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Jars, Jarring and Jar Placement
{A ja® is an impact tool installed in the drillstring to free stuck pipe. Essentially unchanged
for 20 years, jars are among the least glamorous devices in the oil field. But some rules of
thumb about jarring dynamics can lead to improper application. This introduction covers
the latest on the technology, use and placement of jars.
Denny Adelung
Warren Askew
Jaime Bernardini
AT. (Buck) Campbell, Jt
Sugar Land, Texas, USA
Mike Chattin
(Onyx Energy Co.
Houston, Texas, USA
Rodney Hensley
Buiish Peoleum Exploration Co.
Houston, Texas, USA
Bill Kinton
British Petroleum Exploration Co,
‘Anchorage, Alaska, USA
Randy Reese
Don Sparing
(Onyx Energy Co.
Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA
Cilfield professionals have long recognized
that preventing stuck pipe is always less
expensive than unsticking pipe. Successful
prevention lies in understanding the mecha-
nisms of pipe sticking. These mechanisms
hhave long been known, but only in the past
few years have some operators converted
this knowledge into a usable form, reducing
fishing time and hole cost.
Despite these improvements there is con-
sensus, although no statistical proof, that the
incidence of stuck pipe across the industry
has remained relatively unchanged. This isa
“technical fi": the smarter we become at
preventing stuck pipe, the more risks we
take. We drill high-angle and horizontal
wells, multiple targets or formations consid
cred too risky in the past, oF use topdrive 10
make hole faster than cuttings can be
Cleared. The incidence of stuck pipe there
fore remains stable. The means of lowering
this figure, according to experience at
British Petroleurn (BP), lie as much in tech
hique as in technology. Teach drillers to di
smarter, BP found, and less pipe will
become stuck inthe first place.
But because no prevention program is
uarantced, research has continued into jars
And jaring physics. Because jar location in
the drillstring can mean the difference
between success and failure, work is under
‘way to streamline jar placement programs,
making them faster, more powerful and eas-
jer to use. Jars themselves have been sub-
mitted to objective testing! and the limits of
their performance are being extended.
‘What are Jers?
From the outside, a diiling jar looks about
the same as a drill colar, having the same
‘ulside diameter (OD) and being hollow to
permit the passage of mud. Inside, a jar is
basically a sliding mandrel that allows a
brief and sudden axial acceleration of the
dillsting above the jar (next page, above).
“Tavel oF this mandrel is limited by a stop
{the hammer that strikes a stop on the outer
sleeve the anvil.
‘Most jars release—called a trip, hit or
lick—both up and down; afew work in one
ditection only. Between the end of upstroke
and end of downstioke is the cocked pos:
tion. In jarring up, for example, the driller
pulls and stetches the drillpipe. When the
jar releases, the dillpipe contracts and the
‘mass of drillstring above the jar accelerates
‘up the length of the wip mandel for 5 10.9
in, (13 to 23 centimeters crm), depending
‘on jar design and diameter. When the ham-
mer hits the anvil, the mass stops and trans-
mits a shock wave that travels up and down
the drillsring several times (next page,
befow). The intention is to break the drill:
string loose from the stuck point
'A properly designed jatring up assembly
usually exerts more force than jarring down,
llfield ReviewOctober 1991
‘Shook wave travel
Jar hammer velocity
Frcton
sleeve
Tip
rmandtol
Tip
|
fal Mi
‘Tipped Down
= Compression wave
= Compression wave |
invcalere naallppe
— Tension wave
Impact reaches
stuck pont
° a a @
Velocity added trom
‘contraction of dele
Ss
Veto from
Contraction of
‘ra colar | var hits
° z a
Tre
oe
Cross section of Anadril's mechanical
BARTHQUAKER jar, showing the tripped
up, cocked (or neutral) nd tripped down
positions.
