Cut it out! Well Cutter® cuts stuck tubulars in two minutes

Challenge
Downhole hardware
JCA182954 Cut it out Well Cutter® cuts stuck tubulars
  • Max. depth 1,640 ft
  • Temperature 212°F

Background

In August 2018, a client in Northern Alberta struggled with stuck tubulars and suspected annular damage on the secondary string in a 50° deviated well. The client needed to remove the stuck 4.5” (114.3 mm) tubulars under tension while also protecting the outer string. Having used Welltec’s services in the past, the client was confident in the Well Cutter’s performance, especially its ability to limit the cutting dimension to protect the outer string during cutting.

Operation

Once on site, Welltec® rigged up the Well Cutter 358 and ran it in hole. The tool string could not reach the target depth because of debris in the wellbore, and the Well Cutter was pulled back out of hole. After attempting multiple gauge ring runs, it was determined that the 318 Well Cutter could reach the target depth and perform the cut.

The crews switched out the gear box and dressed the tool for the operation. After a successful scraper run was completed, Welltec ran the new tool string in hole. Upon reaching the target depth, the Well Cutter was engaged. It took two minutes to cut through the stuck tubulars. A maximum cutting diameter was set, preventing the cutting implements from damaging the outer string. Additionally, with the Well Cutter anchored, when the cut was made, the tool string stayed in place, away from the moving pipe.

After the cut, the operator removed the stuck pipe from the wellbore. A multi-finger caliper tool was then run in hole and located the casing break.

Achievements

The client was quite happy with the Well Cutter and has more wells in which it could be successfully deployed. This e-line run and two-minute cut took less time than cuts made from other cutting methods and enabled the client to remove the stuck tubulars efficiently in terms of both operational time and expenditure.