CHAPTER

PARTING THE PIPE

STRING
7
After determining the stuck point in a pipe string, the normal procedure is to part the string so that fish-
ing tools, such as jarring strings or washpipe strings, may be run. There are many acceptable methods
of parting the pipe string, including the following:
● Mechanical backoff
● String shot assist backoff
● Chemical cutting
● Jet cutting
● Electric-line (e-line) motor-driven cutting
● Mechanical cutting
● High-velocity, abrasive fluid cutting
● Split shots
The method that you choose will depend on the situation that you are in.
The cutting method for each particular job should be selected carefully. For example, only the back-
off method leaves threads facing up, so it should be employed if a retrieving tool is to be screwed into
the fish. Screwing back into a fish is the preferred method because doing so will restore the pipe to its
full strength and ID. If an engaging tool is run, it may be weaker than the pipe or connection, or it may
have a larger or smaller ID.
When parting pipe, always leave enough free pipe above the stuck point to act as a guide and
provide a catching surface that is long enough for good pulling strength. A sufficient length for these
purposes is usually considered to be between a half-joint and two joints. When determining how much
free pipe to leave, consider the next operation that you must perform. For example, if you will be wash-
ing over inside casing and using a setup where no threads are needed, cutting a half-joint above the
stuck point may be adequate. However, if the drill pipe is backed off so that washing over (by using a
drill collar spear in the washpipe) can be done, and if there is considerable settling out of solids, extra
pipe should be left in the hole.
Some fishing tool operators also like to leave a spare tool joint in place in case the first is damaged
by the backoff operation. This will also prevent you needing to fire a string shot in the same joint if the
fish cannot be pulled or jarred free. Never leave more pipe above a stuck point than is needed because
it contributes to greater washing over if this fishing method is used. If the jarring method is used, extra
pipe adds elasticity to the fish.
The methods of conveying cutters into a well have improved so that now there are numerous
­options, depending on the cutter. In particular, the chemical cutter and jet cutter can be run on coil or on

The Guide to Oilwell Fishing Operations

Copyright © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
45
46 CHAPTER 7  PARTING THE PIPE STRING

a slick-line, which permits the operator to select an alternative method of conveying the cutter. There
are both timed firing heads and pressure-activated firing heads. Thus, with the correct configuration, it
is possible to work around the inner-diameter (ID) restrictive cases.

BACKOFF
Backing off is the procedure of applying a left-hand torque to a pipe string while firing a shot of prima
cord explosive to unscrew the pipe at a selected threaded joint above the stuck point (Figure 7-1). The
resulting explosion produces a concussion that partially unscrews the threads.
The backoff method of parting pipe is probably the most popular, particularly in drill pipe and drill
collars, as this is the only method that leaves a threaded connection at the top of the remaining pipe.
This makes it possible to screw back into the fish with a workstring when using fishing tools such as
jars. Tool joints used on drill pipe, drill collars, and other drilling tools have coarse threads, large ta-
pers, and a metal-to-metal seal with flat surfaces
or faces. These characteristics make the backoff
method attractive in such situations.
Tubing or coupled pipe does not lend itself
to backoff in the same way. Threads are usually
fine (at least eight per inch) with only a slight
taper (such as ¾ in. per foot), and the threads are
in tension with a high degree of thread interfer-
ence. In spite of these differences, backoff is still
a popular method of parting tubing.
In wells that have a mud-type completion
fluid that has “settled out” over the years, a good
case can be made for backing off the tubing and
screwing it back together. Rather than picking
up long strings of washover pipe, it may be more
economical to back off the tubing, circulate,
screw it back together, run a free point, back off
deeper, and continue until the fish is out or prog-
ress stops. If integral-joint tubing, such as PH
or CS Hydril is present, the joint that is backed
out should be run back into the hole to screw
the tubing back together. Tubing-tool joints will
swell after the string shot, unlike drill pipe or
drill collars, on which a new joint or screw-in
sub is run to screw them back together.
When performing a backoff, the pipe should
first be tightened by applying a specific number
of rounds of right-hand torque and then recip-
FIGURE 7-1 rocated while holding the torque. Pipe makeup
Shot rod with prima cord (courtesy of Baker Atlas). torque should not be exceeded.
 BACKOFF 47

