Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Stuck Pipe
Tubing or other pipe may become stuck when you attempt to pull it
from the well. A workover may be required to free the stuck pipe so
maintenance can be carried out and flow restored. Stuck pipes are
usually caused by a few common problems.
Salt bridges are one of the more common problems that can lead to a
stuck pipe. Salt bridges are created when the well is pumped in
several daily cycles and the formation holds very salty water. The
water will collect in the annulus space until pumping begins, when it
will drain out. The water leaves behind a salt residue. When the
process is repeated many hundreds of times over months of
pumping, the residue can build up into bridges that block the
annular space. Production can be reduced or even stopped altogether
by the salt bridges that form. Fresh water can be dropped in the
annular space, dissolving the salt. Salt bridges may still occur,
however.
Scale can have a similar effect when it builds up over time. More
scale will break out of the water as the temperature and pressure
drop. Scale buildup can be drilled out, though there are chemicals
and coatings that can be used to reduce scale.
Sand may also migrate to the bottom of the hole, and gravel may also
become packed so that pipe or other equipment becomes stuck.
Adding screens to perforated joints can help keep sand out of the
well.
Stripping Wells
When both the tubing and rod string are removed from a well at the
same time, it’s called stripping the well. The rod string can be broken
out if the pump clutch is engaged and the rods turned
counterclockwise. When the rods are turned enough, the rod will
break. The upper part can be pulled, and then the tubing is also
pulled so that the loose rod string comes to the surface. That’s
repeated until both the entire tube and rod strings have been pulled
from the well.
When stripping a well, there’s a risk of spilling oil. Lighter oils may
also begin flowing up in the well, and potentially even lead to a blow
out. All of these are time consuming and expensive to clean up.
These problems can be prevented by using some special equipment,
swabbing, and some other basic safety procedures.
A variety of tools are available for rent and can be used to catch
different types of parted tubing. An overshot with a milling surface is
helpful when trying to catch a rounder fish and a spear is a tool best
suited for fishing a jagged opening. The tubing string may fall to one
side of the casing. When that happens, an offset finger can be
constructed in the shop. This is a tool that wraps around the string
when turned. The company that rents the tools may also have
specialist that can help with difficult operations.
Fracturing Operations
Fracturing operations, better known as fracking, are done as a way of
increasing the porosity of a formation, allowing a higher flow and an
increase in production. There’s a wide range of fracking techniques
and technology available.
Another sort of fracking uses high pressure acid to etch new passages
and widen existing flow paths. A chemical called a neutralizer will
make the acid safe after a period so that it can be produced back up
to the wellhead after fracking has finished.
Other Reasons
A well workover may be done for several other reasons. In some
cases, it may be necessary to drill scale out of the bottom of the hole
to bring production rates back up to expected levels. In these cases,
the tubing can be used as a drill pipe by adding a rotating head and a
power swivel.
Figure 2. This rig for working over a well has a double blowout stack so it can
continue to be produced while the workover is in progress.
Pumpers, after finishing your route are you tired of putting together
your production reports and sending in those sales and service
tickets?