Slickline-Deployed

Electromechanical
Intervention System
Slickline capabilities have expanded
beyond well remediation, maintenance, and pressure-control applications. Enhanced self-powered
slickline tools can perform diagnostic and conformance-control functions that require memory production logging. Applications that
require electrical initiation or
mechanical manipulation at the tool
interface can be performed with
slickline and battery power, insulating the tools from the surface equipment. Mechanical signals transmitted through the wire control the
tools start and stop functions and
provide real-time position telemetry.

Equipment Capabilities and Use

Measuring System. The surface electronic depth-measurement system
provides accurate depth and weight
measurements. When coupled with
the slickline collar locator, slickline
depth-measurement accuracy can be
compared with that of electricline measurements.
This article is a synopsis of paper
SPE
67201,
Slickline-Deployed
Electro-Mechanical Intervention System, a Cost-Effective Alternative to
Traditional Cased-Hole Services, by
Jerry Foster, Jack Clemens, and
Darrell Moore, Halliburton Energy
Services Inc., originally presented at the
2001 SPE Production and Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City,
Oklahoma, 2427 March.

Surface Data-Acquisition Systems.

The data/job logger provides a means
for recording the advanced-measuring-system data. Data supported by
this function include tool direction,
depth, line tension, line speed, time,
and units of measurement. By use of
real-time logging software, the
data/job logger can generate historical
job summaries, real-time slickline collar-locator logs, and can be used to
produce high quality American
Petroleum Inst. memory production
logs. The memory production surveys
can include gamma ray, spinner, pressure, temperature, fluid density, water
holdup, and post-fracture-treatment
radioactive tracers.
This information, coupled with
other components in the advanced
slickline service system, enables wireline personnel to do the following.
Generate real-time slickline collarlocator logs to correlate perforating,
setting of plugs and packers, and
dump-bailing operations.
Maintain a record of every slickline job performed for qualityimprovement processes.
Develop a wireline-usage database
that can be incorporated in a wirelinemanagement program.
Provide records for use in a training simulator to allow trainees to practice real-life situations without affecting well productivity.
Slickline Collar Locator. The slickline collar locator is a battery-powered
electromechanical device that provides

real-time indications of collar locations in the wellbore for accurate positioning of plugs and packers and for
perforating at exact zones. Used in
conjunction with the advanced measuring system and the data/job logger, it
can be used to generate prints and
enable viewing of the collar locations
in real time as the tool string is raised
through the wellbore. The tool uses a
standard casing-collar locator (CCL),
signal-conditioning assembly, and
drag mechanism to sense collars.
When a collar is passed, line tension
increases or decreases. These 50-lbf
tension changes are plotted against
depth by the surface equipment, and
the display on the computer screen
provides the operator with an accurate
real-time indication of collar location.
Downhole Power Unit. The downhole power unit is a battery-powered
electromechanical device designed to
produce a bi-directional linear force
for setting or retrieving downhole
tools without the use of explosives. A
gear motor operates a linear drive to
generate a gradual controlled axial
compressive or tensile force to optimize the setting of the slips and sealing
elements of monobore nippleless
locks, packers, and bridge plugs.
Electronic Triggering Device. This
battery-powered electromechanical
tool is designed to electrically detonate
an explosive charge downhole on
slickline. The primary uses of this tool
are perforating and cutting tubing and
casing, activating explosive-type setting tools for bridge plugs or packers,
and dump bailing. The compact electronic triggering device can provide a
quick response to situations needing
immediate attention.

We l l I n t e r v e n t i o n

Introduction
Traditionally, slickline servicing has
provided effective well maintenance by
use of high-speed mechanical deployment, manipulation, and retrieval of
downhole service tools in all types of
wells, including those with high-pressure and flowing-well conditions. Its
portability enables use of these services
in remote locations and on satellite
platforms. Combining electromechanical intervention tools with accurate
surface measuring instruments, as
shown in Fig. 1, has expanded slickline operations.

The system uses an electronic

counter and proprietary correction
algorithms to perform continuous
high-speed depth adjustments that
result in an accuracy of 5 ft/10,000 ft
of measured depth. The combination
depth- and line-tension counter system was designed to increase wire life
through nonreverse bending of the
wire and use of large-diameter measuring wheels. When used with the realtime slickline collar locator, depth
accuracy of less than 1 ft can be
achieved at any depth.

Wireline-Set Inflatable Bridge Plugs.

