Intervention Services

Product Bulletin
Motor Technology Center

Coiled Tubing Workover

Trouble Shooting Guide
Primary Indication - Pressure loss 100-500 psi
Possible Cause:
Inconsistent pressure due to poor mixing of friction reducer
Twist off
Back off or washout in tool string
Motor weak or washed out
Bad pump gauge or load cell
Leak in coil or reel
Entering perforated interval; fluid intruding wellbore
Normal condition

Mode of Actions:
Pick up off bottom to check off bottom pressure with drilling differential pressure
POOH to check tool string.
Change fluid source (i.e. trucks, tanks, ctu day tank).
Set down weight on bottom to attempt to stall motor; if no stall, POOH to check tool string.
Pressure up on load cell of pump gauge to check for sticking.
Ease into bottom with little or no weight.

Primary Indication - Pressure loss 500 - 1500 psi

Possible Cause:
Twist off
Back off or washout in tool string
Motor weak or washed out
Bad pump gauge or load cell
Leak in coil or reel
Entering perforated interval; fluid intruding wellbore

Mode of Actions:
Pick up off bottom to check off bottom pressure with drilling differential pressure.
POOH to check tool string.
Set down weight on bottom to attempt to stall motor; if no stall, POOH to check tool string.
 Intervention Services
Product Bulletin
Motor Technology Center

Coiled Tubing Workover

Trouble Shooting Guide

Primary Indication - Pressure gain 100-500 psi

Possible Cause:
Inconsistent pressure due to poor mixing of friction reducer.
Motor or tool string stuck
Motor weak or washed out
Annulus full of cuttings of falling off wall
Bad pump gauge or load cell.
Underreaming normally

Mode of Actions:
Pick up off bottom to check off bottom pressure with drilling differential pressure.
POOH to check tool string.
Change fluid source (i.e. trucks, tanks, ctu day tank).
Set down weight on bottom to attempt to stall motor, if no stall, POOH to check tool string.
Pressure up on load cell of pump gauge to check for sticking.
Check all return and flow lines for blockage.
Circulate and condition hole.
Continue underreaming with normal caution.
Ease into bottom with little or no weight.
Add additional concentrations of friction reducer.

Primary indication - Excessive Annular Pressure

Possible Cause:
Annulus full of cutting or falling off wall.
Flow line valve not functioning properly, plugged or frozen
Bad pump gauge or load cell
Entering perforated interval; fluid intruding wellbore

Mode of Actions:
Pressure up on load cell of pump gauge to check for sticking.
Check all return and flow lines for blockage.
Continue underreaming with normal caution.
 Intervention Services
Product Bulletin
Motor Technology Center
Coiled Tubing Workover
Trouble Shooting Guide

Primary Indication - Pressure not Zero when Pump Off

Possible Cause:
Motor not turning or stalled
Bad pump gauge or load cell
Check valve not holding
Pressure held by torque of motor

Mode of Actions:
Pressure up on load cell of pump gauge to check for sticking.
Work tool string up and down being careful not to set excessive weight down (3,000 - 5,000
lbs.) or pull weight up above string weight (5,000 - 10,000 lbs.)
POOH to check tool string.

Primary Indication - Unable to Stall Motor

Possible Cause:
Target spinning with mill.
Twist off.
Back off or washout in tool string
Motor or tool string stuck
Motor not turning or stalled
Little or no consolidated debris or cement
Tubing buckled/kinked
Leak in coil or reel

Mode of Actions:
Feather target with light WOB and attempt to establish cutting pattern without excessive WOB.
Pick up off bottom to check off bottom pressure with drilling differential pressure.
POOH to check tool string.
Set down weight on bottom to attempt to stall motor; if no stall, POOH to check tool string.
 Intervention Services
Product Bulletin
Motor Technology Center
Coiled Tubing Workover
Trouble Shooting Guide
Primary Indication - Excessive Motor Stalls

Possible Cause:
Back off or washout in tool string.
Motor or tool string stuck
Motor weak or washed out
Junk in hole or possible collapsed pipe
Leak in coil or reel

Mode of Actions:
Pick up off bottom to check off bottom pressure with drilling differential pressure.
POOH to check tool string.
Circulate and condition hole.
Work tool string up and down being careful not o set excessive weight down (3,000 - 5,000
lbs.) or pull weight up above string weight (5,000 - 10,000 lbs.)
POOH to re-secure arms or underreamer.
Ease into bottom with little or no weight.
Continue underreaming with normal caution.

Primary Indication - Unable to Pass through Tail Pipe, GLM’s Etc.

Possible Cause:
Junk in hole or possible collapsed pipe
Arms on underreamer opened going into hole
Ice plug in ball valve not removed

Mode of Actions:
POOH to check tool string.
POOH to re-secure arms or underreamer.

Primary Indication - Unable to Pull through Tail Pipe

Possible Cause:
Annulus full of cutting or falling off wall
Arms stuck open on underreamer

Mode of Actions:
Work tool string up and down being careful not to set excessive weight down (3,000 - 5,000
lbs.) or pull weight up above string weight (5,000 - 10,000 lbs.)
Circulate and condition hole.
Pump ball to activate disconnect.