Types of Wire-Line Units

Slick-line/Braided line Unit

Electric or logging unit
(Braided line can be used for heavy duty jobs in place of slick line. Now day’s heavy duty
wire-line units are available for variety of jobs).

Rig up of Wire line Unit

A wire line unit may be simple rotating drum on which a slick line is wrapped, or it may be
complex as a self-contained, self-powered electric unit. Most wire line units are compact and
highly portable, usually, truck, trailer, or skid mounted. The typical slick line unit contains a
power source to drive a wire reel, a long thin strong wire, and a lubricator to hold well
pressure and various tools. A typical electric wire line unit includes sophisticated electronics
instrumentation requiring a larger and enclosed operating console.
Wire line units can be rigged up on top of Xmas trees, wellheads, blowout preventers, casing
and open hole.

By using one of hundreds of tools available, we can control flow, control pressure, regulate,
plug off, restrict, take pressures, retrieve samples, isolate or pack off, spot materials, jar, fish,
swab, perforate, log, run gas lift valves, correlate depths, perform calliper work, run special
tools, cut paraffin, cut tubing, remove scale, remove sand plugs, etc.

For well intervention system for wire line will normally consists of the following main items:

 Wire line Unit equipped with Line Speed indicators, measuring devices, Weight
Indicators and Reels and Drums.
 Control Cabin
 Data Acquisitions
 Clamps/Sheaves and Hay Pulley
 Power Package
 Pressure Test Pump
 Wellhead Pump
 Well Control System
 Logging Container (for logging and well tractor)
 Wire line Mast (Crane)
 Transport and storage racks for wire line equipment
 Slick, Braided and electrical line down hole tools
Applications

Slick line

• Gauge Cutter / Centraliser runs. (Establish the well bore is clear from restriction)

• Setting / pulling plugs

• Setting / pulling gas lift valves

• Bailing sand and debris

• Bottom hole pressure and temperature surveys(Memory)

Braided line applications

Utilised where additional pulling force is required like:

• Fishing operations

• Conveying heavy tool strings

• Deeper access

Electric line applications

• Provides real time communication from well to surface

• Unparalleled depth control

• Logging

• Ballistic operations

• Zonal isolation and Well integrity

Blowout Preventers

A blowout preventer contains the wellbore pressure & in coil tubing operations it is a
secondary barrier. A coil tubing BOP is designed specifically for coil tubing operations & are
available for 5000 psi, 10000psi & 15000 psi working pressures. A BOP stack for CT
operations may be used to perform all/one or more of the following operations:

 Sealing around the CT

 Shearing CT
 Holding the CT
 Sealing the open wellbore

The minimum pressure rating of BOP, flanges, kill choke system etc. should be equal to the
maximum anticipated surface pressure. The rams should be capable of closing & opening
when full well pressure is acting. The BOP control hoses should be fire resistant which can
withstand 1100 0C for minimum three minutes.

The BOPs should have mechanical locking device for locking of rams in closed position.
BOPs should be provided with pins for indicating the position of rams (Open or Closed)
however these pins can be voided if remote mechanical locking of BOP is to be used. One
control panel can be used for operating the primary well control system but minimum two
control panels (one at operator’s workstation & one at safe area) should be used for
secondary well control system. Minimum one control panel (located at a safe area) should
be used for tertiary well control system.

The accumulator unit for operating the secondary & tertiary well control system should be
located in safe area. The control panel should indicate, by means of lights or selector valve,
whether the functions are in closed or open position. The control panel should have securing
device to avoid accidental operation of essential functions & the regulators should not be
affected by the loss of power. The BOP control system should have the alarms for loss of
power, low level of fluid & low accumulator pressure. The maximum response time for a
BOP should be 30 seconds.

The choke manifold for CT operations should have a minimum two no. of chokes which may
be manual or remote controlled.
The minimum accumulator capacity of the system should be such as to deliver sufficient fluid
to close, open & close all the BOP functions plus 25 % of the volume required to close all the
rams.

