On completion of this module you will be

able to:

Understand
the
main
stuck
pipe
mechanisms causes

Explain the preventive actions to avoid sticking

Indentify the stuck pipe mechanism

Describe the first actions to free the pipe

Solids Induced
Packof

Diferential
Sticking
Wellbore
Geometry

Cause
Occurrence
Rig Site
Warnings
Preventative
Action

Freeing
Guidelines

Hole Cleaning
Unconsolidated Formations
Reactive Shales
Naturally & Induced OverPressured Shales

Fractured and Faulted Formations

Tectonically Stressed Formations
Overburden Stress
Junk in the Hole
Green Cement and LCM Treatment
Cement Blocks

Cuttings

Roller Cone

PDC

Cavings

Splintery

Angul
ar

Blocky/Platy

Cause:
Low annular velocity
Poor mud properties
Insufficient rotation
Occurrence:
All the time but critical
between 30-60 degrees.
Rig Site Warnings:

Increase in Torque and

Drag Increase in Pump
Pressure / ECD
Preventative Action:

Maximize Annular
velocity Maximize
Pipe Rotation
Pumping adequate
pills

Ensure circulation times are adequate Optimize mud

properties (YP, LSRYP)

HOLE
SIZE

MAX GPM

MIN GPM

BEST RPM

MIN
RPM

17

900 1200

800 gpm, with ROP at 20

m/hr (65 / hr)

120 180

120

12

800 1100

650-700 gpm, with ROP at

10-15m/hr (30-50/ hr)
800 gpm, with ROP at 20-30
m/hr (65-100 / hr)

150 180

120

700 900

500 gpm, with ROP at 10-20

m/hr (33-65 / hr)

120 150

100

450 600

350-400 gpm, with ROP at

10-20 m/hr (33-65 / hr)

70 100

60

These are Ideal Parameters and may not be achievable in

every condition

Mud Type

Angle
Hol
e

Torque and Drag

Diameter
eHol

VERY IMPORTANT ! Define the box size and what it will allow
us to do
Apply a systems approach. Parameters cannot be singled
out and optimized separately
Box dimensions determined by various factors (Rig
equipment, Solid control equipment, well design, BHA, design,
drilling practices and most importantly personnel competency.

Cause:
The formation can not be supported by the
hydrostatic overbalance as the fluid simply
flows into the formation

Occurrence:
While drilling shallower unconsolidated
formations

Rig Site Warnings:

Increase in Torque and Drag

Increase in Pump Pressure / ECD
Fill on bottom
Shaker blinding

Preventative Actions:

Control-drill the suspected zone to allow

time for the filter cake to build up.
Avoid unnecessary reaming and
backreaming Use sweeps to help
keep the hole clean Slowdown trip
speed across those formations

Cause:
Water sensitive shale /clays drilled
with less inhibition than required

Occurrence:
Poor shale inhibition (Occurs more
often w/WBM and less often with
OBM)
The reaction is time dependent, from
hours to days depending on mud
and formation interaction

Rig Site Warnings:

Increase in LGS, filter cake thickness,
PV, YP, MBT Increase in T&D / Pump
Pressure / ECD
Shale Shakers blind of

Preventative Actions:

Use inhibitive mud system

Perform wiper trips regularly
Monitor MBT

Barbados Shale Dry Sample

CaCl2 (24 hrs)

Barbados Shale in 10.8 ppg

Fortune Bay Dry Sample

water

Fortune Bay 24 hrs in Fresh

Cause:
commonly caused by geological
phenomena ( under-compaction,
naturally removed overburden and
uplift).

Occurrence:

Using insufficient MW
Removal of ECD

Rig Site Warnings:

Cavings (splintery) at shakers

Increase in T&D / Pump Pressure / ECD /
Gas level An increase in ROP

Preventative Actions:

Use sufficient mud weight

Minimize hole exposure
After exposing shale, do not reduce MW

Cause:
Shale pore pressure becomes
charged by hydrostatic
overbalance

Occurrence:

After a reduction in MW or a long

exposure time with constant MW
High ECD (small hole size) / While
surging
In casing rat hole

Rig Site Warnings:

Cavings at shakers
Increase in T&D / Pump Pressure /
Hole fill Ballooning efect

Preventative Actions:
Control ECD properly to minimize
ballooning and inducing over pressure
to sensitive formations

Do not reduce MW

Cause:
Rock near faults can be broken into
small or large pieces, and if lose can
fall into the hole and jam the drill
string

Occurrence:

In tectonically active zones

Fractured limestone

Rig Site Warnings:

Possible losses or gains (or ballooning)
Fault damaged cavings at shakers
Hole fill on connections
Sticking can be instantaneous

