I’ve seen some wild things in the wireline oilfield over the years—but nothing quite like the time a power charge misfired on a perforation well job. Everything was standard—wireline truck rigged up, logging cable spooled tight, toolstring double-checked. We armed the perforating gun, dropped into the hole, hit the fire signal… and nothing.

Total misfire. One minute you’re ready for detonation—the next, you’re staring at the tension gauge wondering what went wrong.

Turns out, we were running a new vendor’s gun switch. It had been brought in to cut costs. And while it looked fine on paper, it had never been through a proper field test procedure.

That moment taught me something I now pass on in every wireline course I teach:

“In wireline, cheaper isn’t always better. But tested is always safer.”

Why Field Testing Matters in the Wireline Business

The cased hole logging service market is competitive. Everyone’s trying to improve margins, speed up rig time, and keep costs lean. But introducing a new vendor—or even a new downhole tool—without a proven field test process is asking for trouble.

That’s why we now follow a standardized procedure every time we want to trial new equipment—whether it’s a power charge, gun switch, pressure control equipment, or a tweak to our wireline control systems.

 

Here’s How We Field Test New Wireline Equipment

Whenever a new part is proposed:

• The District or Region requests a test using a formal submission, explaining the potential benefit and cost justification.
• Engineering reviews the request and performs an initial analysis to determine whether it’s worth testing.
• If approved, Engineering designs the field test, selecting the right cased hole wireline scenario, test location, and someone qualified to run and monitor the test.
• The test is run in real-world wireline well logging or wireline and perforating conditions—with full oversight.
• A detailed report is submitted to Engineering leadership, who makes a go/no-go call.
• If it passes, we roll out the change across wireline service companies, with training and documentation included.
• If it fails, the results go back to the Region—and the part doesn’t see another job.

What This Means in the Field

For us, this process is non-negotiable.

We don’t run a new vendor’s perforating gun or holefinder switch without seeing it perform under actual wireline services oil and gas conditions. Whether we’re testing pipe caliper tools, logging cable, or new tracer tech for production logging services, everything goes through field testing.

Because in this business—where you might be 18,000 feet deep in a live perforation well, mid-stage on a pump down perforating run—failure isn’t an option.

Real Lessons from the Field

Since that misfire, we’ve tested everything from:

• New wireline perforating guns
• Low-cost pressure control equipment
• Updated wireline tools for downhole pipe recovery
• Enhanced caliper log systems
• Imported switches for wireline and perforating work

And not all of them made the cut. Some couldn’t handle temperature. Others failed on pressure or lacked compatibility with standard wireline control systems.

But the ones that passed? They’re now part of our complete wireline solutions—reliable, field-tested, and ready to work.

For Wireline Providers Looking to Stay Ahead

If you’re a wireline provider trying to innovate while staying safe, this is the process you want. Field testing lets you explore new technologies while maintaining quality, safety, and reliability.

And if you’re in training or climbing the ranks through wireline courses, know this: being the guy who follows the process makes you the one everyone trusts on location.