Though a standard BOP configuration for CT is quad the various other configurations are
single, double & triple. In a standard quad BOP configuration the four rams from top to
bottom are as below:

 Blind Ram ( for sealing the open wellbore)

 Shear Ram ( for cutting the CT)
 Slip Ram ( for supporting the CT weight, some are bi-directional & prevent upward
movement of CT)
 Pipe Ram ( for sealing around the CT)

CT Bop Stack Configuration

Quad BOP

This is the most common type of CT BOP configuration & consists of blind, shear, slip & pipe
rams from top to bottom.

Figure : Quad CT BOP With Side Door Stripper ( Texas Oil Tools)
 Figure : Quad CT BOP

Triple Combi BOP

It usually consists of Shear. Slip & Pipe rams from top to bottom.

Figure: Triple Ram BOP

Dual Combi BOP

Some combi BOPs may have blind & shear ram in one ram & pipe & slip in other ram.

Figure : Dual Combi CT BOP (Courtesy Texas Oil Tool)

Single BOP: Shear /Seal BOP (Safety Head )

This provides a single cut/seal function for installation safety and is the tertiary barrier. It is
installed between the BOPs and the well head adapter as a tertiary barrier. The shear seal
valve has the ability to cut the CT and effect a seal. It is generally tied into a higher volume
hydraulic pressure supply than available from the CT unit such as a rig BOP control unit or
independent system etc. A typical Shear/seal single BOP is shown below

Fig: Shear/ Seal CT BOP

Recommended BOP stack Configuration

Expected surface pr. less than 3500 psi

 Stripper or Annular type well control component
 Hydraulically operated blind rams and pipe rams
 Hydraulically operated shear rams
 Kill line inlet
 Hydraulically operated two way slip rams

Expected surface pressure greater than 3500 psi

 Stripper or Annular type well control component
 Hydraulically operated blind rams
 Hydraulically operated shear rams
 Kill line inlet
 Hydraulically operated two way slip rams
 Hydraulically operated pipe rams
 Hydraulically operated blind shear rams. As an option, the pipe rams can be placed
below the blind shear rams.

CT Bop Ram Assemblies

Blind Ram Assembly

Blind rams are sealing rams that isolate the well bore fluids & contain pressure when there is
no coil tubing in the wellbore. They will not seal on wireline, cable or tubing. Each ram
assembly contain a front seal, ram body, retainer bar & rear seal (ram body seal). The front
seal closes on the wellbore & the ram body seal contains the pressure from behind the ram
body.

Figure : Blind Ram Assembly Figure: Shear Ram Assembly

Shear Ram Assembly

The shear ram assembly consists of shear blade, ram body & retainer screw. The retainer
screw holds the blade in proper place. The blades are designed such that minimum
deformation of tubing takes place so that kill fluids can be pumped through the tubing.

Slip Ram Assembly

The slip ram assembly consists of slip inserts, ram body & retainer pin. Slip rams when
equipped with bi-directional teeth can support the weight of CT hanging below & also stop
upward movement of CT in case the wellbore pressure starts blowing out the tubing. Slip
inserts are designed to hold specific tubing size.

Figure : Slip Ram Assembly

Pipe Ram Assembly

The pipe ram assembly consists of ram seal, ram body, retainer bar & ram body seal. Pipe
rams are wellbore pressure assisted. They are fitted with guide sleeves which centers the
tubing when the rams are closed.

Figure : Pipe Ram Assembly Figure : Equalizing Valve Assembly

In CT BOP stacks equalizing ports are used to avoid opening of pipe ram or blind ram under
differential pressure. The equalizing valve should be in closed position during normal
operations. A kill port is also provided to allow pumping down the annulus/tubing.

CT BOP Testing

Pressure Test

The purpose of well site pressure testing is to confirm the pressure integrity of the CT string,
stripper, BOPs, flanged connection and other plumbing components after they have been
made up on location.

During the pressure test should be carried out with a clear fluid ( e.g water) & the pressure
should be held for sufficient period of time ( API recommendation is 5 minutes, MMS
recommendation is 10minutes).
All components of the stack that are exposed to the pressure should be tested.
 Mandatory to go for High Pr. and Low pressure test before CT deployment.

 Replace or repairs any component that fails its pressure test.