Inflatable bridge plugs (also referred to
as inflatable packers) provide reliability when used as through-tubing bridge
plugs at up to a 3:1 expansion ratio
[casing inside diameter (ID)/packer
outside diameter (OD)]. Well conditions (bottomhole temperature and
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We l l I n t e r v e n t i o n

pressure) as well as wellbore fluids (gas, oil, and

mud) affect reliability;
therefore, these conditions must be evaluated
before attempting to use
an inflatable bridge plug
in any application.
The wireline setting
tool used to set the
inflatable bridge plug
comprises a 28-V DC
motor driving a lowpressure/high-volume
hydraulic gear pump
with typical output of
0.4 gal/min at maximum
pressure of 250 psi. This
pump system provides
sufficient output to
inflate a typical packer
application to 200-psi
inflation pressure in less
than 15 minutes. Once
the packer is in contact
with the casing wall and
capable of holding an
overpull from the wireline, a pull intensifier is
stroked by alternately
slacking off and applying overpull with the
wireline to intensify the
inflation pressure to typical values of 1,000 to
1,500 psi.
Bridge-plug inflation is
achieved by use of either
liquids from the wellbore
or liquids carried into
the well as part of the
tool string. When using
wellbore liquids, a highefficiency filter component assures that clean
Fig. 1A typical slickline service unit.
liquid is fed to the pump,
even in wells with sandIn deviated wells, the surface
laden fluids. For wells without liquid
in the wellbore, water is carried into weight-indicator measurement is
the well in pressure-compensated reduced by the friction effects when
chambers and used as the plug infla- running into the hole and is increased
when pulling out of the hole. The
tion fluid.
friction effects depend on the well
geometry. Unlike vertical wells, it is
General Operational
possible for the weight-indicator
Strategies
Deployment in Deviated Wells. reading to show less than the tool
Intervention operations in deviated weight when the tool string
wells must be planned meticulously. approaches the target depth. Software
Downhole friction can mask some of is available for analysis of the downthe surface tension signals. Thus, it is hole mechanics that are characteristic
important that extensive prejob plan- of deviated wells. This design tool is
ning be performed to identify the fric- used to provide a graphical model of
tion effects.
the forces that the tool and wire will

encounter and can predict whether

the gravity-deployed tools will be
able to reach the target zone.
Any dynamic force associated with
acceleration will affect the surface tension. Buoyancy, viscous drag, mechanical friction, and stuffing-box packing
friction also affect the surface weightindicator readings. Even though speed
changes may seem small, significant
weight-indicator changes can occur at
the surface. The software models
buoyancy, drag friction, pressure and
stuffing-box friction.
The software algorithms are extensions of those developed for coiled-

26
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tubing modeling. The wireline version

differs from the coiled-tubing version
by taking into account that wire cannot support compressive loads.
To apply the analytical capabilities
to a well scenario efficiently, well
designers need all pertinent data.
Usually, these data include the directional survey; a completion schematic
with the ID of the tubulars and location of restrictions; tool-string length,
weight, OD, and location of knuckle
joints; wire size and type; annulus
fluid weight; surface pressure; and
production rates (if the well is allowed
to flow). Numerous simulations can
be performed to evaluate the sensitivity to changes in the expected
input parameters.

Physical-Property Measurement.
Generally, physical-property measurements are concerned with temperature, pressure, and fluid-velocity
measurements. The temperature tool
is particularly useful for identifying
fluid-entry points and locating fluid
movement behind the casing, and
determining the elevation of the top of
cement behind the casing.
Pressure tools use a quartz-gauge
sensor to provide signals that are converted to pressure and temperature
data. These pressure measurements are
useful in reservoir characterization.
Caliper tools provide a diameter
measurement required to aid interpretations of the flowmeter logs because
changes in diameter will affect the
fluid velocity. Current versions of log-

Conclusions
Use of these tools enhances job-site and
environmental safety by eliminating the
need for surface electrical isolation.
Slickline capabilities enable contingency
planning for intelligent-well-completion techniques. Elec-tromechanical
intervention tools extend the operational envelope beyond traditional slick-

line services and provide cased-hole

information and data. The cost efficiency provided by slickline is enhanced
because the resources traditionally used
for such operations as perforating can
be used for other operations.
JPT
Please read the full-length paper for
additional detail, illustrations, and references. The paper from which the synopsis has been taken has not been peer
reviewed.

We l l I n t e r v e n t i o n

Memory Production Logging. Slickline memory production logging provides a method for storing data in logging tools that can be retrieved when
the logging tools are recovered from
the well. The tools can be run on nonconducting slickline or coiled tubing.
Often, slickline units are in place on
the platforms. Thus, logistical concerns as well as personnel requirements are reduced. The typical memory-production-logging system is
PC-based with graphical interfacing.
The tools use lithium batteries to
provide high power and low self-drain
at more extreme downhole temperatures. The batteries are available with
300, 330, and 350F ratings. Some of
the tools used in the logging system
include the depth/time recorder,
depth-correlation tools, and fluid
monitoring tools.

analysis software require this information as input for calculations.

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