The Importance of Proper Torque: A Wireline Engineer’s Hard Lesson

Posted on by Crissa Fel Tawadan

There are two types of lessons in wireline engineering—the ones you learn in training, and the ones the field teaches you the hard way.

This story is about one of the latter.

The Setup: A Routine Plug Setting Job

It was supposed to be a straightforward plug setting operation. We were using a Baker wireline pressure setting assembly (WLPSA) to deploy a bridge plug before a plug and abandon (P&A) job.

We went through our standard wireline control systems checklist, ensured our logging cable was in good condition, and verified our setting tool pressure integrity.

Everything was good to go.

Or so we thought.

The Oversight: A Critical Bleeder Port Mistake

We ran the Baker setting tool in the hole, aligned everything, and applied pressure to initiate the setting sequence. The plug deployed successfully, but when we pulled the tool back out…

The disk retainer nut was missing.

At first, we thought we had lost it downhole—a nightmare scenario that would have required fishing operations. But after inspecting the tool, we found that the nut had worked itself loose during the run.

What Went Wrong?

  • The bleeder port torque had not been properly set.
  • The disk retainer nut was not tightened to the correct specification.
  • Vibration during the wireline run had caused it to loosen and detach.

This could have been a costly mistake—if the nut had fallen into the wellbore, it could have led to a stuck tool or damaged equipment.

Fixing the Issue: The Right Way to Torque a Baker Setting Tool

After pulling the tool out, we followed the correct torque procedure to ensure this didn’t happen again:

  • Used a Disc Retainer Socket and Left-Hand Anchor Bolt to hold the assembly in place.
  • Inserted the bolt inside the socket to secure the disk retainer.
  • Used a ¾” drive torque wrench to apply 70 ft-lbs of torque to the retainer nut.
  • Verified proper seating before removing assembly tools and preparing for the next run.

Had we done this before the job, we would have avoided a preventable issue that almost led to a major delay.

Key Takeaways for Wireline Engineers

This experience reinforced several key lessons:

  • Torque specifications exist for a reason.
    • 70 ft-lbs on the Baker Setting Tool bleeder port isn’t just a number—it prevents downhole failures.
  • Vibration can loosen improperly torqued components.
    • Always double-check disk retainers, bleeder ports, and tool assembly points.
  • Use the correct tools for the job.
    • A standard wrench won’t cut it—you need the Disc Retainer Socket and Left-Hand Anchor Bolt.
  • Every detail matters in downhole tool integrity.
    • A missing retainer nut could have cost us hours of fishing operations.

Final Thoughts: Attention to Detail Saves the Day

In wireline services oil and gas, cased hole wireline, and pressure control operations, the smallest oversight can lead to the biggest problems.

That day, we dodged a bullet. But it was a reminder that even in routine jobs, the details matter.