Section 1

Introduction to Hydraulic
Workover

Table of Contents
Introduction................................................................................................................................................1-3
About this Course ......................................................................................................................................1-4
How This Course is Organized ..............................................................................................................1-4
Study Suggestions ..................................................................................................................................1-4
Unit A: Halliburton and the Drilling of an Oil Well..................................................................................1-5
Drilling Operations.................................................................................................................................1-6
Running Drill Pipe .................................................................................................................................1-6
Running Surface Casing.........................................................................................................................1-7
Cementing ..............................................................................................................................................1-8
Tripping In..............................................................................................................................................1-9
Running and Cementing Intermediate Casing........................................................................................1-9
Drilling To Final Depth........................................................................................................................1-10
Completing the Well ............................................................................................................................1-10
Setting Production Casing ....................................................................................................................1-10
Perforating............................................................................................................................................1-11
Installing the Completion System ........................................................................................................1-11
Sand Control.........................................................................................................................................1-12
Installing the Christmas Tree ...............................................................................................................1-12
Acidizing ..............................................................................................................................................1-13
Fracturing .............................................................................................................................................1-13
Unit B: How Hydraulic Workover (HWO) Fits into the Life of the Well ...............................................1-14
Unit C: Historical Background of HWO..................................................................................................1-15
Unit D: Halliburton Energy Services Vision & Mission .........................................................................1-17
HES 2003 Vision Statement.................................................................................................................1-17
HES Mission Statement .......................................................................................................................1-18
Unit E: Well Control/HWO Job Descriptions..........................................................................................1-19
Operator Assistant ................................................................................................................................1-19
Service Operator...................................................................................................................................1-19
Service Supervisor................................................................................................................................1-19
Service Leader......................................................................................................................................1-20
Service Coordinator..............................................................................................................................1-20
Field Service Quality Coordinator .......................................................................................................1-20

1•1 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Use for Section notes…

1•2 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Introduction
Welcome to Halliburton’s Hydraulic Workover dedicated annular and ram stripping BOP’s that
(HWO) Product Service Line (PSL). mount between the jack’s hydraulic cylinders to
Halliburton’s HWO units are self-contained, reduce unit height
portable, running and pulling systems that All the components are compact and unitized to
provide an economical means of performing minimize rig-up time. The unit can be broken
routine well maintenance for land, inland waters, into helicopter lift packages for transporting into
and offshore installations. remote locations. The ability to move pipe under
HWO is critical in offshore and land pressure eliminates many of the costly problems
environments, and no company is as qualified in of loss of production, time while circulating to
live well services as Halliburton Energy kill a well, cost of kill fluid, damage to the
Services. Halliburton has offered pressure formation with kill fluids and the cost of putting
control to the oil and gas industry for more than the well back on production of a work over.
seventy-five years, and was the first company to Basically, HWO can do anything a rig can do,
successfully "SNUB" a work string into a well but we can do it under pressure. The following
under pressure. This early entry into the market, jobs types are only a few that can be performed
along with a steady research and development with a hydraulic work over unit under pressure:
effort, has enabled Halliburton to provide the
safest and most up to date HWO equipment to 1. Drilling
the industry today. 2. Workover
Our HWO units are designed to be rigged up 3. Running and pulling production strings
quickly and can be mounted on most any
Christmas tree, allowing the push/pull forces to 4. Gaining control of blowouts
be transmitted through the structure to the 5. Running kill strings
wellhead. On non-load bearing satellite
platforms, the wellhead must be capable of 6. Milling in tubing or casing.
supporting the weight of the unit and the forces 7. Running or pulling Tubing Conveyed
generated during the snubbing operation. The Perforating (TCP) Guns
units are designed to handle pipe without the use
8. Stimulation and acidizing
of a conventional work over rig.
9. Fishing C/T or jointed pipe
Halliburton Hydraulic Rig Assist (HRA) Unit’s
primary design function is to support under- 10. Sand consolidation
balanced drilling and completion type work. Rig
11. Squeeze cementing and cutting a cement
assist jacks are designed to work in conjunction
plug.
with a work over rig. These units provide
pressure and load control of tubular goods run in 12. Plug and Abandonment operations.
and extracted from the well during pipe light
13. Through tubing gravel pack
conditions. The jack design permits a low
stackup height and fast one lift-one connection
rig ups. These units are typically equipped with