Dillsring dynamics in the time
‘between jar release and when the ham-
‘mer hils the cmvil. Ia this example, 1 is
length of collars above the jar and 1/2 is
the distance between the jar and the
stuck point, taxon avbitrarily as'/2, but it
‘could be any distance. In the fop diagram,
‘Cis the speed of sound in steel, and #/e is
the time of the fist shock wave round.tip
>botwoen the jar and the top of the dell
collars. The lower diagram shows jar ham
‘mer velocity over the same time inforvel
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53Ratio of jar force to up hit setting
Ratio of jar force to down hit setting
J Neoative impact —>}«— Posttve impact —>}
54
je impact —e|+— Posie impact —>{
be Nese
Up Jar Impact
i
Up hit eotting=117,000 to
Maximum foroe=47 1836 lb
Graph is for stuck point at bit
‘Multiply ratio tmos up hit
siting to obtain the force
atthe stuck point in,
0
“Time aftr jr tps, msec
700
Down Jar impact
700
LJanting force at the stuck point, chosen as the bit, showing an example in
own hit setting =26,000 tb
Maximum force 164,818 Ib
‘Graph is for stuck point at bit
"Mustipy ratio times down hit
setting to obtain the foroe at
the stuck point in,
=25 moo
Eo}
Time ater ar trips, meee
300
‘which the up jesring force Cop) fs about threo times that of down jarring
Gottom). Note that ie productive jaring force lasts about 25 milliseconds,
(which Is directly related fo the length of collars moving above the feu. Jar-
zing magnitude changes betwoen up and down jarring but not duration.
(From Askow. reference 6.)
a
Tis is because the diller can pull on the
dillpipe with a greater force than can be
exerted by compression from slacking off
ailpipe weight (le)
“Thete are jars for fishing and jars for
these have similar designs but are
construct and used diferent Fishing jars
ate not standard drillpipe length, are not
designed to withstand the stesses of dling
land are run inthe hole only ater backing
Off, Drilling jars are standard drillpipe
lengths, ae curable enough to withstand
dling stresses and are tun in the bottom
hole assembly (811).
“There ave two main types of cling jars,
mechanical and hycaulic. Mechanical jars
‘operate using a series of springs, lock and
release mechanisms. Hydraulic jas operate
Using the contolled passage of hydraulic
fluid. Hydromechanical jars are 9 hybrid of
both designs, usually hydraulic up and
mechanical down
‘A mechanical a ips up ata preselected
tensile force, and down at a preselected
compressional force The jar ips only atthe
Set threshold, which i normally beyond the
forces reached while dling. The postion
‘ofthe mechanical jr during dilling ether
cocked or extended (ripped up); is a mate
ter of driller preference. Driling is never
conducted with the jar tripped down
because unnecessary down jarring might
damage the bit and measurement while-
ling (WWD) equipment
“The release threshold of a mechanical jar
is set either downhole or at the surface,
depending on jar design. There are two
tain designs, One uses the principle of the
torsion spring, and its release force can be
varied downhole by 10 to 15% by applying
torque to the dillpipe Left torque decreases
felease tension; right torque increases i
‘Another design uses an expanding sleeve
‘with slots, fags and aneillary springs (next
age). The overall necessary 1 tip the jar
Can be reduced downhole by increasing
red flowrate
‘Mechanical ciling jars predate hydraulic
cones, bt the idea of a hydraulic jar is not
new. Hyerauic jars fr fishing first appeared
inthe 1950s, but were troubled by seal fail
tres and were not sturdy enough for ailing
‘pplications. With advances in seal technoh
ony, a second generation for drilling
Sppeated In the 1970s and 1980s. Today,
tydaulic and mechanical jars have compa
rable life expectancies (ee “Comparison of
Mechanical and Hydraulic Drilling Jas”
next pase)
“The main difference between the to jas
is thatthe hydraulic jar does not trp. at a
ollfield Reviewpreselected threshold. When, and how
forcefully the jr trips is determined by the
sgnitude of the applied tension or com:
pression. In tripping up, for example, the
force of the blow is proportional to “over
pull” the pull on the moving pipe in excess
ofits weight in ar of fluid? The greater the
coverpull, up to the tool's maximum, the
sooner the jar tips and the harder the blow
This gives the hydraulic jar the aclvantage of
having a continuously variable jarting force
within its design limi, In tipping up, for
‘example, averpull of 100,000 Ib [43,360
kg] may produce a large blow in 20 sec
‘ond, whereas averpull of 10,000 Ib [4536
kg] may produce a small blow in 200 sec
fonds. A second advantage is that a
hydraulic jar of OD less than 6.25 in. (16
cm) has a larger inside diameter (ID) and
can more easly admit a wireline cable than
3 comparable mechanical jar
During drilling, itis recommended that
the hydraulic jar that fires both up and
down be run in the extended position. If run
in the cocked position, there is a risk of
tnintended firing, unless tension and com-
pression atthe jar are exactly balanced:
tunlkely condition, If drilling is conduct
with the jar in the cocked position, up
movement when picking up off bottom
rust be slow to bleed the jar open and
avoid a forceful tri. As with a mechanical
jat, drilling with a hydraulic jar in the
tripped down position is usually avoided.
