Surface pipe is what it says: Surface pipe.  Quite common to go with metal, then smaller plastic on water wells around here.

On an oilwell, you actually often start out with 'conductor pipe', to kinda seal off the surface gravels, etc, till you get some hole made.  Then typically set 2-300 (or more) feet of surface.  Every time you gotta set another string---like overthrust drilling, you go back in with smaller pipe, then go inside that with smaller bit.  I've been on overthrust holes that started with 24" 'conductor pipe' and ended up @ 12,000' with a 6 1/4 bit inside of 7" casing

Air drilling with reverse circ rig outa green river or moab, we'd commonly set 20' of temporary surface, pull it when done---best if you could finish an 900-1000' hole in one day down there  (hole integrity) easy diggin', too soft to even run a hammer.  An Ingersoll rand t3w---had 1100 cu' @ 350 psi air pump