1•3 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

About this Course

This course is your introduction to the HWO At the end of every section are the answers to all
process: what it is, why is it done, and how we unit quizzes and the self-check tests. After you
do it. From this course, you will learn many new complete a quiz or a test, refer to the appropriate
terms, types of equipment, types of materials, answer key. Let your supervisor know when you
and processes. By completing this course, you complete a section. Then you will take a written
will be able to more effectively communicate test that is graded. This section test is based
with others in the PSL and at the job site, be solely upon the information in your workbook.
better able to participate in HWO jobs, and be However, you cannot use your workbook as a
prepared to take on more responsibility. You reference while taking the test.
start to become the invaluable person who can
Successful completion of all the section tests and
deliver the Customer Service that has been a
a comprehensive final examination makes you
Halliburton tradition for more than 80 years.
eligible to attend the next level course.
Take time to carefully read this introduction. It
For more information on a subject covered in
will acquaint you with this course and suggest
your workbook, let your resource personnel
ways to get the most out of it.
know of your interest — they can direct you to
This workbook allows you to learn at your own more information.
speed, without an instructor, and at any time or
place that may be convenient for you. Your
immediate supervisor is normally responsible for Study Suggestions
your enrollment and can assist you in
completing the course. This course was planned to make learning as
easy as possible. However, to retain the
knowledge, you must put forth effort.
How This Course is Organized Remember, the responsibility for learning this
course is yours.
Familiarize yourself with the way this workbook
Keep your workbook available at all times; you
is organized. You will find a table of contents at
never know when you might have the
the beginning of each section, followed by an
opportunity to work on a unit. Try and set aside
introduction, a list of topic areas, and the
enough time to complete an entire unit during a
learning objectives for that section.
study period.
Each section in this workbook contains several
Some study suggestions include
units. Each unit contains all the information you
need to learn. Other manuals or catalogs are not • Review both the section and unit
necessary, with the possible exception of a introductions. They will very briefly
dictionary and the Halliburton Cementing Tables describe what is in the unit.
(Redbook). Each unit is made up of text, figures
• Skim through the unit. Look at the figures
to help explain the text (pictures, drawings
and headings to see what's familiar to you
charts, etc.), and a unit quiz. When you complete
and what isn't. They will tell you what to
all the units in a section, you complete a self-
expect.
check test. Both the quizzes and tests will help
you check your personal progress. The time you • Read the content carefully. Go back to the
spend on each unit is not important; it is beginning of the unit and read the content,
important that you learn and retain the content. paragraph by paragraph. Study the figures. If

1•4 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

you are unfamiliar with the meaning of a If you are having trouble choosing or calculating
word, look it up in a dictionary. an answer, go to the next question. At the end of
the test, go back to the questions you didn't
• Check your understanding. Try to put into
answer and try again. Remember, you are not
your own words the paragraph you have just
competing with anyone but yourself. Take your
read. Go back and underline or make notes
time and do your best.
of important points. This will help you to
review the content of the unit later. When you finish a self-check test, turn to the
answer key at the end of the section to check
• Review the unit. At the end of each unit, take your answers. References are provided as to
a few minutes to look over your notes. where the answers can be found. Make sure that
• Take the unit quiz. Try not to refer to the you understand the correct answers before
text when you are filling in the blanks in the proceeding to another section. Check with your
unit quiz. Write your answers in your resource personnel if you feel the response you
workbook. gave is correct. Don't forget to let your program
coordinator know that you have completed the
• Check your answers against the answer key. section.
Reread the parts of the text that relate to the
items you are unsure about or you have Upon completion of a section, ask your
answered incorrectly. Don't forget, if you supervisor any questions you might have before
are having trouble, or if you feel your taking the in-class section test. Successful
response is equally correct, consult your completion of the test enables you to move on to
resource personnel. the next section. Remember that successful
completion of all in-class section tests and the
When you work through all the units in a comprehensive course final examination enables
section, you will be ready to take the self-check you to be enrolled in the appropriate next level
test for that section. Go back through all the school.
units to review what you have learned. Your
completed unit quizzes should also be helpful
here.

