fishing cased hole

Fishing

• What is there?

• Recovery

• Free Point and Back-off

www.GEKEngineering.com 1

Identifying the fish

• What is it?

• Where is it?

• What is looking up?

• How damaged is it?

• Only when you know the answers to these

questions can you devise a fishing attempt.


The Importance of the

“Tally Book”

• For every piece of equipment that goes in a well, you should have:

– Diameter of every body, neck, shoulders, etc.

– Length of each section and the overall length.

– Thread type & if pin or box will look up at each connection (many fish are unscrewed tools).

– Break strength of all weak joints or thin tools

– Drawing or photo of all unusual tools (place a rule in the photo)



“Tally Book”

• Keep the Tally book current – for every run, not

changes.

• Successful fishermen are planners and note takers

– before the fish is lost.

• Keep records of where the string drags (depth,

over-pull, changes in behavior)

• Compare depth readings with profile depths

• Record all fluid levels, tight spots, and fill tags.



“Tally Book”

• When you loose a tool (and you will if you do well work for long).

– Note behavior at the separation point

– Tag down gently to see if the fish is stuck or has dropped (if there is a known tight spot, you may not want to tag)

– Pull out of the well and carefully measure and account for all the BHA that has returned, and…….



“Tally Book”

• Check the recovered BHA and Compare the tools

recovered with initial BHA from the Tally Book.

– If the BHA is unscrewed, what is thread, and is pin or

box looking up? Shoulders or smooth body present?

– If BHA has broken:

• Does metal near the separation indicate fatigue or corrosion?

• Do drag marks indicate pipe collapse?

• Do one-sided marks or cuts hint at low side debris?

• Does debris on the recovered section suggest bridging?



“Tally Book”

• If wire is recovered without the rope socket,

NEVER assume that the wire has pulled off

at the rope socket.


Tools for Examining the Fish

• Impression blocks (confusion blocks?)

– Flat bottom and tapered soft lead block.

– Set down just ONCE!

• Cameras

– Continuous surface readout on E-line

– Image capture (delayed updating) on E-line

– Slick line conveyed, recording cameras


Lead impression

block of an

obstruction in the

tubing.


Collett bent in

– perhaps

from CT run?


Camera Selection

• The continuous surface readout allows running at speed into a well (50 to 100 ft/min) – you can see what is coming.

• Image update cameras (1 to 6 seconds screen refresh) can only be run slowly if you don’t know where the fish is – you could hit the fish and destroy the down-looking camera if run too fast.

• Recording cameras, like the image update cameras, require knowledge of exactly where the fish is located.

• AND - water considerations…….. www.GEKEngineering.com 11

Water for Camera Use

• If water is used in the well for the camera run:

– You must be able to read a newspaper through a water glass of the water that is to be pumped.

– Standard field brines are not suitable for camera use, even when filtered.

– A small positive water injection may be needed to sweep the wellbore during the camera run.

– If the well flows, the fluid in the wellbore will become opaque quickly.

– Camera movement will stir up some sediments from the pipe walls.


DHVI www.GEKEngineering.com 14

? www.GEKEngineering.com 15

Fishing and Tubing Repair

• Problems

• Solutions


Typical Spear Configuration

Top connection/fishing

neck

Catch and release

mechanism

Catch spring

Adjustable stop


Wireline Catching Tools

“Top Hat"

Internal catchers

Spear-type

wireline catchers


Wireline

grab and

overshot.


Wireline Fingers


Overshot – note beveled guide area and inside grapple.

Release mechanism?


Basket – used to recover small objects


Special tool – used for odd

shapes.


Indexing system – rotates mule shoe a few

degrees by pick up and set down or by pumping,

depending on mechanism. www.GEKEngineering.com 24

Spear with grapple – the grapples

are interchangeable


A wireline rasp – used for

removing small amounts of

soft deposits. The rasp is

very hard material – don’t

loose this tool in the well,

cannot mill it out easily.