Once the pipe is made up, left-hand torque is applied to the string. This torque must also be worked
downhole by reciprocating the pipe as the torque is built up. This action distributes the torque through-
out the string and ensures that there is left-hand torque acting on the point of backoff. A rule of thumb
for determining the amount of left-hand torque is to use three-quarters of a round to one round for tub-
ing and a half- to three-quarter-round for drill pipe for every 1,000 ft. of free pipe. Note that this is a
base point. Some cases will call for more or less left-hand torque depending on hole conditions, such
as angles and doglegs.
Ideally, the pipe at the backoff point should be in a neutral condition (under neither tension nor
compression) before firing the string shot. Because this condition is very difficult to obtain, a slight
tension (rather than compression) in the pipe should be favored. When the string shot is fired, a left-
hand torque is held, and the calculated weight of the string is picked up. The concussion at the joint
momentarily loosens the threads, and the left-hand torque on the pipe partially unscrews it. After re-
peating this process and unscrewing the joint completely with surface equipment, the freed pipe can be
removed from the well.
When you are ordering a string shot, the service company will need to know the size and weight of
pipe to be backed off, the approximate depth of the stuck point, the weight of the mud or fluid in the
hole, and the temperature of the well. This information will dictate the strength of the charge needed
as well as the type of fuse.
String shots may also be used for other purposes, including the following:
● Releasing stuck packers or fishing tools
● Removing corrosion from pipe
● Opening up perforations
● Jumping a collar or box on a tool joint
● Removing jet nozzles from drill bits to increase circulation
● Knocking drill pipe out of key seats in hard formations

OUTSIDE BACKOFF
Prior to running an outside string shot, the first question that should be addressed is the amount of open
hole section from the previous casing shoe and the formations that are exposed. This technique is best
suited for hard-rock application and is not advised to be run with adjacent shales or unconsolidated
sands. As drilling wells has shifted to directional and long-reach horizontals, this technique is a very
isolated case to near-vertical, hard-rock wellbores, and there is no other alternative method of releasing
a stuck string.
An outside backoff is made by running string shots in the annulus to deliver concussions from out-
side the joint to loosen it. When pipe is plugged and cannot be cleaned out so a string shot can be run
inside the pipe, an outside backoff is an alternative method of addressing the issue. In this procedure,
a backoff is made internally as deeply as possible, and the free pipe is removed. A sub with a side
opening is attached to the bottom of the string and screwed back into the fish downhole. An overshot
can also be run on the bottom, but the outside diameter (OD) must be as small as possible to allow the
wireline enough space to pass.
When the fish is screwed back together, or latched, the wireline and string shot are run inside
the pipe and down to the side-door sub (also called an outside backoff collar or a hillside sub).
There, it is guided into the annulus and lowered deeper. Torque is applied before running the
48 CHAPTER 7  PARTING THE PIPE STRING

wireline outside the sub. Once the backoff is completed, the pipe should be elevated slightly and
rotated back to the right to untwist the line below the side-door sub. The string shot used for this
operation has a small weight on the bottom of the line, with a 35-ft.-long prima cord wrapped
around the wire. Because a collar locator is not run, and because most pipe lengths are between 28
and 32 in., this will ensure that the shot is positioned across a connection and the 35-ft. shot will
hit the connection.

CHEMICAL CUT
In chemical cutting, the procedure employs an electrical wireline tool, a propellant, and a chemical
reactant to burn a series of holes in the pipe, which weakens it so that it pulls apart easily. Introduced
in the 1950s, chemical cutting was the exclusive, patented process of a single wireline company for
many years. Today, most electric-wireline service companies offer it, and it is now the most widely
used method of cutting pipe.
Wireline cuts are economical because rig time is minimized. Another significant advantage of
chemical cutting is that there is no flare, burr, or swelling of the cut pipe (Figures 7-2A, B). No
dressing of the cut is necessary to catch it on the outside, with an overshot, or on the inside, with
a spear.
The body of the chemical cutting tool has a series of flow jets around its lower part. Electric current
ignites the tool’s propellant, which forces the chemical reactant (halogen fluoride or bromine trifluo-
ride) through the jets under high pressure and at a high temperature, eroding the metal of the pipe. The
tool also contains pressure-actuated slips to prevent vertical movement of the tool up the hole, which
can foul the electric line.
The chemical cutting tool produces a series of perforations around the periphery of the pipe. The
reaction of the chemical with the iron of the pipe produces harmless salts that do not damage adjacent
casing and are rapidly dissipated in the well fluid.
The chemical cutter will not operate successfully in dry pipe. It requires at least 100 ft. of
fluid above the tool when a cut is made. The fluid should be clean and contain no lost ­circulation
­material. The chemical cutting tool has operated successfully at a hydrostatic head pressure of
18,500 psi and 450°F. It is available for practically all sizes of tubing and drill pipe and most
­popular sizes of casing.