Unit A: Halliburton and the Drilling of an Oil Well

At the beginning, an oil company (called an hire a contractor to manage it, such as
operating company or the operator, such as Halliburton’s Integrated Solutions PSL. Before
Shell, Texaco, or BP-Amoco) must locate areas drilling can begin, the operating company must
where there is a good potential for oil to be determine the following:
found (an oil reserve). To do this, they examine • How deep is the reservoir (the depth of an
the geology and conduct other tests (such as oil or gas well can range from a few hundred
seismic) using Reservoir Engineers, Geologists, to more than 20,000 feet)?
Geophysicists, and Petrophysicists from their
own staff or using a contractor such as • What kind of pressures will be encountered?
Halliburton’s Reservoir Description PSL. If the • What is the cost?
potential exists, the operator must then acquire
the right to drill by buying or leasing the land. • How will the reservoir be controlled?
The operator will then hire a drilling contractor • Will this well be profitable?
to actually drill the well (such as Parker Drilling
The operator must also hire a service and supply
or Santa Fe International). The operator may
company (such as Halliburton) to provide
manage the whole drilling project or they may
drilling mud and bits, casing and casing

1•5 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

attachments, cementing, and measuring and in the rotary table. The rotary table is the part of
testing services. the derrick floor that spins the drill pipe. The
system is like a wrench turning a bolt.) The
drillstring then starts to rotate and weight is
Drilling Operations applied to drill the hole.

Simply stated, the drilling rig crew’s normal

drilling operations are
• keeping a sharp bit on bottom, drilling as
efficiently as possible
• adding a new joint of pipe as the hole
deepens
• tripping the drill string out of the hole to put
on a new bit and running it back to bottom,
or making a round trip
• helping to run and cement casing which is
large-diameter steel pipe that is put into the
hole at various, predetermined intervals.
Often, special casing crews are hired to run the
casing, and usually a cementing company is
called on to place cement around the casing to
bond it in place in the hole. Still, the rig crew Figure 1.1- Drill bit.
usually assists in casing and the cementing
operation.
For drilling to be effective, a special fluid (called
drilling mud) must be used to wash away the
cuttings and lubricate and cool the drill bit. The
industry’s top provider of drilling fluids is
Halliburton’s BAROID PSL. Also, Halliburton’s
Security DBS PSL is one of the top providers of
drilling bits. And if the well is to be drilled at an
angle other than straight down (called a deviated
well), a subcontractor with the specialized
equipment and knowledge may be brought in,
such as Halliburton’s Sperry-Sun Drilling
Services.
Figure 1.2- Kelly bushing, and rotary table.

Running Drill Pipe

When near the end of the pipe, rotation is
The drill bit is made up (connected) on the end stopped and another section of pipe is attached.
of the first drill collar (heavy wall pipe). Enough This continues until the desired depth is reached
collars and drill pipe are made up and lowered in or the drill bit must be replaced. Then the drill
(called tripping in) until the bit is almost to pipe is picked up a disassembled (called tripping
bottom. Then, the kelly is attached. (a kelly is a out), the new bit is attached, and the string is
four- or six-sided piece of pipe that fits into the tripped back into the hole.
kelly bushing, which fits into the master bushing

1•6 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Running Surface Casing mud in the hole from entering the casing. Just as
a ship floats in water, casing floats in a hole full
of mud (if mud is kept out of the casing). This
At predetermine times, the drilling pipe is
buoyant effect helps relieve some of the weight
removed and the casing crew moves in to do its
carried on the mast or derrick as the long string
work. The first string of casing they run is called
of heavy casing hangs suspended in the hole.
surface casing, which is large in diameter and,
like all casing, is nothing more than steel pipe
and comes in 30- or 40-ft lengths. Running
casing into the hole is very similar to running
drill pipe, except that the casing diameter is
much larger and thus requires special elevators,
tongs, and slips to fit it. For example, in a 17 ½-
in. hole, 13 3/8-in. casing might be used.

Figure 1.3 - Casing

Also, devices called centralizers and scratchers

are often installed on the outside of the casing
before it is lowered into the hole. Centralizers
are attached to the casing and, since they have a
bowed-spring arrangement, keep the casing
centered in the hole after it's lowered in.
Centralized casing can make for a better cement
job later. Scratchers also help make better
cement jobs by removing the wall cake formed
by the drilling mud as the casing is moved up
and down or rotated (depending on scratcher Figure 1.4 – Scratcher and centralizer
design).
Other casing accessories include a guide shoe, a
heavy steel and concrete piece attached to the
bottom most joint of casing that helps guide the
casing past small ledges or debris in the hole;
and a float collar, a device with a valve installed
in the casing string two or three joints from
bottom. A float collar is designed to serve as a
receptacle for cement plugs and to keep drilling