 The low pressure test may be conducted between 200-300 psi & the high pressure test
be done at a pressure which is minimum of following

 Maximum anticipated surface pressure

 Maximum burst pressure of tubing
 The rating of the stack

 Go for Low pressure and High pressure test for all the barrier elements like
Risers, flanges, valves, BOPs before exposing the well pressure or opening the
SWAB valve of X-mas tree

For any damage seen on any sealing surface necessary correction and replacement be
done and repeat the test.

All accepted tests are to be properly documented and signed by authorised person for
records.

 3500 PSI and above are considered High Pressure jobs and require additional caution
and safety.

 For Tubing ram pressures are applied from below as it can hold pressure only from
below . Apply pressure from CT after closing BOP on CT. On a test stump off the well
matching test rod can be used for closing Tubing RAM and pressure applied from
below.

 For testing of the Blind ram the pressure can be applied through the kill port of the BOP
itself.

 For pressure testing of Riser pressure is applied through the valve available in the
riser.

 All the time provision of correct size bleeding valve be there to safely relive the
pressure after testing.

 Safety head is to be tested by applying pressure through kill wing valve of X-mas tree
and done only after the BOP hook has undergone acceptable test.

If a leak develops in a BOP, tool lubricator, crossover, spool, rotating joint or any component
above the tree, then attempts should be made to stop the leak.

If the leak cannot be stopped, then the well should be killed, the coiled tubing stripped out
and the master valves on the tree closed, so the leaking area can be repaired.
If the leak starts accelerating, or becomes too critical while attempting the kill, the decision
may be made to drop the tubing.

This necessitates that the coiled tubing be cut and then the swab or master valves closed.
When master valves are to be closed, it is important to count the number of turns that it
takes to close these valves. An improper number of turns may indicate tubing is inside the
tree, and the valve should not be attempted to be closed further.

If leaks develop in stripper or stuffing box, increase closing pressure on stripper to arrest the
leak.

If leak persists close pipe rams and replace packing element. For this close back up stripper
if available and close Ram BOP and bleed off pressure above for inflow test. Then proceed
for redressing the stripper packing element. After redressing close upper stripper, equalise
pressure on pipe ram and open ram and then lower stripper.

If the leak develops in a lubricator or connection, close the pipe ram and try to stop the leak.
If this does not stop the leak, the well should be killed and the leak repaired, or the tubing
stripped out of the well, the crown or master valves closed and the leak repaired.

Check all flange, union seals, ram elastomer seals and sealing surfaces for damage that
might impair sealing. Repair or replace items as necessary.
Wire Line Surface Pressure Control Equipment

Stuffing Box

It provides means for primary pressure control & is used for slick-line operations & is
available for wire-line sizes ranging from 0.062” to 0.125” diameters up to a working
pressure of 15000 psi. If the line is inadvertently broken or the tools are stripped off while
working under pressure, stuffing boxes utilize a plunger or blowout plugs to automatically
shut-in the well pressure.

The stuffing box is a sealing device connected to the top of lubricator section and is being
used as a primary well control device for slick line operations.

It allows wire line to enter the well under pressure and also provides a seal should the wire
line break and be blown out of the packing.

If the wire line breaks in the well, the loss of weight on the wire at surface allows well
pressure to eject the wire from the well. To prevent well fluid leaking out of the hole left by
the wire, an internal blow out preventer plunger is forced up into the stuffing box by well
pressure and seals against the lower gland.

In the manual stuffing box (see figure) during operation the packing is tightened against the
solid wireline by a packing nut which is manually actuated. This minimises any leakage of
fluid resulting from well pressure. The Stuffing Box includes a male quick union connection
and is positioned on top of the Lubricator Stack.

In hydraulic stuffing boxes (see figure), the hydraulically controlled packing nut is provided
for ease of operation should the packing requires to be compressed during wire-line
operations.