Swages – right: a variety of sizes, left: a fluted swage

Typical use for swages is to attempt to enlarge ovaled or partially

crushed tubing. Note: the tubing can become work hardened quickly.


Fishing With Coiled Tubing

• Load (tensile, shock, torsion?) limits

• jars

• deviation

• catch tools

• release options

• tubing cutoff


Tools

• Overshots are primary catch tool.

• RCJB - reverse circulation junk baskets

• prongs, magnets, etc., available

• Release sub in the string

• Circulation sub

• jars and accelerators

• TV camera may be best tool of all. - Know what

the fish looks like!


Fishing For Coiled Tubing

• common causes of CT breaks

• catch tools

– continuous overshots

– others???

• release mechanisms

• engaging the fish

• deviated wells


Simple Overshot


Causes of CT Breaks

• previous damage (point) initiated breaks

• present damage initiation

• corrosion initiation

• collapse

• tension

• compression?


Catch Tools

• overshots mostly - grapple?

– must deal with oval tubes as a best option

• continuous overshots - length limited

• baiting/milling efforts

– square the CT top

– open the tube

• rounder = better grip

• wireline entry

• avoid spears (outward CT radial strength?)


Fishing Flattened CT

• Baker continuous overshot for flattened CT

– accepts collapsed CT

– trap design on catch mechanism

– releasing?


Release Options

• critical need - must be reliable!

• must be able to release

– CT limited in tension, especially in deviation

– CT jars do wear out

– release actuation mechanism: how?/possible?

• Always plan on fishing CT in stages


Engaging the Fish

• limited push with CT

• especially limited in deviated wells

• centralization of the fish

• milling improves engagement?

– how much?

• top dressing vs length milling


Other Problems

• Wireline!

– Removal vs mashing it down

– Condition of wireline - H2S

• Has wireline been parted or is it just stuck?

– Using CT with hook as a stiff leg to free

wireline.


Fishing Tools with Control Lines

• RISK: The hydraulic control lines may

form a birds nest in the tubing or in the

BOP. On pulling the fish through the

BOP, the control lines may peel back

and jam between the BOP stack and

fish.



• Initial Diagnosis: A tangle of cut and

broken hydraulic control lines is on top

of the tool.

• To avoid problems, a shroud was

designed as a full bore tool that would

pass through the BOP stack to

centralize and contain the control lines.



• The shroud leading edges scooped all the

debris inside the tool body and the tool

landed out on a debris gallery on the SSTT.

• The fish was then speared through the top of

the shroud. The fish and shroud were

recovered together. The shroud gave full

containment of all debris and no further junk

was added to the hole.


Deviated Wells

• hydraulic centralizers

• larger overshots

• motor addition to fishing BHA

– engagement potential increased?

– jarring potential decreased?

– release compromised?


Horizontal and Deviated Well

Problems

• Engaging Fish

• Pushing it to Bottom

• Retrieval - load study in stages

• Fishing under snubbing conditions


CT Fishing in Horizontals

• Problems

– centralization

– cutting beds

– tendency to bury fish in open hole

– CT limited by buckling


Tools for Horizontal Fishing

• most fishing tool acceptable

• horizontal centralizers

• reverse circulation and dual CT strings

• anchor and piston force tools


Buckling/Lockup of CT

• Fcrit. = 2A((EIW sin O)/d)1/2

• where: – A = const. 0.93 for steel

– E = young’s modulus, psi

– W = buoyed pipe wt lb/ft

– O = hole inclination

– d = radial clearance between tube and csg., in

– I = moment of inertia = 0.04909 (OD2-ID2)

– OD = pipe OD (in)

– ID = pipe id, in www.GEKEngineering.com 47

Max pipe or tool length that will

go through a bend

• L = 1/6 [R2 - (R - dd)]1/2

• where:

– L = maximum tool length, ft

– R = curve radius, inches

– dd = ID-ODtool


Lockup in Vertical Wells

• Causes:

– doglegs

– tight clearances

– buckled tubing/casing

• Solutions

– stiffer CT

– straighteners

– cool backside???