1•7 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

hole. Pumping continues and the cement slurry

fills the annular space.
Cementing
A top plug, which is similar to the bottom plug
After the casing string is run, the next task is for except that it is solid, is released as the last of
Halliburton to cement the casing in place. As the cement slurry enters the casing. The top plug
when casing is run, the rig crew is available to follows the remaining slurry down the casing as
assist. displacement fluid (usually water or drilling
mud) is pumped in behind the top plug.
Halliburton stocks various types of cement and Meanwhile, most of the cement slurry flows out
has special transport equipment to handle this of the casing and into the annular space. By the
material in bulk. Bulk cement storage and time the top plug seats on or “bumps” the
handling equipment is moved out to the rig, bottom plug in the float collar, which signals the
making it possible to mix large quantities of cementing pump operator to shut down the
cement at the site. The cementing crew mixes pumps, the cement is only in the casing below
the dry cement with water, using a recirculating the float collar and in the annular space. Most of
mixer. The dry cement is gradually added to the the casing is full of displacement fluid.
tub, and a jet of water thoroughly mixes with the
cement to make a slurry (very thin, watery
cement).

Figure 1.5 - Cement Recirculating Mixer

(RCM)

Special pumps pick up the cement slurry and

send it up to a valve called a cementing head
(also called a plug container) mounted on the top
most joint of casing that is hanging in the mast
or derrick a little above the rig floor. Just before Figure 1.6 - Plug container
the cement slurry arrives, a rubber plug (called
the bottom plug) is released from the cementing
head and precedes the slurry down the inside of
After the cement is run, a waiting time is allotted
the casing. The bottom plug stops or “seats” in
to allow the slurry to harden. This period of time
the float collar, but continued pressure from the
is referred to as waiting on cement (WOC).
cement pumps opens a passageway through the
After the cement hardens, tests may be run to
bottom plug (by rupturing a diaphragm). Thus,
ensure a good cement job.
the cement slurry passes through the bottom
plug and continues on down the casing. The After the WOC and tests indicate that the job is
slurry then flows out through the opening in the good, the rig crew attaches or nipples up the
guide shoe and starts up the annular space blowout preventer (BOP) stack to the top of the
between the outside of the casing and wall of the casing. The BOP stack is pressure-tested, and

1•8 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

drilling is resumed with a smaller bit that fits Tripping In

inside the surface casing.
To resume drilling, a smaller bit is selected,
because it must pass down inside the surface
casing. To drill the surface hole, the example rig
crew used a 17-1/2 inch bit, whereas a 12-1/4
inch bit will now be used. In this case, the inside
diameter of the surface casing is 13-3/8 inches,
so in order to get adequate clearance, a 12-1/4
inch bit is used. As before, the bit is made up on
the drill collars followed by drill pipe.

Running and Cementing

Intermediate Casing

At this point, particularly in deep wells, another

smaller-inch-diameter string of casing may be
set and cemented in the hole, such as using a 12
Figure 1.7 - Top and bottom plugs for
¼-in. bit and 8 5/8-in. casing. This casing string
cementing
is the intermediate string. It runs all the way
from the surface, down through the surface
string, and to the bottom of the intermediate
hole. Sometimes intermediate string is needed in
deeper holes because almost invariably so-called
troublesome formations are encountered in the
hole.
Troublesome formations are those that may
contain formation fluids under high pressure
and, if not sealed off by casing and cement,
could blow out, making it difficult if not
impossible to eventually produce oil or gas from
the well. Or perhaps there is sloughing shale, a
formation composed of rock called shale that
swells up when contacted by the drilling mud
and falls or sloughs off into the hole. Many
types of troublesome formations can be
overcome while they are being drilled but are
better cased off and cemented when the final
portion of the hole is drilled.

Figure 1.8 - Blowout preventer (BOP)

1•9 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

price of setting a production string of casing

--$50,000 or more. Therefore, the operator’s
Drilling To Final Depth decision is not always easy.

