What is a Workover Rig? // Fracslap Explains

Another common question I get is "What is a workover rig?" You may have also heard the term tripping pipe, elevators, and tongs when it comes to workover rigs.

In this video I give a quick breakdown over what a workover rig actually is, how it works, and how it's different than a regular rig.

We love getting questions about the industry and making content that helps people make sense of it all so please leave a comment of what you think our next vid should be about.

[chrisedwards]

Been on W/O’s for 5 years. Tripping pipe is a small task we do among the things we do to service wells. Completions compared to Production work is like night and day

[joeforns]

Back when I worked in the oil field in the late seventies early to mid eighties a workover rig worked exclusively on gas wells so it did not have a rod basket on it . Rigs with rod baskets could go either way but generally serviced oil wells . So you had workover rigs and you had service rigs . You serviced oilwells and worked over gas wells, this was the terminology of the day, Iworked for Haynie drilling co, crown central petroleum, Pool well service, Well tech, Alpha oil and gas . Back then if you said you were working over an oil well you would get laughed out of town just like if you said you were servicing a gas well .

[jlo]

Were not rough necks... were rig hands, theres a huge difference. I seen many drilling rig hands come play with the little stuff and quit within 2-3 days. They ran their mouth the whole way to the rig by the end of the day they werent talking anymore.

It takes a different breed of man to rig up, pull 10k' of rods, nipple up, trip 10k' of pipe out, trip it back in, nipple around, run rods, rig down and road rig to the next location. Do that 12-16 hours a day 5-7 days a week and itll make or break a guy really quick.

[moose]

Just broke out on a Workover Rig! Best job I’ve ever had!

[k-dog]

I’ve got a feeling that I worked on that rig, pretty sure my brother has to. it’s a TDC rig, but I just can’t work out which one.

[TheWizardGamez]

Odd thing happened. Near my school, we had like 3 rigs pop up at the end of summer. And I was looking at them, confused as to why I couldn’t see the Mud Tub. That being said they had some pretty big piping, in comparison to the thin tubing. I think they might’ve been a finishing crew. Concrete and all that. Anyway, cool. Vid

[Wyldecat]

I’ve had a hard time explaining my service rig job to people. A lot of people hear work over rig and think they all have the Derrick. Mine actually doesn’t. We use pipe racks and pull 31-33ft tubing 1 joint at a time on natural gas wells. I’ve worked on both drill and service and I got to say, if my service rig was set up like this, I couldn’t do it. Derrick sketches me out too bad. Looks like oil field work over rigs are a whole different ballgame

[Jiscold]

What is the difference from a production rig and work over?

[SparkyGota]

What’s the device that they are breaking the pipe with and pushing away?

[VamsiPixelLord]

Hey hi, I've got a job in workover rig as assistant mechanic. Is it a good opportunity? Can anyone tell me please? Or can I go for any other role?

[kelvinzamarron]

But why are they pulling the pipe out to service it of the well

[anthonyescamilla]

Ranger Energy best company to work for hands down.

[aarondelagarza]

Where in the hell were you in 1972 when I started working Derricks

[tomparker]

These are not roughnecks on a doodlebug rig. Roughnecks work on a drilling rig...earth removal by rotary method period!

[winnertotheend]

Actully got it wrong I got to stab the pipe before the derek rack it

[DaveWeeks-onhw]

It's a service rig doing a workover

[joshherrin]

Homie running slow from what I can see in such a short video even with some experience dude is on running in like 2nd or mid 3rd gear they either taking it easy or there is reasons because if depends on the rig and the maintenance as well as crew obviously

[markbetancourt]

My first job was working on a pulling unit