CT Jar Types

• Mechanical

• Hydraulic


Jar Problems

• Drag and buckling effects lessen

mechanical jar effect

• Hydraulic jars less effective because of flex

of string (down-jar)


CT Jar Considerations

• Flow through capacity

• Placement in the fishing string

– above fishing tool when tool is releasable

– above hydraulic release on non releasing catch tool

• Directional (change internal component to go from up- to down jar)

• Use with accelerator and weight stem?


Spang Jars

• Don’t work wire line on shallow problems

where spangs can be across wellhead.

May damage valves and if stuck, cannot

close valve.


Fishing Successes

• Cased holes - goo success

– gas lift valves

– wireline

– PSI systems

– packers and plugs

– inflatables

– etc.

• Open holes - poorer record


Fishing

• Routine Recovery: gas-lift valves, gauges,

packers, plugs

• Fishing: slickline, E-line, BHA’s, debris,

coiled tubing,


Fishing with CT

• Best use: Where stiff , continuous motion and circulation are needed

• Improvements: larger CT, hydraulic jars, low-speed, high-torque motors (limits on jar action), larger injectors

• Catch tools for CT: Must take in to account the shape of the CT top (may be flattened, bent over, ovaled or necked down.


g6.tif CT Fishing String


g7.tif CT Fishing String

No release on catch

tool, but hydraulic

disconnect built in

above the tool.


g8.tif Horizontal Fishing String


g12.tif If this string of CT was in a horizontal well,

where in the wellbore would it lie?


Best Practices

• First, run a gauge ring on slick line or CT

that is slightly larger than the CT.

• Consider what happens if you get onto the

fish and can’t move it - release mechanism?

• Fishing in large diameter hole or casing

makes it difficult to engage the fish.


Best Practices - Cutting CT

• If you have to cut CT when stuck, cut it in

the tubing - makes it much easier to fish.

• Cut the CT with a overshot “nipper” tool

that leaves a square shoulder - this allows

entry into the CT.


Deep Cuts of Stuck CT

• Cut at surface, go through CT with slickline and chemical cutter

– cutter must be properly sized for CT

– CT needs to be in tension - free point?

• Don’t pull it in two with the injector if you can avoid it.

– Severed edge is necked down

– Location of severed top is unpredictable


Tools

• Overshots are primary catch tool.

• RCJB - reverse circulation junk baskets

• prongs, magnets, etc., available

• Release sub in the string

• Circulation sub

• jars and accelerators

• TV camera may be best tool of all. - Know what

the fish looks like!


Special Case of Fishing with CT

• Recovery of 9200 ft of slickline from well

in Trinidad

– recovered in one piece

– recovered with CT


Slickline Recovery

• Slickline tool stuck at 9200 ft - slickline not

parted!

• Used CT - parted wire at surface and threaded it

through bottom of the CT and out a side entry sub

a foot above CT bottom.

• Ran CT down the well until tool was encountered,

pushed it loose and reeled slickline back as CT

pulled out.


Unusual Considerations

• Large tool effects

– swab/surge

– clearances in profiles

– bending stresses and resistance

– wall drag (friction forces)


Friction Reduction

• Friction reducer additives can result in a

15% to 17% drop in friction force.

• Use of an FR additive can drop total

fraction as much at 30% when used with a

CT straightener.

• Stiff, small BHA’s have been carried easier

through washout and tight spots.


CT Straightner

• Mechanical Device

– takes out residual bend in CT - lowers frictional

resistance

– stresses the pipe, fatigue

– use on the end 20 to 50 ft of CT where friction

needs to be cut

– use where CT must enter small diameter (close

to CT diameter) profiles


Friction Reducer Drawback

• Formation damage increased - most good

friction reducers are polyacrylamides - no

breaker!

• Some formations very susceptible to

formation damage by any polymers or

surfactants.


CT Motors

• Power increases almost exponentially with motor size.

• Powering motors with straight nitrogen gas is often difficult - not enough lubrication.

• Volatile oils hard on stator rubbers - use of saturated nitriles helps performance.

