M-INorge AS

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURES
Revision: 3 Date: 14.12.2004 Page 1 of 7

7.04 STUCK PIPE

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................... 2

MECHANICALLY STUCK PIPE........................................................................................................... 2

DIFFERENTIALLY STUCK PIPE......................................................................................................... 3

PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR AVOIDING DIFFERENTIALY STUCK PIPE .......................... 4

STICKANCE TESTER............................................................................................................................. 4

ADDITIVES ............................................................................................................................................... 4

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE FOR FREEING DIFFERENTIALY STUCK PIPE ...................... 5

PRODUCT RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONCENTRATIONS ..................................................... 5

REFERENCE: ........................................................................................................................................... 7

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

INTRODUCTION

Stuck Pipe is thoroughly described in Chapter 15 in the M-I Drilling Fluids Engineering Manual.

The causes of stuck pipe are listed below, but the predominant reason for the pipe becoming
stuck has been identified by every operator as poor communication. Good communication
between the members of the drilling team can significantly reduce the number of stuck pipe
incidents. In general, pipe becomes stuck either mechanically or differentially.

MECHANICALLY STUCK PIPE

Mechanical sticking is caused by a physical obstruction or restriction and can be subdivided into
two major categories

1. Hole pack-off and bridges

Settled cuttings:
If the cuttings are not removed from the annulus they will pack off around the drill string and the
pipe will become mechanically stuck. In highly deviated wells, the cuttings tend to settle on the
low side of the hole and form cuttings beds. Hole cleaning under these circumstances will
require higher annular velocities, and a fluid, which has a high viscosity at low shear rates.

Reactive or overpressured shale:

Unstable shales can cause packing off and sticking when they fall into the wellbore. Reactive
shales are water sensitive shales drilled with insufficient inhibition. Overpressured shales are
sloughing into the wellbore when drilled with insufficient drilling fluid weight.

Fractured formations:
Can cause bridging and a packed off annulus. This problem can become severe in high angle
holes.

Unconsolidated formations:
Unconsolidated formations are normally encountered in top hole. Loose sand, silt and gravel fall
into the wellbore and stick the pipe. The unconsolidated formation can not be supported by
hydrostatic pressure alone, but the hydrostatic pressure will aid in forming a filtercake that can
push against the formation.

Cement related:
If the drilling assembly is run at too high a speed, it is possible to become stuck in "green"
cement. "Flash setting" of cement can also result in the pipe becoming irretrievably stuck.
These problems can only occur during, or shortly after, a cement job. Blocks of cement may fall
into the hole from behind the last string of casing. On deviated wells, the vibration set up by the
drill string can jar the casing and dislodge cement.

Junk:
Junk, unless it is large, will not usually result in stuck pipe, but it can represent a serious
problem. The driller must be aware of the possibility of becoming stuck when there is junk or a
fish in the hole.

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

2. Wellbore Geometry

Collapsed casing:
Collapsed casing can usually be prevented during the design stage of the well if the geological
prognosis is accurate. A poor cement job, or the presence of an overpressured, mobile
formation such as salt or shale, can cause the collapse of casing. One or more joints of casing
may unscrew and slip into the hole. Earth tremors are another potential problem in some areas.

Undergauge Hole:
Undergauge hole can result from a formation-related problem or can be created by drilling with
an undergauge bit. Reaming a small diameter core-hole or a section of previously drilled
undergauge hole, are potential stuck pipe situations.

Key Seating:
Key seating occurs when the drillstring rotates against the formation on the inside of a dogleg.
When the drillstring is pulled out of the hole the tool joints or the BHA are pulled into the key
seat and they become jammed.

Stiff Assembly:
Holes drilled with limber BHAs may appear to be straight when tripping out. If the following
assembly is stiffer, the newly drilled hole will act as if it was undergauge.

Mobile Formations:
Salt formations can "flow" into the hole. Some shales have been described as plastic, and they
can also "flow" into the hole.

