The Basics of Open Hole Fishing

Fishing Marketing Services

 What Constitutes a Fishing Job?

Anytime there is an impediment to

continued drilling or production.
Examples:
• A stuck or parted drill string or
BHA.
• Loose junk that may impede
drilling, causing damage to all
coring equipment.
• Logging tools stuck or wireline
parted during logging operations.
• Or just a need to change the
direction of the wellbore.
 Evaluate the Problem

• What is in the hole?

• Is the drilling string stuck?
• What is the BHA (Bottom Hole Assembly)
• Where is the top of the fish, if the string is parted?
 Gather Information

• Get accurate fish description and dimensions.

• Have background information such as:
– Formation type at fish top.
– Mud type and weight throughout system.
– Casing sizes, weights and depths.
– Operation at time of trouble.
 Communication
• Be clear and precise, use written communication
when possible.
• Insure that all concerned parties understand and
agree on the procedures to be used.
• Keep all concerned parties informed throughout
execution of procedures.
 Possible reasons for stuck drilling
strings.
• Differential Sticking (Was there mud loss pryor to
being stuck? or a possible gas kick?)
• Mechanical Sticking:
– Possible Key seats in wellbore (Got stuck coming out
of the Hole?)
– Junk in the hole from damaged or lost equipment.
– Inadequate hole cleaning, such as rig downtime or
circulation problems.
– Under gauged hole (Got stuck following pulled under
gauged drilling bit.)
 Differential Sticking

Indications:
• Drill stem cannot be rotated, raised, or lowered,
but circulating pressure is normal.
• Part of the drill string is across a permeable
formation. Check previous drilling records to
check for possible formation candidates.
• The mud contains large quantities of drilled solids.
 Differential Sticking

High pressure
formation
Formation

Higher Mud Wt.

Drilling Low pressure
Fluid Than Formation Pressure
formation

Drill Pipe

High pressure
formation
 Differential Sticking

C aa ss ii nn gg

Drill Pipe
• Drill pipe comes in contact
Permeable or
with a permeable
Porous formation exposed in the
Formation
well bore

Higher Pressure Formation

than mud has been weighted
to control
 Differential Sticking

Solutions:
• Reduce the mud weight. 14.2# - .2# = 14#
• Spot oil.
• Free point and back off.
• Jar.
• Washover.
Measured
Depth 12,000'

True Vertical
Depth 10,000' .052 X 10,000' X .2 =
weight reduced in psi
 Mechanical Sticking

• The pipe will not allow

torque to go down hole
• This condition normally
occurs when the pipe has
been dropped

Crooked Pipe
 Mechanical Sticking

“Junk”
• Junk or foreign
object(s) can be
dropped or broken off
in the hole

“Junk” or Foreign Object

 Mechanically Stuck Pipe

Types of mechanically stuck pipe:

• Inadequate hole cleaning
• Sloughing and swelling formations
• Key Seating
• Running into undergauge or tapered holes
• Foreign debris in the wellbore (junk)
 Cemented Sticking

Tubing

• Cement sets up in the wrong

place due to mechanical or
operator error.

Casing

Cement
Blowout Sticking

• Formation and / or
pipe rubber are blown
up the hole, packing
off the pipe
 Inadequate Hole Cleaning

Causes:
• Washed out areas of the High annular volume

hole
• Washouts around a casing
shoe
• A washout in the string
• Partial returns
Anytime the annular velocity
is reduced, the carrying
capacity of the mud is
reduced
 Inadequate Hole Cleaning

Prevention:
• Maximize hole cleaning by :
– Good mud properties
– Short trips
– Proper hydraulic horsepower
Solutions:
• Free point and back-off
• Run jarring assembly
• Washover
 Sloughing or Swelling Formations

Indications:

• Partial or complete loss of

circulation
• Cannot raise or lower string
• Cannot rotate string
 Sloughing or Swelling Formations

Solutions: Prevention:

• Back-off and run • Proper filter cake

jarring assembly building properties in
• Washover mud
 Key Seat Sticking

Key Seat
• Drill pipe wears a groove in
the side of the hole. The
Top View groove is too small to allow
drill collars to be pulled thru it

Cross
Section Main Bore
Hole
 Keyseats

Indications: Main well

bore

•Drill string became stuck Top View

during upward travel.