Whether intermediate casing is set or not, the

final part of the hole is what the operating
company hopes will be the production hole. To
drill it, the crew makes up a still smaller bit,
such as 7 7/8-in. for our example. This bit is
tripped in, drills out the intermediate casing
shoe, and heads toward what everyone hopes is
pay dirt, which is a formation capable of
producing enough oil and gas to make it
economically feasible for the operating company
to complete the well.
Once again several bits will be dulled and
several round trips will be made, but before long
the formation of interest (the pay zone, the oil Figure 1.9 - Cement used to plug a well
sand, or the formation that is supposed to
contain hydrocarbons) is penetrated by the hole.
It is now time for a big decision. The question is,
“Does this well contain enough oil or gas to
make it worthwhile to run the final production
Setting Production Casing
string of casing and complete the well?”
If the operating company decides to set casing,
casing will be brought to the well and for one
Completing the Well final time, the casing and cement crew run and
cement a string of casing. Typically, the
After the operating company carefully considers production casing is set and cemented through
all the data obtained from the various tests it has the pay zone; that is, hole is drilled to a depth
ordered to be run on the formation or formations beyond the producing formation, and the casing
of interest (such as the tests performed by (5 ½-in. for our example) is set to a point near
Halliburton’s Logging & Perforating PSL or the bottom of the hole. As a result, the casing
Sperry-Sun Drilling Services), a decision is and cement actually seal off the producing
made on whether to set production casing and zone--but only temporarily. After the production
complete the well or to plug and abandon it. If string is cemented, the drilling contractor has
the decision is to abandon it, the hole is almost finished his job except for a few final
considered to be dry, that is, not capable of touches.
producing oil or gas in commercial quantities. In
other words, some oil or gas may be present but
not in amounts great enough to justify the
expense of completing the well.
Therefore, several cement plugs will be set in
the well to seal it off more or less permanently.
However, sometimes wells that were plugged
and abandoned as dry at one time in the past
may be reopened and produced if the price of oil
or gas has become more favorable. The cost of
plugging and abandoning a well may only be a
few thousand dollars. Contrast that cost with the

1 • 10 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Shaped charges accomplish penetration by

creating a jet of high-pressure, high-velocity gas
Conductor
Casing (the leading supplier is Halliburton’s Jet
Research Center). The charges are arranged in a
Cement
Surface tool called a gun that is lowered into the well
Casing
opposite the producing zone. The gun can be
lowered on wireline or tubing. When the gun is
Intermediate
Casing
in position, the charges are fired by electronic
means from the surface. After the perforations
are made, the tool is retrieved. Perforating is
Cement
Production
Casing
usually performed by a service company that
specializes in this technique, such as
Halliburton’s Logging & Perforating PSL or
Reservoir Tools, Testing, and Tubing-Conveyed
Cement
Casing Shoe Perforating (TT&TCP) PSL.

Figure 1.10 - Schematic of casing and

cement in well
Installing the Completion
System

Even though the oil or gas can flow into the

casing after it is perforated, usually, the well is
Perforating not produced through the casing. Instead,
smaller-diameter pipe called production tubing
Because the pay zone is sealed off by the is placed in the well to serve as a way for the oil
production string and cement, perforations must or gas to flow to the surface. The tubing is run
be made in order for the oil or gas to flow into into the well with a packer. The packer goes on
the wellbore. Perforations are simply holes that the outside of the tubing and is placed at a depth
are made through the casing and cement and just above the producing zone. When the packer
extend some distance into the formation. The is expanded, it grips the wall of the production
most common method of perforating casing and forms a seal in the annular space
incorporates shaped-charge explosives (similar between the outside of the tubing and the inside
to those used in armor-piercing shells). of the casing. Thus, as the produced fluids flow
out of the formation through the perforations,
they are forced to enter the tubing to get to the
surface.
Additional devices are placed in the well or in
the production tubing string to control and
monitor the fluid flow, such as subsurface safety
valves and flow control equipment, surface
safety systems, packers and specialty completion
equipment, production automation, and well
screens. All these products can be supplied by
Figure 1.11- Perforating gun: (A) gun in Halliburton’s Completion Products and Services
hole, (B) gun firing, and (C) oil flowing PSL.
through perforations

1 • 11 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Sand Control

At times, when the producing zone may produce

sand as well as the oil or gas, a screen may be
attached to the end of the production tubing to
help keep out the sand. Often, when a screen is
used, gravel is also placed in the hole around the
tube, which is known as a gravel pack.
Sand can present a major obstacle to well
production. The petroleum industry spends
millions of dollars each year to prevent and
repair sand control problems including
• reduced production rates
• sand bridging in tubing and casing
• erosion of downhole and surface equipment
• disposal and removal of sand
• casing damage from compressive loading
caused by subsidence
Halliburton’s Production Enhancement PSL Figure 1.12 - Production tubing with screen
provides specialized surface and downhole and gravel pack in place
equipment including gravel pack packers and
screens to inhibit the movement of formation
sand into the wellbore, surface pumping
equipment, and filtration systems.
Installing the Christmas Tree

When casing is set, cemented, and perforated

and when the tubing string is run, then a
collection of valves called a Christmas tree is
installed on the surface at the top of the casing.
The tubing in the well is suspended from the
Christmas tree, so as the well's production flows
up the tubing, it enters the Christmas tree. As a
result, the production from the well can be
controlled by opening or closing valves on the
Christmas tree.
Usually, after the Christmas tree is installed, the
well can truly be said to be complete.