Preventative Actions:
Limit the rotary speed and
tripping speeds Monitor ECDs

E. Folding and faulting

associated with Salt
dome diapirism

Cause:
Due to the movement of earths crust,
natural lateral
stresses are present

Occurrence:

In mountainous locations / tectonic active

zones

Rig Site Warnings:

Cavings at shakers
Increase in T&D / Pump Pressure

Preventative Actions:
Maintain mud weight and ECD within
planned mud weight window
If possible drill these formations in smaller
hole sizes Plan to case of these
formations as quickly as

possible

Cause:
The overburden or vertical stress, sV , is
usually a principal stress. MW is
insufficient to support the overburden
and is not adjusted as hole angle
increases.

Occurrence:

In deviated wells mainly

Rig Site Warnings:

Increase in Torque and Drag

Increase in Pump Pressure / ECD
Fill on bottom

Preventative Actions:
Maintain mud weight and ECD within
planned mud weight window

Cause:

Down hole equipment failure

Poor housekeeping on the rig floor
Hole cover not being installed
Inattention

Occurrence:
Any time!!

Rig Site Warnings:

Sudden erratic torque

Inability to drill ahead
Circulation not restricted

Preventative Actions:

Inspect all handling tools regularly,

especially rig tongs and slips.
Practice good
housekeeping Install
drill pipe wiper

Cause:
Circulation attempted with the bottom of the
drill string in soft cement which
dehydrates the cement due to diferential
pressure
Cleaning LCM treatment with insufficient
flow rate and high penetration rates.

Occurrence:
When using LCM or cement (Dress cement
plug)

Rig Site Warnings:

Increase in pump pressure leading to inability
to circulate Loss of string weight
Green cement in mud returns, discoloration of
mud

Preventative Actions:

Give cement enough time to set and estimate

the TOC

Start circulation several joints above the

TOC and run down slowly. Do not rely on
WOB to show TOC.
Drill out cement with low WOB and high flow
rate

Cause:
Hard cement chunks fall into the well bore
and jam the drill string

Occurrence:

Around the casing shoe

Open hole squeeze plugs
Kick-of plugs

Rig Site Warnings:

Large Cement fragments at the shakers
Rotation and downward movement may
be possible. Erratic torque

Preventative Actions:
Limit casing rat hole length to minimize
a source of cement blocks.
Slow the trip speed down before the BHA
enters the casing shoe or the plug
depth.

Filter
cake

W
B

Overbalance
pressure

FF

Mud

M
=

Drill pipe

0.
2

Sticking Force = P x A x
C
2

0.
4

P = Overbalance (kg/cm )
Ph= Hydrostatic Pressure

Pf= Formation Pressure

A = Contact Area (m )
C = Friction Factor

F
B
M
=

0.15 - 0.25

Porous
and
Porous
zon
and
e

Permeable

Permea
ble
zone

70 kg/cm Overbalance (997.5 psi)

1)Contact Area (A) = Wall contact x Length of
Permeable Formation
= 5 in x 0.0254m/in x 10 m
2

=1.27 m2

(1968.5in )
2

2) Sticking Force = 70 kg/cm2x 1.27m x(100 cm/m)

x 0.15
= 133 Tons=294,500 lbf approx.

Cause:
High overbalance applies a diferential sticking force to the drill
string contact area Drill string contacts a permeable zone
When motion stops, static filter cake develops

Occurrence:

With a stationary or very slow moving drill string

When contact exists between the drill string and the well bore
When an overbalance is present across a permeable formation
In a thick filter cake or cuttings bed

Rig Site Warnings:

Increasing over pull on connections and after surveys

Full unrestricted circulation
High overbalance (losses, MW..)

Other Preventative Actions :

Porous
and
Permeable
zone

Well design
Optimize casing setting depths to minimize
overbalance across potential sticking zones
Design for adequate overbalance for hole stability and
well control
Mud
Use OBM where possible. Keep fluid loss to a
minimum
Utilize bridging agents such as sized CaCO3 and
asphalts/gilsonite Maintain a low concentration of
LGS. Keep gels low
Operations
KEEP THE STRING MOVING. Pre-plan to
minimize operational downtime that
requires static drill string (connections,
surveys, minor repairs, etc.)

on
sid
er
rot
ati
ng
th
e
dri
ll
str
in
g
du
rin
g
dri
lli
ng
,
tri
pp
in
g
an
d
co
nn
ec
tio

ns while BHA is opposite to high risk zones

(CAUTION)

Preventative Action :
Well bore contact

Minimize BHA length when possible

Maximize BHA stand of. Use spiral drill collars
and HWDPs
Porous
and
Permeable
zone

Rig team awareness

The rig team should be made aware of the

depth of
permeable formations and the estimated
overbalance in
those zones.

