Readers, don’t let the title scare you. A driller operating a spudder or cable-tool machine might go months, even years, without a problem down the hole. Then, perhaps on a sunny afternoon, wham! There is trouble in the hole.
Tool catalogs list all kinds of fishing tools. One catalog I have lists as many pages of fishing tools as drilling tools. However, in small-diameter drilling — that is, 3- to 6-inch casing — the likelihood of losing tools down the hole and having to “fish” for them is not that great. (At this diameter, drillers more likely encounter stuck tools, which require loosening so drilling can resume.) However, it does happen. So, for this discussion I start with some simple tools I consider essential to a cable-tool operation. Drillers should keep these in inventory at all times and even keep some of them on the rig.