Pipe recovery operations
Open-knowledge reference entry
Pipe recovery is a specific wireline operation used in the oil and gas industry, when the drill string becomes stuck downhole and prevents the drill rig from operating. Pipe recovery is the process by which the location of the stuck pipe is identified, and the free pipe is separated from the stuck pipe either by a backoff or a chemical cut. There are various causes of stuck pipes. Free point tools, backing off, and pipe cutting are used in pipe recovery.
Background
Stuck pipe prevents the drill rig from continuing operations. This results in costly downtime, ranging anywhere from $10,000–$1,000,000 per day of downtime, therefore it is critical to resolve the problem as quickly as possible.
Causes of stuck pipe
Differentially stuck pipe
The geological formation downhole occasionally has a significantly lower pressure than the drilling fluid being used. When the pipe string comes into contact with the exposed formation the difference in pressure will cause the pipe to be sucked against the formation. If the rig is able to circulate drilling fluid back to the surface that is often a good indication of differentially stuck pipe. One technique for freeing the stuck pipe, or avoiding the issue to begin with, is to rotate the pipe string while pulling out of the hole.
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