A hydraulic jar consists of two reservoirs
of hydraulic fluid separated by a valve (next
page). When tension o compression is
applied to the tool in the cocked position,
fluid from one chamber is compressed and
passes through the valve at high flow resis-
tance into the second chamber. This allows
the tool to extend o¢ contiact, The distance
traveled is called the metering stroke. When
the stroke reaches a certain point, the com-
pressed fluid is allowed to suddenly bypass
the valve, The jar trips as the fluid rushes
into the second chamber, instantly ecualiz
ing pressure between the two chambers
The greater the force on the jar, the greater
the compression of the fluid and the sooner
nd more forceful the release.
Once a hydraulic jar is cocked, it wil fre
if given enough time to complete the meter
* aed Stan ean Teas
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‘Spay manor le ding o detect stcrg
October 1991
Ein eee een eed
fequpment and sting shots
incination wes,
rimpossibiein righ
‘Capabilities ‘Mechanical Hydraut
‘Overpalseting varaaity | One setting made at surface | Continuously variable
19f 10,000 6 180,000 I, downhelo, tween
‘epanclng oa ja size. 10,000 anc 135,00
Ease of admiting wireline | Easler passage wih irgor | Typical has a lagariD than
cable fr surveying (OD tools. Passage ciffeut | mecharica jr with same OD,
‘which an advantage UP to
‘an OD of about 6.
‘Abi To ncrease or No—Anadel
decrease tension eating
from the surface
10-16%,
“Temperature sensvity
Yes—Dalley and similar
designs can change by
‘Neglgble. Wil function in
\wols 250% 260°C),
Have been used in
(gecthermal wal.
Yes
400* (208°C) bottomhole
Staci approximate mt. AS
‘Temperate increases, oo!
‘may release sooner anc
‘without reaching ful tension,
‘With high-temperature
packing, ofs and greases,
Soma jars have operated
successtlly at 850°F (208°C)
=]
e
it |
nu
55)
See
PTT TT
pL
ee
Ft
es
a
,
Tiip sloove for the
4Yain (10-cm)
‘diameter EARTH-
‘QUAKER mochantcat
Jar. Note that the
Sleeve acts as racial
‘pring along ils Iongtn
insed. At the preset
Tension or compos
ston, the outside fecth
of tho tip sloove
‘pring out into match-
ing grooves on the
{fetion sleeve ID.
‘When this happens,
the trip sleeve
releases the tip man-
deel that is inside the
fnip sleeve, with simi.
lar testh and grooves,
‘and tips the jering stroke. This gives hydraulic jars an
advantage in directional, high-angle and
horizontal wells In these conditions, excess
drag may prevent the driller from applying
sufficient tension or compression to trip a
mechanical jar. A cocked hydraulic jar,
however, will eventually fire, even with
:minimal tension or compression,
‘A characteristic drawback of the hydraulic
design is that repeated jarring can overheat
the fluid. This reduces its viscosity, which
shortens the metering time and tips the jar
before the desired tension can be applied.
AAs a result, jarring force declines over time.