JET CUT
The jet cutter is a shaped charge run on an electric wireline. The modified parabolic face of the plastic
explosive has a circular shape to make it conform to the pipe to be cut. The jet cutter is often used when
abandoning a well, during salvage operations, or when a low fluid level, heavy mud, or cost consider-
ations would preclude the use of a chemical cutter.
When a shaped-charge explosive is used to cut pipe, it flares the cut end of the pipe (Figures 7-3A, B).
It is necessary to remove the flared pieces if the pipe is to be fished with an overshot from the outside.
Usually this can be accomplished on the same trip as with the retrieving tool. A mill guide or a hollow
mill container with an insert can be run on the bottom of an overshot and the flare or burr removed by
FIGURE 7-2
(A) Wireline chemical cutter; (B) tubing cut with the chemical cutter. (Both images courtesy of Baker Atlas.)

FIGURE 7-3
(A) Jet cutter; (B) tubing cut with the jet cutter. (Both images courtesy of Baker Atlas.)
50 CHAPTER 7  PARTING THE PIPE STRING

rotation. Then the overshot can slip over the fish easily. There is a slight chance of damage to an adja-
cent string or casing if it is touching the pipe at the point where the cut is made.
Jet cutters are available for practically all sizes of tubing, drill pipe, and casing. Large jet cutters
called severing cutters may be used if the fishing operation has stopped. They create such a large flare
that it is almost impossible to dress off the top of the fish, especially in open holes. They are used to
sever drill pipe and drill collars. The severing charge is placed across a tool joint and not in the tube of
the pipe.

E-LINE MOTOR-DRIVEN CUTTERS

With the advancement in intervention techniques, coil, slick-line, and e-line, there are now options with
coil, pressure-activated firing heads, slick-line timer-activated cutters, and e-line motor-driven cutters.
Among these there are the Sondex cutter (General Electric, Fairfield, Connecticut), the Welltec cutter
(Welltec, Alleroed, Denmark), and the BA/BHI Mechanical cutter.
All e-line cutters have a motor to drive the rotation, which acts to cut or displace the metal and force
it apart. The cutter employs either a single-knife cutter or a three-blade system similar to a multistring
cutter. The BA/BHI has a circular blade that is forced into the tube and separates the metal, acting very
similar to a plumber’s tube cutter
One benefit to e-line cutters is that they can be run on tractors, making internal cuts on pipe that is
inclined greater than 60° possible. The other major advantage is that depth control with e-line is ac-
curate with respect to couplings, connections, and packer bore (mandrel cutting), which makes it very
convenient, with the common well profiles being drilled in areas where high angles and long course
lengths can limit the use of other types of cutting methods.
One disadvantage of this technique, though, is its inability to cut heavier wall pipe, such as Hevi-
Wate drill pipe. This limitation is caused as much by the expansion of the cutter as by the inside diam-
eter (ID) restriction of the drill string.

MECHANICAL CUT
To run most fishing tools, the pipe is parted by wireline methods to minimize rig time. But if wireline
tools are not available or practical, the pipe may be parted by running an inside mechanical cutter or a
washover outside mechanical cutter on a workstring.
The internal cutter (Figure 7-4) is made on a mandrel and uses an automatic bottom. This allows
the slips to be released and the tool to be set at any depth desired. Friction blocks or drag springs are
fitted to the mandrel to furnish backup for this release operation. The mechanical inside cutter works
by slowly rotating the tool to the right while slowly applying pressure, which feeds out the knives on
­tapered blocks. The knives then cut into the inside of the pipe. In practically all such cutting tools,
springs are used in the feed mechanism to absorb accidental shocks to the workstring, which can cause
the knives to gouge or break.
Fishing-tool operators will usually run a bumper jar above the inside cutter to control the pressure
applied to it. The ends of the knives have a brass tip to prevent them from breaking when they come
in contact with the pipe or casing wall. Inside mechanical cutters are available for most sizes of tubing
and casing strings.
 MECHANICAL CUT 51

