Pipeline recovery is a wireline operation commonly used in the oil and gas field. Many times, during the drilling or digging processes, the pipe gets blocked and requires specific operations to continue. This is where the pipeline recovery operation comes in! It uses of pipe recovery tools and wireline equipment to bring the stuck part to the top of the well.
The wireline services in oil and gas industry requires the use of digging tools, such as drilling tools, measuring tools, etc. They are attached with a string and placed down in the wellbore. However, sometimes the string breaks and the tool gets stuck in the formation. Here, pipe recovery is done to release the string and free it from the stuck position.
These services help identify the location of the blocked piece of pipe, bringing back the free part of the pipe to the top, cutting the stuck string, etc. Below are some of the tools used in pipe recovery operations-
Free Point Indicator Tool
In pipe recovery services, the free point indicator is used to determine the position or location of the pipe stuck in the wellbore. It helps the operators to measure the wireline’s torque and pressure, allowing them to accomplish the task. These tools can be used for identifying the stuck point in all kinds of tube wells, coiled tubes, or well casings.
Mechanical Cutter
A mechanical cutter is used on a range of pipes made of standard steel or superalloys. It provides controlled cuts with little to no debris. With a good temperature and pressure rating, it can be used for cutting the pipes in hot environments, saving your time, or other expensive operations.
Back Off Tool
Once the operator identifies the location of a stuck pipe, a back off tool is used to remove the free part of the string. It applies a torque on the blocked part of the wireline, frees the stuck string, and pull it up from the wellbore.
Chemical Cutter
This tool is primarily used for recovering the electric wireline services that don’t require the use of torque or pulling up the string. It gives a clean cut for drill pipe, coil tube, and tubing without harming the other part of the well.
It can withstand extreme temperature and pressure conditions; thus, they are an ideal tool for oilfield operations. Wireline operators often use it in special cutting applications where all the other methods to do the task get failed.
Fishing Tool
This wireline tool is used for removing and releasing the stuck pipe or other suspended material from the wellbore. The most commonly used types of fishing tools include boost basket, junk mill, speak, overshoot, etc. All these tools help recover the stuck pipe efficiently.
Jet Cutter
This circular-shaped tool is used for cutting pipes of different sizes and can be deployed in coil tubing, slickline, electric line, etc. It is specifically designed for high precision cuttings. Despite the high pressure inside the well casing, it makes clean cuts with minimum debris. This way, it improves the efficiency of pipeline recovery operations.
To Sum Up
If you want to save the drill time off well, it is necessary to recover the wireline as soon as possible. It protects the casing from further damage and keeps the important operations running. You can use any of the tools mentioned above to separate the stuck part from the rest of the pipe.
