Nine Line Bind

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Okay, for you drilling hands, here is something that does not involve geopolitics, oil pricing or the Permian Basin.

A week or so ago, in a post, someone mentioned the term 'nine line bind'. As we all know, this refers to being in a difficult or desperate situation.

My question is, what does the term 'nine line bind actually refer to? If we are referring to the lines reeved between the traveling block and the crown block, that should always be a multiple of two. If, for some reason, you count the fast line then you should also count the dead line - which again gives you a multiple of two.

If you meant you are two-blocked, that is a different story.

Some information available on the internet suggests this may be a nautical term as opposed to an oilfield term.

Your mission, should you chose to accept it, is to determine what the term 'a nine line bind' actually refers to... 

[Mike Shellman + 548]

I have heard this term since I was a child and still use it every day; it has been used in the oilfield for over 100 years even if it did originate on old sailing ships. When pulling on drill pipe that is stuck, or key seated, for instance, the driller pulls to somewhere near his hook load limits, then slacks off on his brake handle, rinse repeat, rinse, repeat, trying to pull free (DP stretches!). Its possible to get too much "slack" in the drill line and it will loop, or double over in the crown and cause a bird's nest, sort of, and thus the "nine" lines instead of eight, which would not have happened, so to speak, unless you were really stuck, or in a bind. That's the best answer I have.

Shit happens in the oilfield like nowhere else and collapsing the derrick by pulling on something too hard is bad thing. When this happens the driller and/or tool pusher get blamed and both then get their "kellys down." That is another oilfield expression meaning they both get extremely depressed, as in "mule lipped." This phenomena of having your kelly down can happen before, and definitely after, you get your ass "reamed" out by your bosses. Reaming is another oil....well, you get my drift, which by the way, is different than inside diameter.... 

Edited May 8, 2019 by Mike Shellman

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

So Mike, would it be fair to say that AOC is 'drilling off bottom'?😂

[Old-Ruffneck + 1,239]

23 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

My question is, what does the term 'nine line bind actually refer to? If we are referring to the lines reeved between the traveling block and the crown block, that should always be a multiple of two. If, for some reason, you count the fast line then you should also count the dead line - which again gives you a multiple of two.

Correct, if ya have a normal set of blocks 8 lines, put in a 9th and uh-ohhhh. It is old terminology. I thought I explained well enough but?? well sometimes I type and I re-read and makes sense to me. 

I remember a company man (Shell) trying to pull a twisted drill string of about 6k feet and the jars were going off trying to break free, as was below the casing. So standing where the driller normally does he can see the scales and was pulling so hard we roughnecks saw he was about to pull the crown down. Long story short we ran like hell. Maniac on the floor lol. Ended up twisting the derrick up and we had to wait get new equipment. Ended up dyna drilling around the pipe, lol. In 83 there was a lot of deaths in a 75 mile circle around Hobbs, NM. Lotta stupid mistakes and human error. Cactus rig, the snub line broke and the cable hit my bud in the chest, dead instantly. 

Edited May 9, 2019 by Old-Ruffneck
added

[RDS + 4]

I had a someone tell me years ago when you pull all the rig could pull on 8 lines and then you attach the sand line or cat line to the top of the block for additional pull you had yourself a 9 line bind.

Edited May 9, 2019 by RDS
Add missing word

[Farhan Mirza 0]

Time Flies fast.

[Douglas Buckland + 6,308]

Maybe it refers to wishing you had a ninth line when you find eight just isn't enough...just a thought.

[Mike Shellman + 548]

8 hours ago, Douglas Buckland said:

So Mike, would it be fair to say that AOC is 'drilling off bottom'?😂

She'll be circulating bottoms up, WOO, her entire hitch. 

[Ward Smith + 6,615]

@Douglas Buckland thanks for doing this. These are fun. I'll try and think of something else to post but I've got less experience on the dirty end of the business lately, everything is office work it seems  🤓