INTERNAL HYDRAULIC CUTTER

The inside hydraulic cutter is designed to cut
single strings of casing or tubing. The cutter has
hydraulically activated knives for smooth and
efficient cutting, an indicator that uses the pump
pressure to signal when the cut is complete, and
stabilizer slips to keep the cutter anchored in the
casing. A piston forces the slips to anchor the
tool firmly before the knives touch the casing.
When the cutter has been run to the desired
cutting depth, rotation is initiated and circula-
tion started. An increase in torque indicates that
the casing or tubing is being cut. When the cut is
complete, a “control dog” moves into a recess in
the bottom nut of the cutter, causing a decrease
in pump pressure. Straight pickup retracts the
slips and knives. An inside hydraulic cutter
should always be run with a float sub to prevent
the cutter from setting because of hydrostatic
pressure inside the workstring.
If the casing or fish is in an open hole, a pres-
sure cutter, such as the multiple-string casing
cutter, can be used (Figure 7-5). These cutters
are designed for cutting more than one string,
but they can be dressed with single-cut knives.
Once the cutter reaches the appropriate depth,
rotation starts and pump pressure pushes a pis-
FIGURE 7-4 ton down to make contact with the heels of the
Mechanical internal cutter (courtesy of Baker Oil knives. This forces the knives into the casing. As
Tools). more pressure is applied, the pipe is cut. When
the cut is complete, pump pressure stops and the
cutter is pulled out of the hole.

EXTERNAL CUTTER
The washover outside or external cutter (Figure 7-6) is used to go over the outside of a fish. This tool
is ideal for tubing or pipe that is plugged up on the inside, preventing wireline tools from being run.
The external cutter is run on the bottom of a washover string, and the cut is made from the outside. It
is dressed to catch the type of tool joints or couplings on the fish. Pipe with couplings requires either a
catcher assembly with spring fingers or flipper dog cages that catch below the coupling. Pipe that has
couplings but also has upset joints can be caught with flipper dog–type or pawl-type catchers. These are
made with slip surfaces cut on the end where they will engage the upsets.
Flush-joint pipe requires a hydraulically actuated catcher. Pump pressure against the sleeve restric-
tion in the annular space actuates the external cutter’s knives. You should begin slow rotation (at 15–25
52 CHAPTER 7  PARTING THE PIPE STRING

FIGURE 7-5
Multiple-string casing cutter (courtesy of Baker Oil FIGURE 7-6
Tools). Washover outside cutter (courtesy of Baker Oil Tools).

rpm), and start to pump fluid slowly down the work string. This will begin feeding the knives to start
the cut. The amount of pressure and number of gallons per minute required depend on the size of the
cutter and the piston assembly being used. Use extreme caution to avoid surging the pump pressure
when starting a cut. A decrease in torque will signal that the cut is complete. Once the cut is made, the
cutter recovers the fish, and it is stripped out of the washpipe at the surface.

ABRASIVE FLUID CUTS

It has been known for a long time that adding an abrasive solid to a high-pressure fluid stream will cut
steel. In the oil industry, this method has been employed successfully in many wellbores. The abrasive
 CONNECTION SPLIT SHOTS 53

solid (typically angular sand) is jetted onto the steel with a specified standoff. Using this method, multiple
strings can be cut with the caution of washing behind strings. The jetting fluid, water base, or oil base has
to have only enough suspension properties to hold the solid in fluid until it is pumped.
Because hydraulic horsepower is being used, this method becomes somewhat restrictive to depth,
pressure loss through string, and the type of work-string, just to mention a few of the considerations that
must be taken into account. There is also the risk of washing out the work-string during the operation.

CONNECTION SPLIT SHOTS

A split shot is a perforation charge that has been elongated and focused to cut across a connection.
As with the perforation shot, a split shot fires, and the explosive force inverts the shaped charge. As
a result, all the force is concentrated in a vertical line across a connection and splits the connection
(Figure 7-7). It is very common to have to work the connection apart after the shot fires. A successful
shot will loosen the connection with minimal working in most cases.

FIGURE 7-7
Vertical split shot