Ledges and micro-doglegs:

Inter-bedded formations create problems in deviated wells, if alternate layers of soft and hard
formations are drilled. The soft formations tend to wash out, leaving ledges of hard formation.
The stabiliser blades may become stuck under the ledges when pulling out. There is also a
potential for cutting a key-seat with the drill pipe, into which the bottom hole assembly becomes
stuck.

DIFFERENTIALLY STUCK PIPE

Differential sticking is a special type of formation related problem, but is not associated with one
specific type of rock. Differential sticking is caused by differential pressure forces from an
overbalanced drilling fluid column acting on the drillstring against a filtercake deposited on a
permeable formation. Statistics show that about 60 % of the reported stuck pipe incidents are
due to differential sticking.

Differential sticking usually occurs while the pipe is stationary (i.e. during a connection) and is
indicated by full circulation and no up/down mobility or rotary freedom, other than pipe stretch
and torque. For differential sticking to occur, two conditions must exist:

1.) The hydrostatic pressure of the drilling fluid must exceed the pore pressure of the
adjacent formation.
2.) A porous/fractured, permeable formation must exist.

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

PREVENTIVE MEASURES FOR AVOIDING DIFFERENTIALY STUCK PIPE

Planning and good drilling practices are the keys to avoid differentially stuck pipe. All of the
conditions associated with differentially stuck pipe can not be eliminated; however, following
these recommendations will reduce the possibility of differential sticking:
Reduce the overbalance pressure by keeping the drilling fluid weight as low as good drilling
practices allow. Excessive drilling fluid weights increase the differential pressure across the
filter cake and increase the possibility of differentially sticking the pipe.
Reduce the area of contact between the wellbore and pipe by using the minimum length of
drill collars needed for the required bit weight. Reduce the area of contact by using small,
spiral or square drill collars; by using stabilisers; and by using heavy weight drill pipe to
supplement the weight of the drill collars.
Reduce filter-cake thickness. Thick filtercakes increase the contact area between the pipe
and the side of the hole, which effectively reduces wellbore diameter. Reducing the
thickness of the filtercake can decrease the contact area between the wellbore and pipe.
Lowering the filtration rate and drill solids content can reduce filter-cake thickness.
Maintain a low filtration rate. Filtration rates should be monitored on a regular basis at
downhole temperatures and differential pressures. Drilling fluid treatment should be based
on the results of these relative to desired properties.
Control excessive ROP to limit the concentration of drill solids and an increase of drilling
fluid weight in the annulus. This affects the differential pressure and filter-cake composition.
Minimise the drilling fluid s coefficient of friction by keeping a good quality filter-cake with
low drill solids and by using the proper lubricants in sufficient quantities.
Keep the pipe moving whenever possible and use good drilling practices to minimise
differential sticking.
Run drilling jars whenever possible. Use them at maximum trip load if the pipe becomes
differential stuck.
Watch for depleted pressure zones, where differential sticking occurs frequently. The
drilling fluid weight used to drill these zones must be sufficient to balance the normal
pressure gradient of the open hole. The difference in pressure of the normally or abnormally
pressured zones exposed in the wellbore and the pressures of the depleted zone can be
several thousand pounds per square inch. Seepage loss materials such as asphalt,
gilsonite, plyolite, M-I-X II fibre and bridging agents such as sized calcium-carbonate and G-
SEAL have been used with success to drill depleted zones with high differential pressures.
Depleted zones should be isolated with casing whenever possible.

STICKANCE TESTER

In areas where there are high risk of differential sticking a stickance tester is a good tool to
evaluate the properties of the filtercake. This tester can be used offshore and will give a good
indication of the state of the drilling fluid system with regards to differential stickance potential.

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE FOR FREEING DIFFERENTIALY STUCK PIPE

Remember the probability of freeing stuck pipe successfully diminishes rapidly with time.

