‘Wireline’ refers to a cabling technology used by the oil and gas wells ‘operators for performing different activities. This technique makes use of specially designed tools that can be inserted into the borehole when attached to a string.

These tools are used to evaluate rock properties, pressure formation, pore size, fluid identification, sample recovery, etc. Several types of equipment are joined together to reduce the time for workover operations.

Below, we have listed the five most important applications of wireline tools:

Wireline Allows To Carry Fishing Operations

One of the most specific applications of the wireline is that it is frequently used in fishing operations. Fishing includes pipe recovery or retrieving unwanted objects from a wellbore such as broken pieces of tubing.

Stuck drill pipe causes costly results and happens quite often in open-hole and cased-hole loggings as well. It prevents the drill rig from drilling oil, water wells, and is a critical problem to resolve.

Wireline tool helps to determine free-point that measures the difference in stress between the two fixed points of pipe. Once the free-point is known, the free tube can be removed from the wellbore easily.

Wireline Tools Help In Fluid Identification

In any of the matrix that has some porosity, the pore spaces get filled with oil, gas fluids, or water. This fluid saturates the rock and changes its electrical properties that may alter the nature of liquid or gas.

A wireline tool induces electrical current into the surrounding rock and helps to determine resistivity through Ohm’s Law. It is primarily used to identify highly resistive hydrocarbons accumulation that is more likely to change the properties of fluid.

Moreover, several wireline tools can measure the resistivity at some depth. It allows log analysts to predict fluid invasion. In this way, it helps to get a qualitative measurement of permeability.

It Helps To Locate Casing Collars

A casing collar locator (CCL) run in a standard wireline logging method is used for depth control. When combined with a gamma-ray log, it allows correlating the depths of cased holes and open holes.

The tool consists of a coil and magnet arrangement along with a downhole amplifier. When the tool passes a location where a collar enlarges metallic cases, the magnetic flux lines get distorted. This distortion changes the magnetic field around the conduction coil. After this, the signal is amplified and recorded in the form of a voltage spike.

It Helps In Fluid Sampling

Another application of wireline tools is that they help to bring a fluid sample from the reservoir for examining in the laboratories. It is capable of-

  • Measuring critical pressure before sampling
  • Controlling the pressure of the fluid sample
  • Increasing the pressure in the sample container

WFT or Wireline formation tester provides a cost-effective way to measure pressure as a function of depth. This valuable data is used to estimate fluid type, density, properties, and mobility.

Wirelines Assist Workover Operations

When wells or reservoirs require remedial work to restore, sustain, and enhance production, it is called workover. In such operations, a braided steel wireline or slickline is used to raise and lower the equipment. It includes well clean-up, production logging, setting plugs or perforation through explosives.

Conclusion

Wirelines provide detailed information about the physical condition of a hole, fluid type, flow rate, and residual oil saturation. It is used for well formations, evaluation, and intervention. Besides fluid properties, it helps to measure wellbore dimensions and sonic properties as well. In this way, it allows engineers, geologists, and drillers to make real-time decisions about drilling operations.

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