Holes
Do not run jars buckled
Avoid tension / compression neutral point
Calculate measured weight reading required
Account for hole drag
Jar Placement Programs
Do not typically account for buckling
Accurately calculate and account for pump
open forces
Maximize jar impact at stuck point

Example - Griffith Oil Tools
Fishing - Overshots
Catches OD of fish
Right hand torque operated
Always run a bumper sub
Circulating sub
Basket grapple
More sturdy, Easier to release
Spiral grapple
Stronger hold, Use in slim hole
Wall hooks
Fishing - Spears
Catches ID of pipe
Consider stop ring
Risk back off of wash pipe
Rope spears
Fishing - Taps
Use when overshot or spear cannot be used
Taper Tap - Screws inside fish
Box Tap - Screws over fish
Cannot be released & subject to breakage
String shot cannot be run through taper tap
Excessive torque will split box tap

Fishing - Junk
Magnets
Junk Baskets
Confusion Blocks
Mills
Pilot, Tapered, Concave, Flat-Bottom, Section,
Fluted, Watermelon
Fishing - Milling
Pilot
Tapered
Concave
Flat-Bottom
Section
Fluted
Watermelon
Washover Operations
Run minimum size required - clearance
inside, " clearance outside
Maximum length 600' drill pipe, 300' BHA
Conditioning trip
Easy to differentially stick
Run jars in deeper hole sections
Steady feed when cutting formation
Jerky feed when going over tool joints
Washover Shoes
Short tooth mills (mill tooth) for medium to
hard formations
Long tooth mills for soft formations
Cut faster
Hang easier
Harder to get over top of fish
Flat bottom for stabilizers, reamers, tool
joints, etc.
Solving the Problem:
What do we do now?
THE OTHER OPTION:

S I D E T R A C K
Free Point and Back Off as Deep as Possible
Go Around the Fish
What Do We Do Now?
Sidetrack or Fish?
Its Purely a Matter of Economics
Sidetrack is a good choice when:
Fish Inexpensive or Recovery Unlikely
Hole is Cheap (read Fast) to Drill
Soft Formation - Easy to Kick Off
Spread Rate (Total Daily Cost) is HIGH