The standard initial action is to attempt physical means to pull free, rotate free or jar free. During
this period the pipe will become progressively more stuck, if it does not move, due to the build
up of further wall cake. The best way of freeing differentially stuck pipe is to reduce the
hydrostatic pressure by pumping base oil or light drilling fluid down the annulus. This procedure,
however, is not always possible.

It is good practice to commence the preparation of a pill of pipe release agent as soon as
differential sticking has occurred. A primary consideration at this stage is the density of the pill.
A pill weighted to the same density as the drilling fluid will not upset hydrostatic pressure in the
well and once spotted will stay in place. An unweighted pill will reduce hydrostatic pressure and
thus reduce the force holding the pipe stuck. Reducing hydrostatic pressure increases risks of
underbalancing other formations and can induce a kick. Unweighted pills tend to migrate
upwards but do provide the possibility of more accurate placement by measuring pressures.
Prior to spotting a pill it is necessary to determine the stuck point of the string in order to spot
the pill where required. The usual method is to use a wire line log that detects stretch in the
pipe. This is lowered until no stretch is detected when the pipe is pulled, i.e. a point below the
stuck zone. The tool is then moved to locate the highest point of no stretch. An alternative
method is to measure the stretch of the pipe resulting from a known pull.

The drilling contractor will have the requisite modules of elasticity for the drill string to calculate
how much pipe is free and subject to stretch and by deduction the top of the stuck point. Once
the stuck point has been determined a pill large enough to soak the entire stuck zone should be
spotted in place and circulation stopped. It is recommended to place the pill at reduced pump
rates to reduce mixing with the drilling fluid. The pipe should then be "worked" without
circulation while the pill attacks the drilling fluid cake. It is reasonable to allow at least four hours
for this process to work, after which the pill can be moved and the pipe worked again. Ultimately
the pill will have an effect. However, in terms of rig economics it may be cheaper after several
hours to back off and wash over. Alternatively if the first pill does not function a second pill can
be tried.

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

Product recommendations and concentrations for differential stuck pipe in;

Drilling fluid Product Concentration

Formate KCl 200 kg/m3
Formic Acid 200 kg/m3
WBM Recipe 1. (unweighted)
KCl (s) 200 kg/m3
Citric Acid (s) 200 kg/m3
Recipe 2. (weighted)
KCl (s) 200 kg/m3
EMI 742 15-20 vol. %
Barite As needed
OBM Base oil Dependent in hole size; 5-15 m3
Safe-Solv 148 160 ltr/m3
Barite/drilling fluid* If necessary for hole stabilization
POBM Base oil Dependent in hole size; 5-15 m3
Safe-Solv 148 160 ltr/m3
Barite/drilling fluid* If necessary for hole stabilization
* Note: If it is necessary to ensure that loss of hydrostatic head not is experienced, it is
recommended to pump a weighted pill ahead of the spotting pill. If the weighted pill is
made viscous, it will limit the migration of the spotting pill.

Additive Material Function SFT code

SAFE-SOLV 148 Aliphatic Hydro Carbons Solvent
KCl KCl Inhibition
Citric Acid Citric Acid Breaker
Formic Acid HCOOH Breaker
Base oil Base oil Carrier fluid
EMI 742 Polyalkene Glycol Liquid lubricant

Spotting Procedure

1. It is essential to pump a freeing pill as soon as possible after the pipe is stuck. The
probability of freeing differential stuck pipe is inversely proportional to the time the pipe
is stuck.
2. Locate the stuck zone.
3. Determine the volume needed to fill the annular space around the BHA, add 25 % for
hole enlargement and 100 % - 200 % for circulation volume.
4. Displace the pill to the hole, leaving the excess volume in the drill string. This volume
should be displaced to the hole at 15-min. intervals over a two-hour period. Work the
pipe using jars.
5. When the pipe comes free or it is decided to circulate out the pill, it should be isolated at
surface and discarded.

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7.04 STUCK PIPE

REFERENCE:

- M-I Drilling Fluids Engineering Manual, Chapter 15

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