Every wireline engineer knows that pump down perforating is as much an art as it is a science. I remember a time when poor communication between the pump operator and the wireline unit nearly caused a toolstring to get stuck in the lateral section. That day, I learned that precision, timing, and clear communication are …
Every wireline engineer has one of those moments when safety becomes more than just a procedure—it’s a matter of life and death. I remember a job where an improper arming sequence nearly led to a premature detonation. That moment reinforced why strict adherence to RF Safe Control Fire Assembly (CFA) arming procedures is non-negotiable. The …
One of the first things I learned in wireline well logging was that not all pressure ratings mean the same thing. I’ve been on jobs where engineers assumed that because the wellhead pressure matched the equipment’s rated working pressure, they were good to go—only to find out the hard way that they were pushing safety …
There’s no room for error when it comes to pressure control in wireline operations. I once saw a BOP fail to close properly due to a lack of maintenance, and it nearly resulted in a serious well control event. That day, I learned that Blowout Preventers (BOPs) aren’t just another piece of equipment—they are the …
There are a lot of things that can go wrong in wireline pressure control, but using the wrong grease shouldn’t be one of them. I once worked a job where we were running wireline logging operations in a high-pressure well. Everything seemed fine—until we noticed grease loss at the packoff, and pressure fluctuations became unpredictable. …
One thing every wireline engineer learns quickly is that pressure control is everything in wireline well logging and perforation operations. I once saw a situation where an unexpected pressure surge nearly turned a routine job into a dangerous event. The culprit? A missing ball check valve. It was a stark reminder that when working in …
It was one of those moments that could have ended in disaster. A crew was working on a high-pressure well, prepping for a wireline logging run, when a simple mistake nearly cost us an entire toolstring. The lubricator wasn’t properly equalized with the well pressure, and before anyone could react, the pressure imbalance caused a …
There are moments in wireline well logging that demand absolute precision.One example is the bump up method, which guarantees that tools enter and exit the well safely during pressure operations. I learned the importance of this firsthand when I witnessed a weak point snap at the surface, dropping an entire toolstring into the well. That …
Every wireline engineer has faced that heart-stopping moment when a tool string suddenly drops inside the well. It’s a situation no one wants to experience, but I’ve seen it happen more than once—often due to improper bump-up procedures or a failure to use a tool trap correctly. On one particular job, we were pulling out …
Every wireline engineer has that one job they’ll never forget, the one that nearly went wrong. For me, it was a top fire perforating operation that should have been routine. Everything was in place, including the wireline truck, logging cable, wireline control systems, and the perforating gun assembly. But when it was time to fire, …
