Severing Drill Pipe - pipe not in tension

Hi everyone,
We have made 4 attempts to sever a string 5.7/8" DP. The string is in a 17.1/2" hole, drilled at an inclination of +/- 69 degrees, using oil based mud at 1.5SG. We were not able to pull tension on the string before attempting the cuts. The first two attempts were made using a mechanical cutting tool (spinning disc which cuts the pipe circumferentially) and the second two attempts were made using a plasma cutter - all tools were sized correctly to cut the drill pipe string. To all intents and purposes, the tools appear to have functioned properly but the pipe has not parted. I am interested to hear experiences from the group around cutting pipe which is not in tension. Any replies appreciated.
Regards,
Stu

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