To cope with this problem, some jars are
designed to compensate for heating of
hydraulic fluid, Evidence on the success of
these designs is equivocal. Experience at BP
in North America indicates that problems
associated with heating have been solved in
the past few years, A 1990 study at the
Rogaland Research Institute in Stavanger,
Norway, however, found that heal-compen-
salting designs are ineffective in all but one
ofthe jars tested.”
Vices and virtues aside, the choice
between a mechanical and hydraulic jar is
Usually made based on the deilling man:
ager’s familiarity. Sometimes preferences
vary by hydrocarbon province; other times
they are uniform throughout a company. For
example, in Oryx Energy Company, 60 to
70% of jars are hydraulic, and in areas
known for high hole dag, at least 70% of
jars are hydraulic, n BP Alaska, mechanical
jars are run most of the time andl particularly
‘when the dillr anticipates a milling opera-
tion. Mechanical jars are thought to be
Immune to damage from metal cuttings,
which may damage seals of a hydraulic jar.
One major prefers mechanical jars for
iling because of the perception of higher
durability and the certainty thatthe jar will
rot fie until the threshold is reached.
Jar Operation
Incorrect jar installation and usage may
sometimes contribute more to the problem
than tothe solution, Here area few caveats.
‘BHA components. The tsk of sticking the
jar itself and drilsting above the jar is
Hydraulic ar Metering
(Sew movement of mand, ee dl)
Flow
rest Hoysing Seal
Spine <= Woverent FA
Soire ryt Mandel
Bypass
Fest moverent of mance pressie equation)
Up it ane
Hammer Low. FNC
pressure
Down it rv
—— Noverent
Up hit fans werent ‘Cross section of Anacirill's HYDRAQUAKER hydraulic drilling jar
ave lots charbor Sy and a achomalle (alsov) ofthe valve a ol reservlr.
ae assembiles during metering and tripping (bypass) of the far.
tah
presse Fin chamber
sare
Gtrng coum nt
Down nit
- Fluid escapes
fotns chaneer
onown ht
Botton
as
56
Oilfield Reviewreduced if dillsting components above
the jar do not exceed jar diameter Risk
‘of damaging the jar mandrel is reduced i
a flex joint is run next to the jar mandrel.
This limits flexion stress at the mandrel
Small BHAs (4%/s-in, collars, 3¥/2-n.
drillpipe), because of their low weight,
can sometimes produce insufficient jar-
ring peak force.
sJarting direction. Improper jarring direc
ion can be countesprortuctve (sce "Rec-
‘ommended Jarting Direction,” right). AS a
rule, jarring is most effective when itis
‘opposite the direction the drillpipe was
traveling when the pipe got stuck: jar
down if sticking oceurs while tripping out
and jar up ifsticking occurs while tipping,
in, Key seating, for example, can be a
problem in deviated wells (See “Tech-
niques for Breaking Free,” page 30), Ifthe
pipe lodges in a key seat while tripping
out, jarring down may force it free,
whereas jarring up may work the pipe fa
ther into the key seat
‘Peak. jrting force. Maximum jarting force
is based on allowable averpull. impact
damage tothe dillsting, is not a concern.
‘Although one major oil company reports
buying dozens of MWD tools damaged
by jatring, this costs found 0 be negli
‘ble compared to that of sidtracking.
