Overview


Challenges
  • Onshore production well, California
  • Plastic-coated pipe
  • Customer had used chemical cutters in the past, without favorable results
  • Fluid level below cut
  • 3.5-in pipe inside 5.5- and 7-in casings
Results
  • MPC tool ran through 3.5-in tubing to 1,417 ft and cut at a 16° angle
  • Cut plastic-coated pipe in eight minutes, reducing rig time
  • Less than five hours of total operation time
  • After rig down, the work over rig pulled the tubing out to surface
  • Provided a non-ballistic, non- chemical solution to sever downhole tubulars
  • Efficient cut reduced debris and damage to outer strings
  • Confirmed cut avoiding unnecessary trips out of hole
  • Minimized mobilization expenses




Case study details

A major operator working a production well in California had a stuck pipe. After two unsuccessful attempts
by a competitor to free the casing string using a chemical cutter, they contacted Baker Hughes.

The 31⁄2 in pipe was plastic-coated and the fluid level was below the cutting depth, making the cut a complex operation for standard cutter services. By using the 2 1⁄8-in Mechanical Pipe CutterTM (MPCTM) service to sever the pipe, Baker Hughes avoided the delay caused by explosives or hazardous chemicals.

Download the PDF to read the full case study.

/sites/bakerhughes/files/2020-05/Mechanical-pipe-cutter-cuts-plastic-coated-pipe-California-cs.pdf