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How to pull a casing out of a well on your own – methods and necessary tools

This post outlines the step-by-step methods and necessary tools for successfully pulling a casing out of a well on your own. It discusses the use of specialized tools and equipment such as hydraulic ramps, leads, pipe grips, and clamps and guides readers through the correct and safe way of securely removing and replacing the casing. Additionally, readers are provided with tips such as how to keep the pipe joint in proper condition and how to properly clean it. The post is a comprehensive guide for professionals and beginners alike, offering an efficient, cost-effective, and safe approach to casing removal.

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Drilling a well to obtain a stable source of water is a complex and time-consuming task. Particularly big problems arise when there is a need to dismantle the device. The greatest difficulty in this case is the casing, the removal of which may be required due to its damage. You can solve the problem by contacting professionals for help, or by yourself, familiarizing yourself with the available methods. It is better to consult with a specialist, as sometimes it’s easier and cheaper to break a new well than to restore an old one.

What is a casing pipe?

A water well is like a regular well. Its characteristic differences are small diameter and large depth, which can reach tens of meters. An upsetting pipe is a cylindrical design that is installed in a drilled well. It is needed in order to protect the walls of the well from possible collapse of the soil. A production pipe is inserted inside it, which allows the water to remain fresh and clean..

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Casing strings depending on the material of manufacture are metal, plastic and asbestos-cement. The choice of a specific type of product depends on the depth of the well, the characteristics of the land (i.e. soil) and other indicators. The casing type product must have good resistance to soil pressure, durability and meet sanitary standards if the column is used for installation in a drinking water source. Detailed Description of Species:

  • Steel casing labor. The most durable, durable, but also expensive. It can perform its functions even at high pressure from the soil. It has poor resistance to the negative effects of corrosion. Over time, the water produced from the well may become rusty. This will entail additional costs for the arrangement of filters. Depending on the production method, it can be seamless and welded. The first option is characterized by excellent strength and high price. The second product is slightly cheaper, but less durable. In some cases, steel casing is made with a protective coating or of improved materials, so that they are protected from rust. There are three main types of such products: galvanized, stainless and enameled.
  • Asbestos-cement casing. More fragile compared to steel, but quite high quality and is relatively inexpensive. Experts do not recommend using it for drinking purposes, as it is capable of releasing harmful impurities into the water, for example, carcinogens. Modern industry offers a choice of types of such pipes made of modified material. When buying, it is recommended to study the sanitary certificate of asbestos-cement casing products to be sure that they are suitable for drilling water wells.
  • Plastic casing. A relatively new product that is stronger than asbestos-cement and cheaper than a steel counterpart. It has a low weight. In recent years, plastic casing has gained great popularity. For their manufacture, polymers such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride are used. Plastic products are environmentally friendly, resistant to corrosion, low cost, ease of installation, excellent tightness and durability (service life reaches 50 years). True, plastic products have low resistance to mechanical stress and a limited depth of use – not more than 50-60 m.

Plastic casing

Well casing retrieval

Since the process of dismantling the casing is troublesome, time-consuming and time consuming, to get started, familiarize yourself with alternative ways to solve the problem. For example, in a damaged product, you can plug a smaller production pipe. So you reliably close the crack and the well will be restored. Consultation with experienced specialists is useful, as sometimes well cleaning is enough. You may even have to arrange a new water source, as it will take less money than to remove and replace the casing.

To answer the question of how to pull the casing out of the well, you will need to know a few parameters. These include:

  • casing material;
  • construction weight;
  • the depth at which its base is;
  • in what conditions it was operated;
  • how many months or years have passed since its inception, i.e. time of its operation.

In addition, you must have a good reason to pull the casing out of the well. This process consists of preparatory work and choosing the best method. It is especially important to properly prepare for the dismantling of the borehole, removing all surface equipment for water intake. Determine the weight of the casing, as this value will become the base when selecting a suitable winch (if used) by traction. If the figure is solid, then the only option is to use a crane. Calculate the weight of the product as follows:

  1. Measure wall thickness, pipe diameter, well depth.
  2. Open the directory and, paying attention to the thickness and diameter of the product walls, find the weight of one running meter.
  3. Multiply the figure found by the depth of the well, and you get the desired mass of the product.

Causes

Over time, any casing, regardless of its strength and reliability, becomes unusable. To restore the full functioning of the well, the replacement of this string will be required. The reasons for dismantling the structure are:

  • depressurization of the barrel due to corrosion of the pipe or poor-quality connection of the column links;
  • casing damage;
  • clogging or reduction of well clearance;
  • the collapse of the walls of the mine;
  • extreme wear of the production and casing string;
  • a tool or equipment jammed hopelessly in the barrel, because of which there is no way to remove the old pump to install a new one;
  • the need to change the design of the tubular well, for example, you need to deepen it, transform it, etc..