Ledges &
Doglegs
Under gauge
hole
Mobile
formation
Stif Assembly
Key Seating

Cause:

Ledges at interface hard/soft formations

Too high doglegs

Occurrence:
Hard/soft interbedded layers
Faulted/fractured formations
Frequent angle/direction changes

Rig Site Warnings:

Sudden erratic over pull or set down

Problems are at reoccurring fixed depths

Preventative Actions:
Minimize excessive directional changes
in the well bore.
Slow trip speeds before BHA enters the
suspected ledge zone or dogleg.
Avoid prolonged circulation across soft
inter bedded formations

Cause:
Hard abrasive rock wears bit gauge and
results in an under gauge hole

Occurrence:

After running a new bit

Running a PDC after a tricone
Drilling abrasive formations
After coring

Rig Site Warnings:

Pulled bit or stabilizers are under gauge

Occurs only when RIH
Sudden set down weight
Circulation not restricted

Preventative Actions:

Slow the trip speed

Gauge all BHA components when RIH
and POOH Ream suspected under
gauge sections

OVERPULL!!

Cause:

Overburden weight squeezes formation

out because the mud weight is not
sufficient

Occurrence:
Salt or plastic shale formation

Rig Site Warnings:

Over pull when moving up, takes
weight when running in
Sticking occurs with BHA at mobile
formation depth

Preventative Actions:
Maintain sufficient mud weight.
With mobile salts consider using a
slightly under-saturated mud system
to allow a controlled washout
Minimize the open hole exposure time
of these formations

Cause:

Stifer BHA is run into a previously

drilled hole and can not negotiate
hole angle and directional changes

Occurrence:
Where doglegs are present
With a diferent BHA and
stabilizer design Most likely while
tripping in hole

Rig Site Warnings:

Erratic over pull / set down and torque

Preventative Actions:
Consider running same or similar BHA
configurations Slow the trip speed down
before the new BHA
enters a problematic zone
Consider reaming tight spots with
sufficient flow rate and rotation

Cause:

By the drill pipe rotating against the

wellbore wall at
the same point and wearing a groove or
keyseat

Occurrence:

At abrupt changes in angle or direction

After long drilling hours with no wiper trips
in dogleg section

Rig Site Warnings:

Cyclic over pull at tool joint intervals
on trips Sudden over-pull when BHA
reaches DL depth
Free string movement below key seat
depth possible if not already stuck in
key seat

Preventative Actions:

Minimize dogleg severity

Perform reaming and/or wiper trips if a
dogleg is present

Consider running reamers or a key seat

wiper if a key seat is likely to be a
problem

Instructions:
Answer
the
questions by circling
all the numbers in
the row with the
correct answer
Add the columns
The one with the
highest total is the
sticking mechanism

Back
Pressure

Back
Pressure

Jar!

Freeing:
Initial Action:
1. Establish that Diferential Sticking is the
mechanism
2. Initially circulate at the maximum allowable
flow rate. This may erode the filter cake. In
slim hole conditions this might not be
possible due to ECD constraints. It may not
be efective in directional wells.
3. Slack of the string weight while holding
50% of make-up torque of surface pipe
4. Use an action similar to what would be
used with a bumper sub
5. Pick up to just above the up weight and
perform step 4 again.
6. Repeat 4. & 5. Increasing to 100% makeup torque Allow sufficient time for
hydraulic jars to trip
7. If the string does not come free hold
torque in the string and continue jarring

w
i
t
h
t
h
e
m
a
x
i
m
u
m
t
r
i
p
l

oad
whil
e
prep
arin
g
the
pipe
rele
asin
g
pill

Mud
Drill pipe

Poro
us
and
Per
mea
ble
zone

Overbalance
pressure

Filter
cake

Overbalance

Filter cake
Mud

pressure

Drill pipe

Differentially

Work/

Stuck

Jar Pipe

Ye
s
Work Free ?
No

N
o

Select
alternate
method

Spotting
fluid at
rig?
Yes
Mix Spot &
Spacer

Is U Tubing
Possible?
Yes

Yes

Is over
balance

No

Prepare U
Tube

needed for
Well control/

U Tube

stability

Pump Spot &

Spacer
U Tube second
Time
Pipe
Free??

No

Pipe Free??

Ye
s

Yes
No
Cut pipe/Fish/

Sidetrack/P&
A

No

Yes
Pipe
Free??

Cond Mud
& Drill Ahead

200

100
300

200

100
300

Backreaming
Bit