Downhole · Abandonment
Casing Cut & Pull
Cutting the production casing downhole and pulling the free pipe above the cut out of the well.
What it does
Recovers pipe or lets cement reach the formation when the casing behind is poorly cemented. In Alberta the cut goes at or below the base of groundwater protection, a bridge plug is set below the cut and a cement plug fills up past the surface casing shoe.
Basics
| Cut point | At or below the base of groundwater protection |
| Bridge plug | At least 15 m below the cut, tested to 7,000 kPa for 10 min |
| Cement plug | From the bridge plug to at least 15 m above the surface casing shoe |
Common failures
- Casing that will not come free because it is stuck or cemented above the cut
Troubleshooting
- Symptom
- Casing will not move after the cut
- Likely cause
- Cement or debris above the cut
- What to check
- Locate the free point and cut higher if the rules allow it