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Adaptable® Tool
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The Adaptable® Tool from Bull Dog is a field-proven, patented cleanout and retrieval tool designed for dry holes or low-pressure wells. It operates like a plunger pump with check valves that trap solids like frac balls, sand, scale, or cement without requiring full wellbore fluid. Particularly effective in pay zones sensitive to water damage, it allows for dual-function cleanout and retrieval on a single trip. The tool’s rugged hexagonal plunger design allows full string rotation and incorporates a 9' pump stroke for aggressive jarring action. Its self-contained action reduces surface pump needs and keeps debris recovery simple and repeatable.
Applications
The Adaptable Tool is a new concept in downhole remedial and completion work. The Tool
can be used under virtually every downhole condition that involves no surface pressure. The
Tool is particularly useful in wells that won't support a column of fluid or are susceptible to
water damage, because operation of the Tool does not require a full column of fluid in the hole.
Features & Advantages
The heart of the Adaptable Tool is actually a plunger pump similar to that used for
pumping oil wells, except "tailpipe" and a series of check valves are run below the pump. By
reciprocating the tubing at the surface, the pump vigorously pulls fluid and debris (sand, scale, cement, junk, etc.) up into the tailpipe, where it is held by the check valves.
The fluid can be pumped to the surface or be recirculated into the annulus through a
ported sub positioned above the pump. When the tailpipe is full of settled out debris, the
tubing is tripped. Up to 300' of casing can be readily cleaned out in a single run without using a pump truck.
Because the plunger is hexagonal and the Tool can be used with a power swivel for
drilling and milling of items such as cement, scale, hard packed sand, frac balls, salt rings,
plugs, and junk.
The Adaptable Tool can be run with a bridge plug retrieving tool and can remove frac
balls, sand and bridge plug on a single trip without a pump truck.
Fluid loss to the formation is kept to a minimum because the Adaptable Tool works under
almost any hydrostatic pressure. This helps prevent formation damage and water blockage and saves pump truck charges and water hauling cost when the work is performed and when the fluid is subsequently produced.
The Adaptable Tool is not prone to getting stuck in the hole, as are other casing cleanout
tools, for several reasons:
The Tool is continuously reciprocating, which keeps the casing walls clean and prevents the Tool from tunneling into the sand and getting stuck, and;
The rig weight indicator and position of the Adaptable Tool's stroke keep the operator informed of downhole conditions at all times. If the Tool appears to be hanging up, the operator simply pulls up above the tight spot and works through it again.
The kelly, coupled with the 9' long stroke of the pump, provides a powerful jarring action, both up and down;
Because the pump moves a controlled volume of fluid with each stroke and is lifted off bottom at the end of each stroke, the pump will not bury itself in the sand, debris etc.
Specifications
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
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What is the Adaptable Tool and when should I use it?
The Adaptable Tool is a patented clean‑out and retrieval tool designed for jobs in dry holes or low‑pressure wells where full wellbore fluid isn’t supported. Use it when you need to: clean out sand, scale, cement, or retrieve plugs/balls without circulation, or when fluid loss is a concern.
How does the Adaptable Tool operate downhole?
It works like a plunger pump: a hexagonal plunger with check valves traps solids (sand, cement, etc.), creating a tailpipe where debris accumulates. You reciprocate the tool string, and debris is lifted to surface without needing full circulation. This means fewer surface pump trucks and reduced formation damage risk.
What are the advantages of using the Adaptable Tool vs conventional clean‑out tools?
It operates in wells with little or no circulating fluid, ideal for fluid‑sensitive zones.
Because of its pump action and long stroke (9 ft), it provides aggressive jarring and debris uptake, reducing risk of tool burying.
Lower surface equipment requirements and less fluid handling/trucking.
What are the job conditions or limitations I should consider before picking the Adaptable Tool?
Before selecting the tool, review: the fluid level in the well, the amount/type of material to be cleaned or retrieved, and the tool string design to match bottom‑hole conditions. Also note: while it works in many conditions, you should ensure the wellbore allows for movement of the tool and collection of debris strings to surface.
Can the Adaptable Tool be customized for specific job specs?
Yes — Bull Dog Tool builds this as a bespoke solution when off‑the‑shelf won’t cut it. You can specify diameter, length, string configuration, and other parameters. The tool is field‑proven and made in America by experienced engineers.