In my last couple of columns, I have written about ways to pull casing with a cable-tool rig. This type of drilling, of course, drives the casing tight into the ground. Pulling it can prove rather difficult.
Other pulling methods I have discussed use the rig itself but in this column I write about a simple, and rig-less, method: brute force. A heavy steel or cast ring goes around the casing and grips it with tapered slips held by the ring itself. Manufacturers supply these rings and slips in several sizes and types.