•Drill string can be jarred
down free, but cannot be Keyseat
moved up.
•Circulation is normal, but
cannot rotate while stuck in
keyseat.

Solutions:
• Install keyseat wiper or
string mill in string and
work through keyseat
• Back-off and run
jarring assembly
• Washover
Keyseat
Prevention:
• Install keyseat wiper or
string mill in string
above BHA
• Utilize PDM to
eliminate string rotation
 Tapered or Undergauge Hole

Indications:

• BHA becoming stuck during

TIH
• Previous bit undergauge
 Tapered Hole

Prevention:
• Ream hole properly prior to tripping.
• Proper grading of the old bit before running a new
one.
• Ream to bottom with new bits
Solutions:
• Jar (If drilling jar is in place).
• Free point and back off.
• Washover.
 Under Gauged Hole

• Filter cake builds excessively.

• Circulation may be low.
• Water loss may be high.
• Long time between trips.
• Increased circulating pressure.
 Under Gauged Hole

Prevention:
• Keep filter cake tough and thin.
• Make frequent short trips.
• Circulate hole before tripping.
• Back ream before connections
Solutions:
• Free point and back off.
• Jar.
• Washover.
 Junk in Hole

Types of Junk
• Rig hand tools
• Bit cones
• Wiper plugs
• Float shoe debris
• Shot debris
 Junk in Hole

• Prevention.
• Keep hole covered.
• Keep tools picked up.
• Solutions:
• Remove drill string if possible.
• Magnets or Jet Junk Basket in hard.
formation.
• Junk Baskets in soft formation.
• Backoff and jarring assembly
• Washover
Junk Retrieval Tools
Jarring Assembly
 Jarring Assemblies

• Oil Jars provide means to apply an

Intensifier

upward impact on a stuck fish Jar

• Bumper jars provide free travel to Mass

assist in engaging the fish and allow Drill

Collars

downward blows to be transmitted to

the fish or the engaging device. Oil Jar

• Accelerator jars store energy above

Jar
the drill collars increasing the impact
efficiency of the oil jars.
 Bumper Jar

Features and Benefits:

• Provides free travel
– for jarring down
– to provide “soft touch”
when screwing into a
fish
– assist in releasing
overshot both down
hole and at surface
• High tensile and
torsional yield
 Oil Jar

Features and Benefits:

• Delivers high upward impact
• Degree of impact is controlled from
surface
• Open ID for wireline operations
• High tensile and torsional yield
 Drill Collars

Drill collars provide the mass required to make the

impact of the jar effective.

The force from the upward movement of mass is

transmitted through the knocker in the oil jar
 Accelerator or Intensifier Jars

Features and Benefits:

• Improves efficiency of Oil Jars
• Lessens impact on work string and
derrick
• Open ID for wireline operations
• High tensile and torsional yield
Wireline Services
 Wireline and Manual Backoffs

Manual Stuck Drill String Stuck Drill String

Pipe Severing

• Blind backoff.
Wireline
• Freepoint and
backoff services
• Chemical and
jet cuts
• Pipe severing
 Free Point and Back-off Tools

A collar locator detects molecular

changes in pipe. This makes it
possible to detect connections in
the string and correlate DPM to
WLM.
 Free Point and Back-off Tools

A free point indicator measures

elongation or twisting caused by
overpull or torque applied to the
string
 Backoff Risks

• Casing Shoe Depth

• Washouts
• Doglegs
Washover Services
 Washing Over the Fish

A washover assembly is
used when jarring has
failed to free a fish.
The washover assembly
includes the following:

• Washover shoe
• Washpipe
• Top sub
 Washpipe and Top Sub

The primary function of washpipe is to allow a

large section of fish to be swallowed.

