Wireline Operations - All-Inclusive Risk Management

Abstract

Many of the high-impact operational and safety incidents in wireline operations are the direct result of incorrect selection or inappropriate operation of surface equipment. Examples of such incidents are pulling tensions on the rig-up equipment components above their safe working loads and using winch units incapable of pulling the tensions required to retrieve heavy tool strings in deep or tortuous wells. Current processes and simulation software used to plan wireline operations are focused on the risks and conditions in which the downhole tools and wireline cables selected will operate; they do not include specific assessments of the adequacy of the surface equipment selected and their associated operating practices. In this paper, we show the outcome of implementing a set of surface equipment assessments in a popular wireline forces modeling software suite. The surface equipment covered in this initial implementation include the wireline cable, hoist (winch) unit, wireline drum, chains/slings, sheave wheels, load cells, powered capstans, and rig anchoring points. We also demonstrate the merits of the quantification of the selected hoist unit horse power and torque versus the tension and speed profiles simulated at all depths for the free and stuck tool conditions. The use of processes and forces modeling software, including suitability assessments of the surface equipment and operational choices, is particularly relevant to long and/or tortuous wells. Selection of marginal surface equipment in these types of wells can impose severe operational limitations not identified during the job planning phase and create hazardous conditions that can result in safety incidents and large financial losses.