It was a routine cased hole wireline job—nothing exotic. Standard pressure stack, full wireline perforating string, basic plug and perf sequence in a horizontal lateral. We’d done these jobs a hundred times before. The crew was solid, the wireline truck was humming, and the tools were already racked and ready.
Then the call came over the radio:
“We’re stuck.”
The tension was spiking, the winch brake was slipping, and we had 17,000 feet of logging cable out with a full perforating gun string somewhere in the curve.
What saved the job wasn’t luck—it was the tool sketch I’d done before we ever broke red thread. Because when tools go downhole, and something goes wrong, the only thing more valuable than your recovery gear is knowing exactly what’s in the hole.
Why Every Job Starts with a Tool Diagram
Before every run, I physically measure and record the overall length and outside diameter of every component in the string—from the firing head down to the line weight. This includes:
- Wireline perforating guns
- Switch subs
- CCL and GR tools
- Setting tools
- Any custom or non-standard gear in the stack
Then I draw a complete sketch—yes, by hand—showing all components, with measurements and a short description of each part.
This sketch doesn’t just live in my notebook. It gets turned in with the ticket, logged at the district, and a copy is left with the customer if anything unexpected happens.
When Things Go Sideways
In this case, that sketch allowed the district manager to verify what exactly was stuck. We confirmed the tool string diameter, located where we believed the wireline tool had caught in the restriction, and designed a fishing wire line plan based on actual dimensions—not guesses.
That job ended with a successful downhole pipe recovery—no tools lost, no hardware left behind, no integrity issues. But without that tool diagram? We’d have been flying blind.
In the wireline oilfield, where jobs are often performed under pressure (literally and figuratively), having a verified and documented tool diagram is a critical piece of your wireline control system.
Why This Matters in Today’s Market
The cased hole logging service market is growing fast, especially in horizontal wireline work. Clients expect reliability and precision. Whether you’re logging, perforating, or running a cement bond log, accuracy starts before the job does—with proper planning and clear documentation.
Creating tool diagrams isn’t just about being organized—it’s about well integrity, job accountability, and proving that you run a complete wireline solution.
I include tool diagrams on every:
- Perforation services job
- Production logging services
- Pipe recovery operations
- Pump down perforating stages
- Even simple formation evaluation or caliper log runs
It’s a small task that pays off huge when you need it most.
For New Wireline Techs and Future Engineers
If you’re learning the ropes through wireline courses or just starting your field career, get in the habit early: sketch everything you run.
It’s not just for show. It will help you:
- Communicate better with the rest of your team
- Give clients confidence in your process
- Protect yourself when something goes wrong
- Speed up any future troubleshooting or recovery efforts
The wireline services oil and gas industry doesn’t forgive mistakes easily. But it rewards those who prepare.