The top sub acts as an X-over to the jarring

BHA.
 METAL MUNCHER®
Rotary Shoe

• The METAL MUNCHER

aggressive cutting insert

• Inserts backed up by
SUPERLOY

• Longer milling life

• Wide variety of types

• Available in all washpipe sizes

 Washover Shoe
Tooth Type “A” and “B”
• Manufactured from heat-treated
Type A
Type A Rotary Shoe alloy steel

• Wide variety of types

• Easily modified to suit purpose

• Dressing with SUPERLOY

FS FS Type B
Type B
• Available in all washpipe
connections
 Washover Shoe
Tooth Type “E” and “F”

• Manufactured from heat-treated

alloy steel

FS Type E
• Wide variety of types

• Easily modified to suit purpose

• Dressing with SUPERLOY

FS Type F
• Available in all washpipe
connections
 Washover Shoes
Type “J” and “K”

Type J

Type K
 Washover Shoes

Washover shoes are designed to

perform the following functions:
• Mill clearance between the fish
Type G and the formation
• Mill away junk from around a
fish
• Mill away a keyseat
• Mill off stabilizer blades

Type H
 Recovering the Drill String

• Engaging the fish

• Jarring
• Washing over
• Milling
 The Preferred Method of Engaging a
Fish
When ever possible, the string should be
screwed back together

Features and Benefits:

• Maximum allowable circulation
• Maximum torque may be applied
• Cannot accidentally release
• Maximum strength for jarring
• No Internal Restrictions
 Desired Features of Engaging Devises

• Releasable
• Full and positive circulation
• Full bore for wireline application
• High tensile and torsional strength
• Can transmit high tensile and torsional loads on
fish
 Engaging Devices

Bowen Series Bowen Itco

70 Short Releasing Tri-State Type
Bowen Series
Catch Spear “D” Spear
150 Overshot
Overshot
 Overshot

Advantages:
• Full Circulation.
• Releasable.
• Full Opening for Wireline.
• Wide range of accessories.
• Transmit Torque in Tension
• Availability.
G
• Large Selection of Sizes.
Accessories for the Bowen Series 150
Overshot
Bowen Series 70 Short Catch Overshot

Features and Benefits

• Will engage short fish neck
• Releasable
• Will transmit torque while in tension
• Allows use of wireline
• Large selection of sizes
 Bowen Itco Releasing Spear

Features and Benefits

• Engages fish internally
• Releasable
• Will transmit torque while in tension
• Larger sizes allow use of wireline
• Large selection of sizes
• Accessories allow circulation
 Tri-State Type “D” Spear

Features and Benefits

• Engages fish internally
• Can be set for right-hand or left-
hand release
• Will transmit torque while in tension
(vertical wicker slips available)
• Larger sizes allow use of wireline
• Large selection of sizes
• Accessories allow circulation
• Slips do not contact wall during TIH
 Taper and Box Taps

Pros:
• Wide catch range
• Box Tap has a small ratio of
OD to Catch size
Cons:
• Unreleasable
• Limits further fishing options
Junk Milling
Wireline Fishing
 Radio Active Source Logging Tools

Due to the radio active

source, these tools must be
recovered from a well
bore.
 Wireline Stripping

Features and Benefits:

• Wireline stays attached to logging tool until it has
been engaged by overshot
• Wireline tension keeps tool from laying under
ledge
• Wireline guides overshot over fish
• Has 95% one trip success rate
Wireline Stripping Box
Fishing Wireline
 Fishing Wireline in Openhole

• Never attempt to push

wire down
• Never run stop sub
• Do not rotate excessively
• Jars should be run several
stands above spear
• Do not pass wire by more
then 50’ to 100’
 Whipstock, Sidetrack, or Plugback?

• Unfortunately, we do not always get the problem solved in

the first or second attempt. Some fishing jobs are very
difficult. Patience is needed on these types of operations.
Complex fishing jobs are like a puzzle, they must be
solved 1 step at a time.
• There comes a time in all fishing jobs, when the chance of
success has to be weighed against the cost. If the best
choice is not working, what are the alternatives? Is the hole
valuable enough to keep fishing?
• Usually the Drilling Superintendent knows the cost
limitations of the job, and will be the person to make this
decision.