WorldWide Drilling Resource

It’s Fishing Season by Ray Roerick Sales Manager, Well-Vu, Inc. I recently had a contractor approach me in desperate need of getting his camera repaired. He said he had no idea why it wasn’t working, just that he took it out last week and it had no picture or lights. Hmm, that’s bad, but I felt compelled to ask him the inevitable question: “How long has it been since you charged your battery?” After a short pause: “Ah, well, not sure.” Unfortunately, the small 12-volt sealed batteries which come with a camera are great for use in the field and lightweight, but like all batteries, they just don’t hold their charge for a year or so. That being resolved, he went on to explain to me how it saved the day for him the last time he used it. The drilling company had a nice job which required getting a special bit for reaming out a hole for a shaft into a mine. All went well until they were within feet of completing their task, when the bit came off the drill pipe. It was bad, and they didn’t want to order a new bit and start all over, so out comes the fishing tools. After everything in their inventory went down the hole to no avail, and having no success of getting hold of the bit, they got out their camera and ran it into the hole. Thinking an overshot might work, it was only a couple of phone calls and in a day they would have a nice $3000 oilfield “overshot” at the jobsite. But several trips in and out of the hole with the latest investment proved no more successful than any of the other tools they had made up. Then as his son was looking at the video of the hole and the bit location, he told his dad he was going to town to get some rope. Rope? Yep, a heavy-duty climbing rope for repelling. Getting the rope and back at the jobsite, he made a noose or “lariat”, and lowered the rope down to the top of the bit. Then, with the aid of the camera, a few flops and spins, and the noose was over the bit. As he pulled it tight, it held. With some grunts and groans, three men were able to pull the expensive bit out of the hole, saving the day, the hole, and the bit. I love hearing these stories of just another time the down hole camera saved the day. And I used to think they were only good to watch the fish that wouldn’t bite on my hook. Happy fishing until next time! Ray Ray Roerick may be contacted via e-mail to michele@worldwidedrillingresource.com )' ) % ) ' # *# $ ' : &4)1*4 *18*4 : : &4)1*4 *18*4 : : &4)1*4 *18*4 : : &4)1*4 *18*4 % ( ) ' ) '%# : &4)1*4 *18*4 : : &4)1*4 *18*4 : : &4)1*4 *18*4 : &4)1*4 *18*4 : &4)1*4 *18*4 ' $ + *#&( $ )% ! &4)1*4 *18*4: # #4 3 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : # #4 3 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4: 24 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 4 4 8* 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : # #4 3 *:>> ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : #4 3 *:>> > ! ! ;)4&7 ( 4276 703 ? ;)4&7 ( 4276 703 ? ;)4&7 ( 4276 703 ? '%*) *#& * ") * *#&( : &52 73 *: ! ! : 9* 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : #4 3 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &4)1*4 *18*4 : 73 *: ! ! &52 : 73 *: ! ! '#()'%$ $ % $ "% 6, "64**6 = 2(&,216&5 $" < 2745 &;5 & %**. = &: %&665 $" &1&)& 62 21)&; 4 )&; "** 274 %*' &+* 999 &4056421+0&(, 1* (20 0& ))4*55 &0( &4056421+0&(, 1* (20 20 APRIL 2016 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®