As a wireline engineer, there’s one lesson you quickly learn: the smallest oversight can lead to significant delays and operational hiccups. Whether you’re involved in wireline perforating, cased hole wireline services, or wireline logging, ensuring that every piece of equipment is properly set up before deployment is crucial. I want to share an experience from a recent job that highlighted just how important it is to thoroughly check everything before sending a gunstring into the well.

The Incident: A Simple Mistake Leads to a Misrun

It was a typical day on the job. We were performing pumpdown perforations on a two-well pad. The plan was straightforward: get the gunstring downhole, run the perforating guns, and complete the job as usual. The crew had already set up everything, and everything seemed fine until we performed the switch test. That’s when we realized something wasn’t quite right—the gunstring had not been properly tightened, and flooding occurred.

The gunstring made it downhole, about 250 feet, before the problem was identified. When we pulled the gunstring back to the surface, we noticed the top o-ring on the second gun from the top. It had clearly become dislodged, indicating the gunstring wasn’t properly assembled.

What followed was an unnecessary delay. The crew had to swap the gunstrings out, equalize the system, and then run the tools back downhole again, costing us 30 minutes of valuable time. This incident happened at the end of the day shift, and by the time the night crew arrived, the gunstring was already sitting in the lubricator, waiting to be equalized and run again.

Root Cause: Failure to Double-Check the Gunstring

Upon investigation, the root cause of the incident became clear: the crew failed to double-check the gunstring before running it into the hole. In the rush to get the job done—likely due to fatigue and a shift change—some critical steps were missed. These missed checks led directly to the misrun. This experience served as a powerful reminder that in wireline operations, where precision and attention to detail are paramount, even the smallest oversight can have big consequences.

The Actions Taken: Learning and Improving from the Incident

This incident could have been avoided if the crew had taken a few extra moments to double-check the equipment before sending it downhole. In response, we immediately instituted a few changes to ensure that this mistake was never repeated:

1. Double-Checking Every Gunstring
   Going forward, every gunstring must be thoroughly checked by either the engineer or the lead operator before it’s lifted into the hole. This includes ensuring that all connections are tight, the cable condition at the head is good, and the port plugs are securely fastened. We also make sure that the setting tool bleeder disk is present (if applicable), and the plug and setting sleeve are correctly installed. These checks are crucial, whether we’re performing wireline services oil and gas or working on a basic perforating job.

2. Incorporating These Checks into Daily Briefings
   We introduced this checklist as part of our mandatory job briefings, crew change meetings, and even posted it on the safety and quality (SQ) board. It became a point of focus for all engineers and operators, regardless of the specific type of wireline operation we were performing.

3. Reducing Fatigue-Related Errors
   Fatigue can lead to mistakes, especially when you’re dealing with complex wireline tools like perforating guns, wireline units, or logging cables. To combat this, we re-emphasized the importance of taking short breaks and making sure that everyone on the crew is focused and alert during every shift.

4. Standardizing Procedures for All Runs
   No matter what wireline service we’re performing—be it for downhole pipe recovery, formation evaluation, or cased hole logging—we now ensure that this checklist is followed for every run, without exception. Standardizing these procedures ensures that every job is done right the first time.

The Bigger Picture: Ensuring Consistent Wireline Service Excellence

This experience highlighted the critical importance of taking the time to double-check every component before sending tools downhole. Whether you’re running a perforating gun or using a pipe caliper tool for pipe recovery, thorough pre-job checks help to prevent complications that can result in downtime and lost time.

Additionally, this incident served as a reminder of the broader challenges in wireline services. Whether it’s wireline logging, cement bond logs (CBL), or perforating services, every tool in our arsenal, including the wireline truck and wireline control systems, must be handled with the utmost care and attention to detail. Errors like these, while not catastrophic, can lead to unnecessary delays that affect both safety and the bottom line.

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The Takeaway: Double-Check and Prioritize Safety

Wireline operations are often complex, requiring a high degree of precision, whether we’re involved in horizontal wireline operations or completing intricate cased hole solutions. The most basic, yet essential step, is to ensure the tools and equipment are properly assembled and tested before they are used.

This experience was a reminder that no matter how familiar we are with the tools, we must never cut corners, especially when working with sensitive equipment like perforating systems and logging cables. Every connection must be tight, every tool correctly installed, and every precaution taken. By fostering a culture of attention to detail, we ensure that our wireline services are both safe and effective.

Conclusion: A Commitment to Excellence in Wireline Operations

Wireline services, from wireline perforating to pipe recovery, require a commitment to excellence and a strict adherence to best practices. This incident, though it resulted in lost time, has pushed us to refine our processes and become more diligent in ensuring the quality and safety of every operation.

Moving forward, we remain committed to providing complete wireline solutions, leveraging the latest wireline technologies and equipment to offer reliable services to our clients. The lessons learned from this incident will ensure that every job, whether it involves perforating, logging, or any other wireline task, will be executed with the highest standards of safety, efficiency, and quality.