1 • 12 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

into the formation where it etches

channels-channels that provide a way for the
formation's oil or gas to enter the well through
the perforations.

Fracturing

When sandstone rocks contain oil or gas in

commercial quantities but the permeability is too
low to permit good recovery (or the formation
has been damaged), a process called fracturing
may be used to increase permeability to a
practical level. Basically, to fracture a formation,
a fracturing service company (such as
Halliburton’s Production Enhancement PSL)
pumps a specially blended fluid down the well
and into the formation under great pressure.
Pumping continues until the formation literally
cracks open.
Meanwhile, sand or man-made granules, called
proppants, are mixed into the fracturing fluid.
The proppant enters the fractures in the
formation, and, when pumping is stopped and
Figure 1.13- Christmas tree. the pressure allowed to dissipate the proppant
remains in the fractures. The fractures try to
close back together after the pressure on the well
is released, the proppant is needed to hold or
Acidizing prop the fractures open. These propped-open
fractures provide passages for oil or gas to flow
into the well.
Sometimes, however, petroleum exists in a
formation but is unable to flow readily into the
well because the formation has very low
permeability (space in which fluids can flow). If
the formation is composed of rocks that dissolve
upon being contacted by acid, such as limestone
or dolomite, then a technique known as
acidizing may be required. Acidizing is usually
performed by an acidizing service company
(such as Halliburton’s Production Enhancement
PSL) and may be done before the rig is moved
off the well; or it can also be done after the rig is
moved away. In any case, the acidizing
operation basically consists of pumping Figure 1.14 - Sand, which can be used as a
anywhere from fifty to thousands of gallons of proppant
acid down the well. The acid travels down the
tubing, enters the perforations, and contacts the
formation. Continued pumping forces the acid

1 • 13 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Unit B: How Hydraulic Workover (HWO) Fits into the

Life of the Well
Basically, HWO can do anything a rig can do, • Run, set and retrieve selective equipment
but it can do it with surface pressure: HWO can
• Mechanical free point
• Drill a well
• Resetting weight on packer
• Complete a well
• Manual back off
• Workover a well
• Fishing
HWO has a smaller foot print and is able to rig
up on smaller locations, such as • Milling

• Satellite wells • Control Blowouts

• Helicopter lifts • Cement squeeze

• Remote locations • Tubing Conveyed Perforating (TCP)

The following list is only a few tasks that can be • Pressure control
completed by HWO (with the wells dead or • Washing sand or debris
alive):
• Acidizing
• Drill a well
• Frac
• Drill horizontal
• Circulating
• Drill sidetracks
• Well kill
• Drill under balanced
• P&A – Plug & Abandonment
• Run and set casing
• Sand Consolidation
• Run and set liners
• N2 jetting, washing
• Run and set tubing
• Foam washing
• Under ream
• Swab
• Run logging tools
• Run straddle packers for isolation
• Run, set and retrieve packers
• Run, set and retrieve bridge plugs

1 •14 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Unit C: Historical Background of HWO

Controlling high pressure in oil and gas wells in
the late 1920s was extremely more difficult than
it is today. The ingenuity of people such as Mr.
Herbert C. Otis has been a primary factor in the
technological growth of the oil industry through
the oil and gas industry.. Without proper
controls and production techniques, the deep,
high-pressure wells couldn’t have been drilled.
From a typical “American Business” beginning,
with little capital but a collection of good ideas
and practical engineering knowledge, Herbert C.
Otis advanced his organization to one of the
prominence in the petroleum industry in the
world.
Mr. Otis’ business experience began in the oil
industry in February 1919 when he went to work
for the Kentucky Oil & Gas company as a tool
dresser and pumper. He was later employed by
the Bethany Oil and Gas Company, and
Southwestern Gas and Electric Company, where
he worked as scout, drilling, production and
Figure 1.15 – Early day work on a well
transmission superintendent. In 1928, Mr. Otis
became drilling and production superintendent
for the Arkansas Natural Gas Company with
offices in Shreveport, Louisiana. While working for Bethany Oil and Gas in the
1920’s, Herbert Otis got his first taste of reward
for services “beyond the call of duty”. An oil
company was offering $1000 to anyone who
would remove and replace a valve on a
Christmas Tree. The well was a gas well with
approximately 1000 pounds of pressure. It was
tied into a gas line, but the valve had a broken
disc that prevented opening and consequently,
the well could not be opened into the line to sell
the gas. After advertising the reward for
approximately one year with no response, the
company accepted an offer from Herbert Otis to
open the well into the line.
Mr. Otis collected turnbuckles, a ratchet wrench
with a long handle, clamps and a polished rod.
He had a steel bit welded in the rod, and with an
improvised stuffing box to pack off around the
rod, he drilled out the fouled disc in the valve on

