Stuck Pipe

1. Causes
Mechanical Sticking (cause of stuck
pipe)
Mechanical sticking occurs as a result of one or more of the following 8
conditions:
1. inadequate hole cleaning
2. formation instability
3. key seating (not often a problem but has happened occasionally)
4. running into undergauge hole
5. accumulation of cuttings
6. drilling plastic formations
7. large boulders falling into the hole
8. running tools with too large a gauge for the hole diameter.

1. Inadequate Hole Cleaning

Cuttings which are not adequately removed will settle on the lower side of the hole
and may cause the hole to pack off, resulting in stuck pipe.
Due to the tendency of the cuttings to fall to the lower side of the hole, high angle
holes are more difficult to clean than vertical wells. In addition, for effective hole
cleaning, the circulation rate must be higher than the slip velocity of the cuttings.
This is more difficult to achieve in deviated hole than vertical hole.
The major indications of inadequate hole cleaning are:
mass balance incorrect while drilling
increase in pump pressure and connection drag
sudden smooth increase in drag whilst POOH.

2. Formation Instability
Weak and Unconsolidated Formations
Some formations are particularly weak and unconsolidated and are prone to
swelling (e.g., shale) and/or sloughing (e.g., coal or shale). During drilling
operations, swelling and sloughing can grip the pipe and cause sticking.
In general, shale is the formation that causes the most problems regarding stuck
pipe.

Shales - Variable Hole Stability

Shales are weaker along the formation bedding plane than across it. For this reason,
hole stability may vary greatly in holes through the same formation but at different
inclinations and directions.

Brittle/Sloughing Shale
These shales slough into the hole after breaking into pieces. Sloughing shale
indications are:
large amounts of shale at the shaker screens after circulating bottoms up
excess drag during trips
high levels of fill.

Swelling Shales
Some shales chemically react with water; a process called hydration which results in
formation swelling. All swelling shales are potential causes of stuck pipe whether
they are highly reactive gumbos, or shales which hydrate very quickly.
Even though the hole may be cleaned by sufficient flow rates during drilling, it may
need to be re-drilled after each stand as the swelling continues.
The indications of swelling are:
torque increases during drilling
difficulty in sliding the BHA when orienting
drag in connections
excessive drag when POOH
requirement for repeated reaming of sections
increase in MBT of water based muds.

3. Key Seating
Key seating is most likely to occur when changes in hole direction are too severe. It
is caused when the drillpipe, which is of smaller diameter than the drill collars, rubs
against the side of the hole and wears a slot, (see Figure).
It is still possible to drill ahead when key
seating has occurred. However, when
pulling out of hole, the larger diameter drill
collars will hang up on the key seat and
the pipe will become stuck...
The greater the dogleg severity, the greater
the side load and the faster the key seat can
be developed. Key seats can also be
developed at ledges and casing shoes
where the groove is worn into the metal

instead of the formation. The development of key seats is directly affected by the
number of rotating hours.

4. Undergauge Hole and Assembly Changes

The gauge of bits and stabilizers will be reduced by abrasive hole sections.
Therefore, maximizing a bit run in abrasive formations could prove to be a false
economy due to the inevitable result of increased reaming operations which may
cause the bit to wear out very quickly and create an undergauge hole.
If a full gauge BHA is tripped into an undergauge hole, a stuck pipe situation can
occur. Greater care in keeping the hole full gauge will prevent this problem.
Undergauge hole is indicated when the bit becomes stuck but when full circulation
is still possible. Preventative measures taken to keep the hole full gauge will reduce
this problem.
A dog leg which presents an obstruction to a stiff BHA may present no difficulty to a
flexible assembly which can snake around doglegs. Formations which have been
drilled with a flexible BHA may present no problem when pulling out of the hole, but
when a new stiffer BHA or string of casing is introduced, the newly drilled hole will
act as if it is undergauge. This will result in the risk of stuck pipe. Check trip
assemblies prior to running casing should be selected carefully with this point in
mind.
Undergauge hole is indicated by:
an increase in down drag on RIH
increasing or erratic torque
bit stalling
a reduction in ROP.

5. Accumulation of Cuttings
Cuttings usually accumulate during conditions of low annular velocity.
Cuttings accumulation is indicated by:
reduced cuttings on the shale shaker
increased overpull
loss of circulation

6. Drilling Plastic Formations

Stuck pipe can result from the plastic nature of some formations, including, but not
limited to salts. Stresses can be relieved in the formation allowing the formation to
extrude into the borehole. Although this extrusion may be measured in mere
fractions of an inch, it can be sufficient to cause a bit or stabilizer to become stuck
in the hole.

Flowing formations and abnormal pressures may be encountered almost anywhere

where there are unequally relieved stresses, but will be experienced most often at
the top of a formation or on the flanks of a salt dome or clay diapir. Increasing the
mud weight may reduce flowing of plastic formations.
Plastic formations are indicated by:
increasing and erratic torque.
a higher overpull with increased hours between trips.

7. Large Boulders Falling into the Hole

This condition usually only occurs while drilling top hole in unconsolidated
formations. Boulders can be dislodged and fall into the hole or against the drill
string.
Indications of boulders are:
erratic torque
erratic drag on connections
tendency to stick when pulling out of hole.

8. Running Large Gauge Tools

This situation is similar to the condition Undergauge Hole and Assembly
Changes. Running large gauge tools will most likely result in stuck pipe and is
normally associated with a mistake in the selection of a downhole component. The
Drilling Supervisor is responsible for all downhole equipment run into the hole and
as such all downhole equipment must be callipered prior to running in the hole.
Indications of large gauge tools are:
string standing up when running into open hole
string stuck immediately after running into open hole.

Differential Sticking (Cause of Stuck

Pipe)
In normal overbalanced drilling conditions, a pressure differential exists between the
mud column and the formation pressure. In situations where the formation pressure
is significantly lower than that exerted by the mud column, the drillstring may be
forced against the wellbore wall and, if the pressure difference is large enough and
acts over a significantly large area of the pipe, the pipe may become differentially
stuck.
The force required (F) exerted against the pipe may be calculated through:
F= Dp x A x Cof.
Dp = differential pressure between the pressure exerted by the mud column and
the formation fluid pressure

A = the area of pipe surface in contact with the filter cake

Cof = the coefficient of friction between the pipe and the filter cake.
This force acts in addition to the normal gravitational force acting against the pipe
in a deviated hole.

Indications of Differential Rather than Mechanical

Sticking

The pipe was stationary before sticking

Full circulation is possible
Permeable formations are known to be open
There is a significantly overbalanced condition.