‘Initial jarring force. Choice of intial jaring
force varies. Starling with peak jarring
force is often preferred when sticking pr-
iresses quickly, such as in differential
sticking. Some operators nearly always
start at the maximum to move the pipe as
soon as possible. Others, such as El, will
start lower and work up as needed. The
premise is that more force than needed
endangers pipe joints, and fishing for
parted pipe is far mote expensive than the
Fig time needed to increase jarring force
‘over several hits Elf also advocates jarring,
lightly in both directions at frst to see
which is more successful. Violent jaring
in the wrong direction can convert a
minor proiplem into a major one,
*Drag anc extension force, These two fac:
fors can make a jar appear to trip with
insufficient oF excessive tension and must
be accounted for when relating, surface
load to tension at the jar. Drag on
rillpipe increases overpull. In vertical
swells, drag can be negligible, but in direc-
tional wells drag is taken, by rule of
thumb, to increase overpull needed to fre
the jar by 10% (see “Effect of Drag on
Tension at Jas” above, right
October 1991
Recommended Jarring Direc
daring Direction
“Type of Sticking ‘Up. Down
Key seathg XK wih torque
Diferenta sticking x x
‘Seting shales
Mechancalseking e
{onsips, arn of unceeaner, ;
eae ant way iora | wen pene
Poortoleceaning
Sloughing sales
‘Unconsolidated formations f
at connections x
Tobie Yomations
(salt, some shales) s
Effect of Drag on Tension at Jar
Caleuation of tension athe jr, while accounting forthe eect ofa,
right be:
“ola string weight in mut: 200.0008
50,0008
150,00010
Maximum overpl value +100,00010
{minus 10,000 tb for safety)
‘Maximum sate overpll at surtace:
290,000»
{In this scenario, the driller cannot safely pull more than 280,000 Iba the
sara
allects the string above the jar onl,
Hectvely increasi
weit by 10%, to 165,000 Ib. The maximum pull avaiable athe jar is
near this v
othe pipe alone; ise higher, it may nt fire ata
Extension force, created by pressure
inside the diillstring exerted by circulating,
mud, can also make a jar appear to tip pre-
maturely or late. Extension force is deter-
mined by the internal cross-sectional seal
area of the jar times the pressure drop
across the tool. If mud pressure is high
enough, extension force will open the jar,
Iterally iting the dillsting. When jarting
up, this force must be added to the surface
foverpull to obtain actual tension at the jar
Jarring down while circulating requires
overcoming extension force before the jar
can be fired,
Jarring up can sometimes be achieved or
assisted by extension force. In cases of
severe sticking or drag, overpull can't tip a
‘mechanical jar or induce a lange enough
blow from a hydraulic jar In either case, a
Jar can sometimes be tipped by increasing
= 125,000 Ib. The mechanical jr release Is therelore set
tthe release is set oo fow, the jar may ite from movement
the mud pump rate of by a combination of
increasing mud pressure and pulling. This is
a safe procedure with a mechanical jay, but
involves some risk with a hydraulic ja, Jar
‘manufacturers provide information on cal-
culation of safe extension force.
‘Accidental jarring.+ A virtue of the
hydraulic jar—that once cocked, it will
eventually fire—can also be a liability
During drilling, the jar is normally
‘extended (ripped up). Ifthe driller slacks
off enough weight, the jar will cock.
‘When the driller next picks up off bottom,
the jar will start metering and may fire, In
3, Sci F“Desgin BLS for Bees Daag a
‘Peamance” Worl O19, pa 3 tebe 12):
4. For reconsassions ij placenta 20d 3c
hel wing rng eign etree 3
57vertical wells, this has been known 10
knock pipe out of the slips and result in
requiring 3 fishing job. In dzectional wells,
such accidental jarring is usually not a
cconcem because pull on the pipe is not
sufficient to induce a large shock, and
because the shock is damped by the pipe
Iying on the law side ofthe hole.
Jor Placement
‘Many operators, particularly in North Amer.
ica, obtain satisfactory jarring from empiri
cally determined jar placement. Oryx runs
‘mainly hydraulic jars in tension (above the
‘neutral point} high enough in the sting to
permit sufficient weight on bit and to have
enough weight on top to cock them easily
from the tripped up position. In most cases
this means the jar i betwoen the fourth and
sisth dell collars rom the top of the BHA.
‘A continuing debate in jar placement is
‘whether the jar should be postioned in ten
sion or compression. Widespread practice
has been to always place the jar in tension,
‘policy maintained by many companies.
There are two main reasons for this:
‘To achiewe a wreater peak force. Higher jar
position (in tension) also means less
accelerated mass above the jar, and there-
fore greater velocity of pipe above the jar
and greater peak force.