• High temperature (400 to 500 F) motors are available.


Motor Reliability

• Surface Test of Every Motor is HIGHLY Recommended

– smaller motors - tighter clearances - tight bearing packs

– many new motors won’t turn

– small motors are low power - 80 ft-lbs of torque?

– Surface test not an absolute guarantee of downhole performance


Motor Stalling

• Small motors most susceptible - low torque

• Causes

– too much load on CT

– load applied too quickly - motion control on

injector

– aggressive bits?


Torsional Yield Strength

Ty = Sy(OD4 - (OD - 2 t wall-min)4)/105.86 OD

Where:

Ty = Torsional Yield Strength, lb-ft

t wall-min = thinnest wall, in

Sy = yield strength of the CT, psi

OD = CT OD


Theoritical Torsion Strength vs CT OD for 0.151" Wall Thickness

0

1000

2000

3000

4000

5000

6000

7000

8000

9000

10000

1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4

CT OD, inch

The

oriti

cal To

rsio

n S

tre

ngth

, ps

i


Torque

• Usually we don’t push the torque limit in

workovers

– need to rotate is limited

– smaller motors very limited in torque

• This changes in CT Drilling, especially with

big motors


Alternatives to CT for Fishing

• Wireline

– in horizontals? - yes

• Tubing or DP

– slower but more strength, control surface

pressures?

• Snubbing

– slower, surface rotation


Really Unusual Alternatives for

Fishing

• junk shots

• explosives

• acids

none recommended with CT


Tractors

• Wireline tractors taking work away from

CT-wireline in the North Sea area.

• One wireline tractor was stuck - another

sent down to retrieve it - successful.

• SPE 38757


Tractors

• Electric Tractors available now.

• Hydraulic CT models coming?

• Test facility in Aberdeen


Downhole Camera

view of parted pipe


The image shows that the cones of the bit are crushed and embedded

into the 9-5/8” casing at the collar. Damage to the threads where large

forces were applied to move the bit can also be seen. The operator

eventually milled through the bit with two concave mills

Source: DHV : Downhole Video

International www.GEKEngineering.com 84

Downhole Camera view of

exploded gun?


Debris in the latch

mechanism of a

downhole tool.


Depth Effects

• Fishing can be difficult at increasing depth

since accelerators rely to some extent on

cable/coil tension/stretch for assistance.

• The best bet in this situation is to use two

accelerators with short stroke "upstroke"

jars (spring type) in conjunction with a

heavy duty fishing cable.


Workover Fishing Operations

• Common Applications

• Methods

• Problems and Solutions


Common Fishing Tools

• Magnets

• Overshots

• Spears

• Wireline grabs

• and….

– junk baskets

– bailers

– the rest of the string


Spear Information

• Run a shoulder on all spears

• Thread on fish known? - taper taps

• Release feature on BHA?


Oil Jars

• Weak part of wireline oil jars is the head

to rod connection. Breaks often leave the

rod sticking up. Compress rod back into

the tool and use overshot to seize the body

of the tool.


Braided Cable

• Braided cable doesn’t fatigue as much as

slickline, but has to be reheaded to prevent

breakage of individual strands in the rope

socket.

• Fishing with the braided cable – can’t

develop as much wire speed as with

slickline but can pull much harder. Use

spangs and oil jars.


Fishing – deviated wells

• Large fishing tool (overshot) problems in

passing the tools around the doglegs and

curves. Overshot tends to ride downward

and dig out the bottom of the curve.


Tubing Elongation

delta L = (F L)/(E An)

where:

delta L = tube stretch, inches

F = axial force on tubing, lbs

L = free length of tubing, ft

An = nom. x-sect area, in2

E = Young’s modulus, 30 x 106 for steel


Determining Free Point - part 1

• 1. Pull pipe into tension with at least 500 lb

of load over the hanging weight of tubing in

the hole.

• Make a visible reference mark on the pipe

• Increase pull on the pipe in increments of

1000 lb over original tubing weight.