1 •15 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

top of the closed one and tied the tree into the Herbert C. Otis held more than 50 patents and
line. was co-inventor of numerous other oil well
tools. In 1957, he was named the first recipient
On the way to the job, Mr. Otis asked a mule
of the John Franklin Carrollton award, given by
skinner to help him. The skinner stood off from
the American Society of Petroleum engineers for
the proceedings at the well and pulled on the guy
contributions to petroleum engineering.
wire tied to the ratchet wrench. This turned the
bit as Mr. Otis tightened down the turnbuckles H. C. Otis Sr. established Otis Pressure Services
attached to a snubbing clamp atop the rod. This in 1939, and was renamed Otis Engineering
was basically the first successful Hot Tap / Gate Corporation when joined with Halliburton
Valve Drilling job performed on any oil and gas Company in 1957. Otis Engineering Corporation
well. then became part of Halliburton Energy Services
in 1993, and the HWO PSL was formed.
In 1929, Mr. H. C. Otis designed and patented
the worlds first Snubbing unit designed for Halliburton’s HWO PSL is recognized as the
running and pulling pipe under pressure. Mr. H. most qualified in live well services as
C. Otis and crew successfully snubbed tubing Halliburton Energy Services. Our early entry
into a well with approximate 1,000 psi at into the market, along with a steady research and
surface, another first in the industry. Also, Otis development effort, has enabled Halliburton to
Engineering designed, patented and built the provide the safest, most up to date Hydraulic
first Hydraulic workover unit in 1960. Workover (HWO) equipment to the industry
today.

1 •16 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Unit D: Halliburton Energy Services Vision & Mission

HES 2003 Vision Statement

The Halliburton Energy Services 2003 Vision is to be the undisputed leader in Real Time
Reservoir Solutions.
The fundamental principles to achieving our vision involve:
• Providing superior value to shareholders and customers
• Creating a company-wide environment for developing, motivating, and rewarding our people
• Being the undisputed leader in innovative technology, integrated solutions and health, safety
and the environment.
• Being No. 1 or 2 in core discrete businesses
• Leveraging Halliburton Company's total capability

1 •17 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

HES Mission Statement

Our Mission Statement defines our purpose and our beliefs in how we want to achieve our vision by
providing "markers or guideposts" to our beliefs as a company.

Halliburton Energy Services (HES), a business unit of Halliburton Company, is a global

provider of products, services, and solutions to the energy industry. To be successful,
HES must focus on the needs of our customers. We are to continually find creative
solutions that maximize the economic recovery of the oil and gas reservoir.
The means by which we will enable our customers to be successful is by aligning with
their goal of reducing the cost of oil and gas produced, through providing reliable, cost-
effective solutions, delivered by expert personnel with the following values and
principles:
• Perform at the highest levels of service quality that exceed our customers’
expectations
• Believe that all accidents are preventable and strive for an incident-free workplace
• Recognize that we are responsible for protecting the environment and consistently
meeting those responsibilities
• Continually apply new technology that benefits our customers and distinguishes
Halliburton Energy Services from our competitors as a leader in fit for purpose
solutions
• Support a culture of real-time decision-making and speed to ensure responsiveness
to our customers’ needs
• Maintain integrity in all of our actions — always honor our commitments
• Be flexible and innovative in our business models and recognized as the leading
company with whom it is easy to do business
By virtue of our mission and values, Halliburton Energy Services expects to be the most
valued provider of solutions to our customers. And because we are successful in
meeting our customers’ needs and good business practices, we expect to deliver
superior financial performance to our shareholders.
We can only accomplish this with the efforts and participation of our employees;
therefore, we must commit to invest in our people to promote a climate of enthusiasm,
teamwork, and challenge which attracts, motivates and retains superior personnel and
rewards performance.