‘To minimize the pessiblity of geting stuck
above the jar. The higher the jar, the
smaller the chance of being stuck sbove i
‘There is a perception that jars may buckle
under compression, o¢ that flexion of the jar
will affect deviation control. Jar stifiness,
however, exceeds that of dillpipe, and well,
trajectory is usually controlled in the BHA
significantly below the jar
‘About the only point of agreement is that
‘a hylraulic jar that i less affected by exten
‘ion force should never be run at or near the
‘neutral point, At this location, itis prone to
repeated cocking and firing as the neutral
point travels up and down when the driller
pulls up and slacks off. This not only pro:
duces unnecessary jaring, 1 also wears the
jar prematurely. This problem does not
58
affect mechanical jars because travel of the
neutral point does not produce enough
Farce to cock or fire the jar. I also does not
affect jars that are easily opened by exten-
Son force, since they require more slack off
weight to cock,
‘There are diferent jar philosophies for
different geographic areas within BP. BP
Alaska, for instance, places its jars in tension
berween heavyweight dillpipe ane collars
to reduce the risk of sticking, The advantage
Of this location is a low risk of becoming
stuck above the jar. The disadvantages are
that the jar may be farther from the stuck
pons, usually law in the BHA, and jarting
down isles forceful. Bowen Tools, Inc. has
addressed this concern by offering an up jar
that goes in the upper part of the string and
a down jar in the lower part, where a lot of
‘weight can be stacked,
‘Although many operators still prefer 10
run jaes in tension, studies at Anadill have
shown that its jars will endure drilling in
‘compression, and that running a jar too high
above the neutral point can result ina short
impulse and ineffective jarring, This Is espe
cially tue in directional wells with heavy-
‘weight drillpipe and few dill collars in the
BHA. In these wells, the neutral point is
often up in heavyweight drillpipe, far from
the stuck point. Ifthe jar is placed above
this neutral point, jarring force at the stuck
point may be greatly reduced because of
‘wall drag above the jar and damping from
heavyweight deillpipe and drill collars.
‘Anadrill has also found thatthe stuck point
is often closer to the bit than is usually
thought, Placing the jar near the top of the
BH, atthe fourth or fifth heavyweight joint,
ray prevent sufficient force from reaching,
the stuck point
“The frontier of jar development, as with so
‘much in drilling today, fies in high-angle
and horizontal wells. Operators are still
‘experimenting with optimal jar placement
and selection, Use of multiple jas is also
under investigation. A decade ago, use of
multiple jars was not recommended
because of the uncertainty of drillsring
behavior, which reduces control of the jar
ring operation.» Today, using finite-clement
code to model wave propagation along the
{ilisrng, more opettors are aterpting the
technique. An operaior in the Middle East
has had success with two [ars in a hozon-
tal well a hydraulic jar 50 to 100 st [15 40
30/ml above the final kickoff and a mechan-
ical jar in the horizontal section atop the
BHA. Tho upper jar was used to free stuck
pipe atthe kckof the most common point
Gf sticking in horizontal wells, and the hore
zontal ja: fora stuck BHA. The mechanical
jar was placed inthe horizontal section for
fear that fing ofthe upper jar would dam.
age a hydaulc jr i twas below.
Inthe USA, one ofthe most active drillers
‘of horizontal wells in the Austin chalk has
been Orys. which drilled approximately
100 horizontal wells between early 1989
and early 1981. Horizontal sections aver
aged 3000 ft (915 mi early inthe project,
thi have inceeased to an average of 4000 ft
10220
Earlier this year, Oryx polled approxi-
rately 20 diling foremen working in hor:
Zontal wells in the chalk about thei pre-
ferred jar type and use. Hydraulic jars were
the clear choice, always placed above the
Kickoff o avoid tipping dificlty associated
swith hole dag. Ory as found that in hot
Zot well, jaring i not useful for freeing
key-seated pipe or stabilizers suck by cut
tings. A ja above the kickoff is useful for
‘overcoming sticking associated with Ktion
dlveloped while making connections. Oryx
‘uns jars inal ts horizontal wells but needs
them only 510 10% ofthe time, usualy 0
jar down and urge bits and stabilizers
though bends. When rotating out fils to
free pipe stuck fom a cullings bed or key
seat, Ory backs of as lowe a possible and
lowers the jar position so itis nearer the
stuck point
Ih Oryx’ experience, the main considera
tion in far placement in horizontal wells i
having sufficient weight above the jar to
cock it Fon the taped up position. Weight
below the final kiekoft isn’t a concem
Ihacaute the pipe ising onthe low side of
te hole
5: Te newal pant mt aso whee she ait
tect zea Ppe shoe he uta pt in ae
‘enson, below final empresson.
