218 Well Tractor® sets world record

Challenge
Conveyance
JRU131180 - 218 Well Tractor sets world record
  • Total depth 23,048 ft (7,025m)
  • Max. temperature 149°F (65°C)
  • Min. ID 5.5” (65mm)
  • Max. well pressure 271 bar
  • Max. deviation 89°

Background

While drilling a well in West Siberia, the client had gotten stuck with the drill pipe and wanted to run a colliding tool with 12 lbs of TNT. They made a decision to detonate the colliding tool at a depth of 22,802 ft (6,950 m).

Operation

Due to the highly deviated well (89°) the operator decided that Welltec’s Well Tractor provided technical advantages by being able to operate through the deviation and provide accurate depth control. The Well Tractor 2 1/8” was therefore mobilized and activated at 7,316 ft (2,230 m) in the 7” (178 mm) OD drill pipe. On the first run, the Well Tractor successfully tractored a distance of 16,207 ft (4,940 m) while detonating the colliding tool at a depth of 22,756 ft (6,936 m).

After this, the client could not pull the pipe free and decided to run with a free point tool. Following this run with the free point tool, the client ran in hole again with the same toolstring as on the first run where the colliding tool was detonated at a depth of 19,685 ft (6,000 m).

On the second run, the Well Tractor covered an impressive 22,418 ft (6,833 m) in one trip into the well. The third and last run was also successful where 12,431 ft (3,789 m) were tractored, enabling the operator to detonate at a depth of 19,652 ft (5,990 m).

Achievements

Only three runs were required with the smaller version of the Well Tractor. After Welltec’s effective intervention, all drill pipes were successfully pulled to surface.

This operation set a world record for longest distance tractored in one well with the Well Tractor 218. In total 51,056 ft (15,562 m) were tractored.