1 •18 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

Unit E: Well Control/HWO Job Descriptions

• Ensures compliance with HSE regulations
Operator Assistant and guidelines.
• Promotes safety awareness and
This is the entry-level position into the service environmental consciousness, and complies
operator job family. The Operator Assistant with all applicable safety and environmental
assists in rigging up and down of Well procedures and regulations.
Control/HWO service line equipment. Following
• Drives a truck or other assigned equipment
are the basic job duties:
as required.
• Assists in assembly and preparation of This position requires a high school diploma,
equipment for installation and service. GED, or equivalent experience. It may also
• Assists in the running of a job and in the require a valid Commercial Driver's License.
clean up, repair, and preparation for the next Candidate must have successfully passed
job. company tests or met task guideline
requirements.
• Promotes and takes an active part in the
Quality Improvement Process.
• Ensures compliance with HSE regulations Service Supervisor
and guidelines.
The Service Supervisor coordinates and oversees
• Promotes safety awareness and the Well Control/HWO service line work at the
environmental consciousness, and complies well site handling the more complex, hazardous,
with all applicable safety and environmental and/or high profile jobs providing quality
procedures and regulations. service to the customer. Following are the basic
• Works under direct supervision with no job duties:
experience required. • Provides the planning necessary for the job
including instructions to the crew and
equipment used, including dispute
Service Operator resolutions to approved levels.
The Service Operator rigs Well Control/HWO • Promotes and takes an active part in the
service line equipment under direct supervision Quality Improvement Process.
to provide quality service to the customer. • Ensures compliance with HSE regulations
Following are the basic job duties: and guidelines.
• Performs, with limited supervision from the • Promotes safety awareness and
Service Supervisor, in the rigging up and environmental consciousness, and complies
rigging down on a location of service line with all applicable safety and environmental
equipment and in the clean up, repair, and procedures and regulations.
preparation of equipment for the next job.
• Ensures customer satisfaction with work
• Assembles and prepares, as directed, performed.
equipment for installation and service.
• Coordinates and directs the activities of
• Promotes and takes an active part in the service operators during the rigging up and
Quality Improvement Process.

1 •19 HWO I
 Introduction to Hydraulic Workover

rigging down on a location of service line initial contact for the customer at the Operations
equipment and the assembly and preparation Center. Candidate will coordinate the
of equipment for installation, running, and deployment of equipment and materials to the
service of a job. well site for maximum utilization. Conveys job-
specific information to field operations
• Coordinates the clean up, repair, and
personnel such as service supervisors and
preparation of equipment for the next job.
communicates customer job specifics with Tech
• Plans and performs necessary calculations Team. Resolves job disputes up to approved
for the total job at the well site as needed. levels and manages health, safety, and
environmental issues. And will coordinate multi-
• Evaluates individual performance levels of PSL jobs.
the crew and trains operators to improve
their job performance. Typically requires an undergraduate degree or
equivalent field experience and detailed
This position requires a high school diploma, technical knowledge and application of products
GED, or equivalent experience and a valid in the PSL, and company-required training.
Commercial Driver's License as required. This
position also requires exceptional skills within
the service line and a general understanding of Field Service Quality
other service functions.
Coordinator

Service Leader The FSQC promotes service excellence and

customer satisfaction by providing leadership,
(This classification is available only for North mentoring and development to PSL delivery
America MBU participants). In addition to personnel. Provides personnel development and
responsibilities as a Service Supervisor, the leadership for the PSL delivery personnel,
Service Leader is also the PSL Mobile Business maintains competency management processes.
Unit (MBU) Leader and is responsible for The FSCQ will be accountable for the
development and leadership of the Well implementation and execution of HMS
Control/HWO PSL profit center within the (Halliburton Management System), standards
NWA. The MBU Leader's emphasis is on and processes, accountable for full reporting and
personnel development, operational excellence, execution of corrective action system for the CPI
and customer satisfaction for the long-term (Correction, Prevention, Improvement),
growth and profitability of the NWA. promotes service quality, safety, and
The Service Leader manages processes to ensure environmental issues, drives the implementation
job site execution as designed, follows up job of new technology through field operations, and
site performance with customer, and maintains ensures Service Quality on new equipment and
MBU performance measures and documents services.
results and best practices. This position typically requires an undergraduate
degree or equivalent field experience and
detailed technical knowledge and application of
Service Coordinator products in the PSL, or multiple PSL’s, and
company-required training.
Provides job coordination and serves as the
primary link between the support groups and
service delivery team. Assesses customer needs,
both internal and external, and deploys
appropriate assets within the NWA/Country.
Provides technical/operational expertise in
response to customer inquiries and serves as

1 •20 HWO I