It’s funny how something as thin as a few strands of armor can derail an entire wireline and perforating operation. I’ve always respected the details in this business—how a logging cable is spooled, how a perforating gun is assembled, how every O-ring gets torqued. But it wasn’t until a misrun during a routine horizontal wireline job that I really learned how a simple cut in the weakpoint armor could decide whether your job ends clean or with a fishing wire line operation.

Let me walk you through it.

It Was Supposed to Be a Clean Break

We were running a pump down perforating job in a multi-zone perforation well. A typical setup: wireline truck prepped, cased hole wireline string loaded with guns, plug, and weakpoint ready at the rope socket. Everything looked solid during rig-up. We were planning for high stage count, high-speed runs. That meant we had a spider weakpoint rated for a controlled break—9 outer and 0 inner armors.

That’s where the trouble began.

The wireline string got hung up near the heel after the last perf. Tension built. Slack-off wasn’t giving us any release. We increased tension gradually, expecting the weakpoint to shear around its rated value. But it held.

And held.

And held.

It didn’t break at the expected tension. It took nearly 1,000 pounds more than the rating before it finally popped. And by that time, the backpressure in the line had built to the point that the rope socket whipped upward on break and knocked over our pump operator’s laptop. That could’ve just as easily been someone’s hand—or head.

The Problem Was in the Build

Back in the shop, we inspected the weakpoint build. That’s when we saw it.

The 9 armor strands that were supposed to be cut and rendered neutral weren’t neutral at all. They had been routed up and then bent back down—clamped under the compression washer and wedged between the cone and the cable. That’s a critical mistake.

Even though they were technically “cut,” their position under the washer meant they still contributed to the total breaking strength. Our 9-and-0 weakpoint had essentially become a 14-and-0 or worse.

This is why wireline logging isn’t just about the tools—it’s about the discipline. And in the wireline services oil and gas world, discipline is everything.

Why the Armor Matters

Weakpoints are meant to protect everything downhole. When the line gets stuck or tension spikes beyond safe limits, a properly rated weakpoint should snap—preserving your logging cable, your wireline tools, and most importantly, your well.

But when armor isn’t cut or routed correctly, it changes the entire failure profile. A weakpoint rated for 800 lbs might not break until 1,200 or more—and by then, you’re already at risk of breaking something else: the socket, the head, or the string.

How We Fixed It: A Better Way to Cut and Route Armors

After this incident, we updated our SOP for spider weakpoint construction. This includes visual and physical verification during rig-up. Here’s how we do it now—built into every training module and reinforced across our wireline company:

Approved Methods for Weakpoint Armor Routing

Method 1: Long Cut and Bend Down

• Cut the 9 armor strands.

• Route them up through the washer.

• Bend them outward and down, forming a clean fold above the washer.

• This ensures the strands are not compressed under the washer or cone.

• Added bonus: prevents the sharp ends from piercing the conductor insulation.

Method 2: Short Cut Above Washer

• Route the cut strands up through the washer.

• Clip them shorter—just long enough to exit the washer but not re-enter the compression zone.

• Also minimizes insulation risk while maintaining integrity.

Either way, cut armors must not be compressed under the washer or the cone. If they are, you no longer have a 9-and-0—you have an unpredictable failure point.

Verification Before Every Run

This change also triggered a new mandatory verification step before any wireline perforating, cased hole logging, or downhole tool deployment:

• Physical inspection of every weakpoint by the engineer or supervisor.

• A mirror and flashlight are used to inspect under the washer.

• The build is logged in the job prep sheet.

• The tension rating is noted, verified, and included in the risk review.

This applies to all wireline services, including:

• Cased hole well services

• Plug and abandon jobs

• Pipe recovery or downhole pipe recovery

• High-shot perforating systems

• Production logging services

• And even tracer tech or cement bond log operations

Why This Matters for Wireline Service Companies

In today’s wireline services market, the expectation is zero NPT, clean execution, and high tool uptime. If you want to be a top-tier wireline provider, you don’t just invest in better wireline trucks and updated wireline control systems—you drill your crews on the fundamentals.

This armor mistake cost us time, stressed out the crew, and could’ve caused an injury. But it also gave us a wake-up call that made our operations better. Now, we have:

• More reliable tension failures when needed

• Fewer misfires during overpull events

• A safer working environment for both field and frac personnel

• Confidence in our wireline equipment when running long gunstrings in deep horizontal laterals

Lessons We Now Teach in Our Wireline Courses

Every wireline course I run now includes this scenario. We show:

• Photos of bad weakpoint builds

• The exact tension charts that led to delayed break

• Proper routing methods using live demos

• What to look for in the field with limited visibility

Trainees learn that the wireline game isn’t won with tech—it’s won with care. Every strand matters. Every cut matters.

Final Thoughts – Build It Right or Build It Twice

In wireline oilfield operations, you don’t get to blame the equipment. If something fails, it’s on you to understand why—and to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

This job reminded us that even the smallest oversights can have huge consequences. So if you’re out there building rope sockets, prepping for a perforation job, or leading a wireline service company, make armor cutting part of your critical path.