6 Skeem i Fede MB ay Woe: “Dlg,
(Dyoes Dur Option,” Journal oto
Teun Techoloy tvenie 1979 1381-1285
Oilfield ReviewJar Placoment Programs
‘Although many operators place jars based
‘on empirical evidence, use of jar placement
‘computer programs, either proprietary or
from a service company, has expanded in
the past few years. These programs analyze
\wave propagation along the dilltring dur
ing jarring to model jatring force for differ
cent jar positions, BHA configurations and
‘well trajectories. The goal isto find the jar
position that maximizes the peak force and
the impulse, which is the integral of force
with respect to time (below). To do this,
placement programs optimize two variables:
‘velocity of BHA above the jar just before
the hammer hits the anvil, which detet-
imines peak force
‘length of BHA above the jar that con-
tributes the most momentum to jarring,
‘which determines impulse,
%
8
A
aa
Low Hah
Tho fantag tradeot(above)—tnding
the at iocllon that optimizes both peck
force Gmpact) and ciation Gmpuleoy A
fore of tng curation il ct move the
{anit tho poak orc doesnt exceed
ticking “orce. on oor ht pote
{orc that oncoeds the alicking force but
teas only a her time wl nt conse
‘ues fh movement resulting in nef
Clont jring aay hte wil bo ete to
{fo tho fish The clarstop fre ghd
[tates stection of ar locaton, Based
cn inp em to Kas program, ised Dy
SP Biporton in Alaska pact orc
{nd impulse ore potod er Son 201 19-
‘Pipe moc veo sft ut tape is
Inevesing. Me oplmum combination of
Impaibe and impact taxon et he right
nit of to impact step, just tee it rps
eit to no nxt level Pronto, jon
{bcaton at point & res high impact but
{Bwvimpslo, gies good impact and &
{ier input the tra
chotco ging ie sine pt bt
higher imps, D gives th highest
‘rapa, otto lowe! pact.
(om Aikow tloronce Bed courtesy of
fraprctnn)
October 1991
Peak force increases with the velocity of
BHA above the jar—the faster it travels, the
higher the peak force produced. Impulse
increases with the length of BHA above the
Jar—the longer the moving pipe, the longer
it takes to stop moving and longer the
impulse, Peak force and impulse are gener-
ally inversely elated: the higher the jar is in
the BHA, the less mass is moving, so the
greater the acceleration and peak force, but
the smaller the impulse. Conversely, the
Tower the jar isin the BHA, the more mass
and the greater the impulse but the smaller
the peak force. Somewhere in the BHA,
thereiore, is a point at which a jar can be
placed to achieve the optimum combina
tion of peak force (velocity) and impulse
Amass). Where is this point?
This problem was first addressed by
‘Skoem and colleagues in 1979. They did
‘one-dimensional modeling of wave prope:
gation along the drillsting to derive the tim:
ing, duration and qualitative value of peak
jarting force at a known stuck point. From
this, they verified the inverse relationship
between peak force and impulse, They also
showed that lengthening jar stoke from 4 10
8 to 12 inches {10, 20 and 30 cm] increases
both peak and impulse fora given jar posi-
tion in the BHA, They concluded, however,
that the optimum position depends on the
‘often unknown sticking mechanism, Differ.
ential pipe sticking, for example, occu
along a length, not at a point. The jacring
peak force must therefore not only exceed
the sticking force, but must be maintained
ong enough to move the length ofthe stuck
BHA, This may take a few blows or tens of
blows, They also assumed that the stuck
point is known, whieh it oten is not
The need for a more powerlul predictor of
jar placement prompted Kalsi and col:
700,000}
00.000
Impulse, sac
o 30 120
1010
Heavyweight above jars t
59