Some lessons in wireline logging don’t come from a course or a textbook. They come from the sound of a bleeder valve hissing a little too close to your face. I was still early in my wireline journey when I learned one of the most important safety procedures in wireline services—how to properly bleed a setting tool.

It was a standard cased hole wireline job. We’d wrapped up the wireline perforating sequence and were breaking down the toolstring. The perforating gun had fired clean, the plug was set, and the wireline truck was already re-spooling the logging cable. Everything was on schedule. I grabbed the setting tool to begin bleeding it down—like I’d seen others do—and stood it up vertically like it was just another downhole tool ready to be put away.

Big mistake.

As I slowly opened the bleeder, I heard the familiar pressure hiss. But what I didn’t expect was the stem shooting a blast of gas sideways—right at my face. Fortunately, I had safety glasses on. But that moment drove something home: vertical bleed-offs are dangerous.

The thing is, when a setting tool “de-strokes” during a vertical bleed-off, it creates a dangerous pinch point. If it doesn’t de-stroke at all, it becomes a silent hazard. I’ve seen tools suddenly close under spring force while being laid down. It’s not just bad practice—it’s a wireline control systems failure waiting to happen.

Now, every single time I bleed a tool, I lay it down horizontally first. No exceptions. It doesn’t matter if you’re in a rush or working with a full wireline unit on a multi-stage horizontal wireline job. The extra 30 seconds could save you from a serious injury. In my wireline courses, I emphasize that safety is the real foundation of every successful run—whether you’re doing production logging, pipe recovery, or pump down perforating.

Proper tool maintenance plays a huge role here too. After every run, I remove and replace all O-rings, inspect for swelling, and clean every component. Damaged parts are pulled immediately. When you’re working with high-pressure wireline equipment, even a small oversight can compromise the integrity of your toolstring—and your crew’s safety.

And yes, we also follow the 20-run rule: Magnetic Particle Inspection (MPI) on every component. It’s not overkill—it’s the difference between a clean job and a call to fishing wire line services.

There’s a lot of talk in the wireline services oil and gas sector about wireline technologies, pressure control equipment, and advanced perforating systems. But the basics—things like proper bleed-off procedures and tool inspection—remain the foundation of integrity wireline work. Whether you’re in cased hole logging or handling perforating services in a remote oil field wireline operation, these small actions add up to complete wireline solutions.

For those new to the field and taking your first steps into the world of wireline well logging, trust me—this is the kind of knowledge you want before you’re in the hot seat. If you’ve never seen a wireline gun de-stroke at the wrong time, count yourself lucky. But don’t count on luck. Count on procedure. That’s the kind of mindset that keeps the wireline business moving forward.

Stay sharp. Bleed safe. And always keep learning.