• Measure amount of pipe stretch (delta L)


Free Point - part 2

• Subtract original weight reading from final

pull weight (FD)

• Read Correct Free Point Constant (CFPC)

from Table

• Use Equation:


Free Point - part 3

L = delta L CFPC / FD

where:

L = minimum length of free pipe

delta L = stretch, inches

CFPC = Free Point Constant (from table)

FD = pull force, 1000 lb


Free Point Example

• Determine the minimum length of free CT

when a 10,000 ft length of 1.25”, 0.087”

wall CT stretches 39 inches with an applied

pull of 5000 lb over tubing weight.

• CFPC = 760 (table), FD = 5000/1000 = 5

L = delta L * CFPC / FD = 39*760/5

L = 5928 ft


1.25” CT Stretch Tables

CT Size x-sect area CFPC

1.25 x 0.087 0.304 in2 760.0

1.25 x 0.095 0.328 in2 820.0

1.25 x 0.102 0.351 in2 877.5

1.25 x 0.109 0.374 in2 935.0

1.25 x 0.125 0.420 in2 1050.0

1.25 x 0.134 0.451 in2 1127.5

1.25 x 0.156 0.512 in2 1280.0




1.50 x 0.095 0.399 in2 997.5

1.50 x 0.102 0.428 in2 1170.0

1.50 x 0.109 0.456 in2 1140.0

1.50 x 0.125 0.512 in2 1280.0

1.50 x 0.134 0.552 in2 1380.0

1.50 x 0.156 0.629 in2 1572.5




1.75 x 0.109 0.538 in2 1345.0

1.75 x 0.125 0.605 in2 1512.5

1.75 x 0.134 0.652in2 1630.0

1.75 x 0.156 0.745 in2 1862.5

1.75 x 0.175 0.831 in2 2077.5




2.00 x 0.109 0.619 in2 1547.5

2.00 x 0.125 0.698 in2 1745.0

2.00 x 0.134 0.753 in2 1882.5

2.00 x 0.156 0.861 in2 2152.5

2.00 x 0.175 0.962 in2 2405.0




2.375 x 0.125 0.837 in2 2092.5

2.375 x 0.134 0.904 in2 2260.0

2.375 x 0.156 1.035 in2 2587.5

2.375 x 0.175 1.158 in2 2895.0

2.375 x 0.190 1.241 in2 3102.5


Working Tensile Loads of Conveyances

Wireline Working Load Weight of Wire/Tube Running Speed

0.072 720 0.014 100-150 ft/min

0.082 930 0.018

0.092 1160 0.023

0.108 1827 0.031

CT

1.25 21900 1.332 50-100 ft/min

1.5 26600 1.623

1.75 31440 1.915

2.375 49520 3.011

Tubing

2.375 57,000 4.6 5 - 15 ft/min

2.875 79,200 6.4

3.5 119,200 9.2

3-1/2" DP 189,000 15.5www.GEKEngineering.com 124

Material that can

unravel can be

very difficult to

fish.


Surface display of a

jetting sub – the problem

is that energy imparted by

the jet falls off rapidly.


BHA 1

16” Cutlip Guide, Overshot


BHA 2

17” Concave Mill www.GEKEngineering.com 131

BHA 3

11-3/4” Cutlip Guide, Overshot,

Short Catch Grapple www.GEKEngineering.com 132

BHA 5

16” Cutlip Guide, Magnet www.GEKEngineering.com 133

Fishing Tools

16” Cable Catcher Sub

Pre-Run Post-Run


Fishing Tools

16” Burning Shoe www.GEKEngineering.com 135

Fishing Tools

8” x 2-3/4” Taper Tap www.GEKEngineering.com 136

Fishing Tools

5-3/4” x 2” Spear www.GEKEngineering.com 137

Fishing Tools

4-7/8” Wireline Magnet www.GEKEngineering.com 138

fishing cased hole

Documents

image update cameras

downhole camera view

theoritical torsion strength

accelerators tv camera

primary catch tool

control lines

16 cutlip guide

tally book