One of the most underestimated components in a wireline unit is the collector. It sits quietly, transferring electrical signals between the logging cable and the acquisition system. But when it fails—like it did on one of my recent cased hole wireline jobs—it can bring the entire operation to a halt.

We were scheduled to run a perforating job on a well that had tight staging requirements. As part of standard prep, I reheaded the logging cable and megged the line. The reading came back at 10 MΩ. Technically not a short, but well below the 100 MΩ standard we expect in wireline well logging. That’s when I felt the tension begin to build—not in the cable, but in the situation.

At the time, I contacted the client first before consulting with the wireline tech team. That was my first mistake. Without a full understanding of acceptable insulation resistance for our wireline control systems, the client assumed the issue was critical. We were at risk of losing the job before we even spooled in.

I cut the head and removed 400 feet of wireline. Still, the reading didn’t change. That’s when I knew—it was the collector. I pulled it from the circuit and confirmed it was out of tolerance. Backup collector? Check. But the leads were too short to route through the side of the drum. Now we were stuck, literally.

We requested a replacement collector. It arrived on location and finally got us back within spec. But we had already lost critical time on the job—a big problem when dealing with perforation services and wireline and perforating schedules in the oil field wireline sector.

This experience taught me more than any wireline course could have. I now inspect every backup collector before load-out, not just to confirm it’s there, but to ensure the leads are long enough and the insulation is clean. This is especially critical for cased hole solutions where high reliability and quick turnarounds are the norm.

Wireline services in oil and gas are high-pressure operations—literally and figuratively. Whether you’re running horizontal wireline in pump down perforating or managing logging cable in formation evaluation, every wireline tool in your arsenal must work flawlessly. That includes your collector.

Since that incident, I make it a point to walk every new hire through collector checks during training. From verifying insulation resistance at 1000V to inspecting wiring splices that can feed through drum ports, it’s all part of ensuring wellsite readiness. We also reinforce this process in our oil field safety training sessions and wireline courses.

I often get asked what is wireline in oil and gas? It’s more than wireline trucks, logging software, or perforating guns. It’s a complete wireline solution built on preparation, precision, and the discipline to catch small failures before they turn into big ones.

If you’re in the wireline business—whether you’re deploying pipe caliper tools for caliper logs, setting plugs for plug and abandon operations, or preparing for wireline perforating—don’t overlook the details. Downhole tools matter, but so do the quiet components that keep everything connected.

The collector failure reminded me that integrity wireline starts before the cable even hits the sheave. In the end, it wasn’t just a faulty part. It was a lesson in accountability, readiness, and never assuming that “just working” is good enough.