Extraction methods

To solve the problem associated with how to pull the casing from the well, you can use a fishing tool – it can be threaded tubes or mortise bells for external capture. You can get the old casing from the well in whole or in part. At the same time, note that there is a likelihood of a fracture, seasonal disturbance of water circulation inside the well or displacement of its vertical – all this can complicate the casing.

Fishing tubes (bells) are not through and through. The specificity of the latter involves passing through the base of the tool the extracted damaged fragment. Then, using external equipment (threaded couplings), a notch is made to extract the riser. External pipes can also be pulled out using taps. Tubing can be:

  • collet;
  • sleeve and die;
  • combined.

Dismantling process

The method of untwisting has gained some distribution. It is based on a combination of tensile stress and torque loads. The casing product is first untwisted, and then removed to the outside. This method is mainly for specialized organizations. Technology:

  1. A steel drill pipe and a left-handed fishing crown are lowered into the shaft. The rotor turns the pipes and after about 20 revolutions the casing is paced – at the same time, the load increases to the maximum. If the catch pipe does not break, then the process of pacing and unwinding is repeated again. The result of these efforts is incomplete unscrewing of the joints.
  2. If even after a series of cycles the thread has not loosened, then a special tool is launched. Through its rotation, the pipes are forced to oscillate due to the transmission of torque to the riser and friction. After rotating the equipment for an hour, the joints should loosen. After that, the upper rim of the pipe is captured and its fragment is unscrewed. A pull force is applied to extract this part. The steps are repeated until the entire product is disassembled and removed..
  3. If the described actions have not led to anything, then cumulative torpedoes come into play. The result of their explosion will be the appearance of annular incisions on the body of the casing strings. After that, it remains to cut off individual fragments with a suitable cutting tool, for example, a perforator.

If the casing cannot be removed due to the formation of a sand cork, then you will need to use the washing and stretching method. For this purpose, a pump with a flushing device is required. Description of the method:

  1. The pump head is connected to the top of the pipe. Pressure should be minimal but sufficient so that water can circulate..
  2. The pipe is washed, and after the sand goes, the pressure needs to be increased. Then the casing body is paced by scrolling – it uses a rotor.
  3. The column, along with scrolling and washing, begin to loosen. The friction coefficient in this case decreases, so the pipe will easier exit the well.
  4. To rise at the highest point of the extracted product, a block is mounted through which the cable is thrown. Due to the rotation of the winch drum, the torque is converted into traction. Small mass can be pulled out with a lever.

Alternatively, you can turn to professional drillers who use special equipment and technology: channels, taps, overshots, jacks of increased carrying capacity, supports, etc. If the problem is relatively simple, then you can try to solve it yourself. Pay attention to the tensioning method, which is suitable for dismantling large products and with thick walls. In this case, a jack or tackle system will be required. Process algorithm:

  1. Around the mouth of the casing you need to dig a trench 1 m deep.
  2. Next, put the clamp on the casing, and attach the cables to it. Then the structure is slightly pulled.
  3. The clamp with the attached cable is moved lower, after which the same steps are repeated. This ensures a smooth stretching of the product.
  4. The upper edge of the casing is pulled until a break occurs. Next, the fragment is removed from the well, and the rest is captured using a special fishing tool. The process continues until the problem is completely resolved..

Necessary tools

The list of tools and equipment for extracting a casing string from a well can vary greatly depending on the method. In general, you can not do without hoses, winch and heavy-duty jack. In addition, you need a flooring for the support, which consists of beams, metal bars or rails. A simple way to extract a damaged fragment involves the use of:

  • welding machine;
  • swivel plugs;
  • metal clamps;
  • jack.

People clamp the pipe

How to pull a pipe out of the well with your own hands

If you have a question about how you can pull the casing from the well yourself, then try to make a special device. Instruction:

  1. To make the device, take the channel number 10 and make a couple of racks from it in the form of the letter “T”, but only upside down. The width of the structure should be 0.6 m and the height 1 m.
  2. By welding, weld a bearing with an inner diameter of 40 mm to each post on top.
  3. You also need to make the axis – the handles and the drum will be mounted on it. Its edges are inserted into the bearings. The device on this is considered almost ready.
  4. To raise the column, it should be fixed with a steel cable wound on a drum.
  5. To insure long products, use a special stocking that will hold the casing when intercepting a cable.
  6. If you need to pull out a plastic column without damaging it, you will additionally need a crimp clamp.
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Comments: 2
  1. Larkin

    Can anyone provide guidance on the step-by-step process and tools needed to safely and effectively pull a casing out of a well by oneself? I am interested to know various methods and recommended equipment for this task. Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

    Reply
  2. Avery Carter

    I’m interested in learning about the process of pulling a casing out of a well independently. Are there any recommended methods and specific tools that are necessary for this task?

    Reply
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