I remember my first perforation well. Not the formation, not the depth, not even the toolstring we ran—but I remember the way I felt walking up to a live gun for the first time. It wasn’t fear. It was respect. Because from the moment you work with explosives in this business, you learn that wireline logging isn’t just about data and depth. It’s about discipline.

Explosives are part of our everyday toolkit in wireline and perforating jobs. Whether you’re in a cased hole logging environment or running horizontal wireline on a multi-stage frac pad, shaped charges and detonators are how we make communication with the reservoir possible. But these tools don’t forgive mistakes.

That’s why we train. That’s why wireline companies—any serious ones, anyway—put their crews through layered wireline courses focused on explosive safety and wireline control systems. There’s no shortcut to this kind of knowledge. And there shouldn’t be.

I’ve seen what happens when explosive safety protocols are ignored. Off-depth shots, surface detonations, even tools left hot and mishandled on location. These are not stories you forget. In the wireline services oil and gas market, one misstep doesn’t just risk tools—it risks lives.

We carry explosives in our wireline trucks. We load perf guns in the field. We run wireline pressure control equipment with shaped charges sealed behind the lubricator. That means compliance with regulations—from DOT to BATFE to OSHA—isn’t optional. It’s survival.

And it’s not just about handling. It’s about everything around it:

• Making sure your wireline equipment is prepped, your weakpoint is selected properly, and your wireline unit is grounded.

• Verifying that detonators and explosives are secured, separated, and logged.

• Ensuring anyone who touches a perforating gun or logging cable has passed Level 1 and Level 2 explosives training.

The oil field wireline business demands this level of commitment. It’s not just wireline tools and technology. It’s about maintaining well integrity, protecting the pressure control environment, and upholding trust with clients who depend on cased hole well services done safely.

I’ve worked with a lot of wireline service providers. The ones that stick around? They take training seriously. They keep their certifications current. They know how to handle tracer tech, plug and abandon procedures, downhole cameras, production logging services, and wireline perforating systems—and they never cut corners when explosives are involved.

You don’t need to be scared of explosives to respect them. But you do need to understand them. That’s the difference between someone running a perf gun and someone running it right.

So whether you’re new to the wireline oilfield or you’ve spent decades in a wireline truck, remember this—explosives don’t give second chances. Every safe run is a result of preparation, teamwork, and sticking to the fundamentals that every solid wireline course teaches.

If you’re ever unsure, uncomfortable, or pressured to skip a step—don’t. In this business, if something feels wrong, it usually is.