Churchill Drilling Tools (Churchill), a global oilfield service company specialising in drilling innovation, reported that a major UAE operator recently recovered from a stuck pipe incident by using its tool HyPR HoleSaver, which severed its drill string in just 2.5 hours.

Churchill’s hydraulic pipe recovery system, the HyPR HoleSaver, was activated on a well offshore of the UAE on March 16 after the BHA (bottomhole assembly) became stuck at 9,070 ft due to a pack-off in a challenging formation, the company said in a statement.  

The HyPR HoleSaver enables operators to recover quickly and safely from stuck pipe incidents, which are estimated to cost the industry hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Churchill: pushing the boundaries of innovation

Traditional pipe severance methods, including the use of explosives, often take days and sometimes weeks and require the mobilisation of specialist tools, additional personnel and extra logistics.

However, the operator had placed a HyPR HoleSaver sub in its string as contingency against stuck pipe.  Activating Churchill’s DAV (Dart Activated Valve) MX CircSub, the operator first regained circulation and well control. The HyPR HoleSaver Dart was subsequently dropped and pumped to redirect the flow of mud through the dart’s ports creating a high velocity stream of fluid to hydraulically sever the string. 

After 2.5 hours of pumping at 550 gallons per minute, the operator applied some torque and the string parted with ease. 

Avoiding the need for explosives, chemicals, or indeed any additional equipment or rig personnel, the operator recovered 8,335 ft of challenging hole, and was able to begin sidetrack operations shortly afterwards.

“This is the second successful cut in the region in a matter of weeks which shows that operators are beginning to reap the rewards from placing HyPR HoleSavers in their strings,” Nicholas Kjaer, general manager of Churchill’s operations in the Middle East and Asia, said.

“The team did a great job in optimising the configuration and subsequently supporting the operator to get out of hole quickly and safely,” Andy Churchill, Churchill Drilling Tools’ chairman said.

Kjaer: HyPR HoleSaver system was activated twice in four weeks in the Middle East

“Despite the simplicity of the system, it’s important for operators to know that we’re on hand to review and assist with their strategy and its execution.

“I’m proud that across the globe we’re partnering with clients pushing the boundaries of innovation to reduce risk, reduce costs and improve campaigns,” he added.

The HyPR system consists of a robust full-strength sub, strategically positioned in the drill string. Once the decision is made to sever the pipe, a HyPR Dart is pumped down into a landing sub. The flow of mud is re-directed through the dart which channels the flow creating a high velocity stream of fluid that erodes the stress-relief grove of the mid-assembly connection. The erosion combined with overpull and torque creates a clean cut and therefore a perfect fish-neck or kick-off point for subsequent operations. 

 The HyPR tool comes in a range of sizes and connections to suit any drill string configuration. It complements Churchill’s DAV MX CircSub, which when positioned below allows circulation to first be regained in pack-off situations. It is also compatible with a wide range of drilling jars.

By using down-hole tools which are activated by pumping darts from surface, Churchill offers operators higher levels of performance and reliability on a range of specific operations and contingencies. The company is recognised globally as a technology leader in drilling, completions and abandonment tools. 

Churchill’s tools have been run on more than 4,500 occasions by more than 115 major operators and service companies globally.