The Wireline Control Head shown in the figure is used for braided & electric lines. It serves
the same purpose as that of stuffing box for a slick line. In this design the seal is provided by
hydraulic pressure which is supplied to the piston (as shown in the figure) thro’ an inlet hose.
Additional sealing is provided in the flow tubes at a pressure higher than the existing well
pressure. The hydraulic fluid fills the area between the inside wall of the flow tube and the
outside surface of the wire line forming a liquid seal around the wire line. Inside the flow tube
a no. of conical recesses are provided which interrupts the steady flow of well fluid due to
turbulence created in the recesses. Any fluid reaching the top of the flow tube is vented thro’
the discharge flow hose.
Figure : Stuffing Box
Figure : Braided & Electricline Control Head
 Figure : ELMAR Slick-line High Pressure Control assembly

Grease Control Head

It serves the same purpose as that of control head but the seal in this case is provided by a
very viscous oil or grease. This is also available up to a working pressure of 15000 psi. The
grease injection control head is attached to the top of the lubricator and hydraulic pressure is
applied to the stuffing box pack-off rubber, sufficient to pack off the wire line thoroughly. The
seal around the wire line is achieved by injecting grease into the hydraulic packing nut
assembly and additional sealing is provided in the flow tubes at a pressure higher than the
existing well pressure. The grease fills the area between the inside wall of the flow tube and
the outside surface of the wire line forming a liquid seal around the wire line.
It is designed to effectively seal on braided/e-line line. The grease injection head utilises grease,
pumped under high pressure from a grease pump, into a very small annular space between the
outside of the wire and the inside of a tube covering it. The high pressure fluid provides two sealing
mechanism.

 Since the braided lines /e-lines have interstices between the strands and between
layers which cannot be packed off in a more direct , conventional manner, the
sealing fluid fills these spaces, depriving the well fluid of escape paths inside and
around the well.
 The sealing fluid in the small annular space is held at a higher pressure than that in
the well, forming a barrier to the flow of well head fluids and gases.

This results in the complete sealing and also lubrication of the wire line which reduces friction.

Figure : Grease Injection Control Head

The no. of the flow tubes to be used depend upon the surface pressure & type of well fluid,
the table below describes the minimum no. of flow tubes to be used for given well pressure &
nature of well fluid :
Well Head Pressure Nature of Well Fluid No. of Flow Tubes
0- 5000 psi Liquid 3
0-5000 psi Gas 3
5000-10000 psi Liquid 4
5000-10000 psi Gas 4-5
10000-15000 psi Liquid 6
10000-15000 psi Gas 6 or more

Swabbing stuffing Box

It is used for low pressure operations such as swabbing to activate the well but serves the
same purpose as that of stuffing box or grease control head which are described above.
Sealing around the braided wire line is achieved by tightening the packing nut provided at
the top.

PACKING NUT PACKING

Figure : Swabbing stuffing Box

Lubricator

A lubricator is used to accommodate the tool string before lowering in to the well & after
pulling it out from the well. It serves the purpose of sealing against the pressure & run the
tools. It consists of riser joints with unions on either side with a higher rated working pressure
than wellhead pressure. It is available up to a working pressure of 15000 psi. The internal
diameter of lower section of the lubricator should be equal to or greater than BOP’s ID. The
lubricator should be equipped with some arrangement to bleed off the pressure & the facility
to verify that no trapped pressure is there.
The general term lubricator denotes four basic components: control head, riser, valves and
unions. A seal from the well’s fluid pressure is obtained by a stuffing box, grease/oil injector,
or control head. The control head is often called a stuffing box in slick line work, or simply
control head in braided and electric line work. The stuffing box suffices for most slick line
operations and seals using packing or a gland that may be tightened by screwing in a nut or
pressuring the assembly. Braided and e-lines require control heads or grease/oil injectors to
seal against well pressure.

Riser joints are lengths of tubing with a higher rated working pressure than wellhead
pressure, and with a size and length to accommodate all tools used (and fish when fishing)
in work over. Valves, which will close quickly and seal around the wire line, are included in
the lubricator assembly. Proper connections or unions are used to rig up the lubricator
assembly, and to install the lubricator on the wellhead, Christmas tree or fitting on which the
assembly is to be made up on. Lubricators are installed on top of the tree above the swab
valve with wire line valves as the first component and above the master valve or blowout
preventer on wells under pressure. By installing a string of tools in lubricator with wire line
attached and threaded through stuffing box, lubricator can be installed on wellhead with
swab valve closed. The lubricator is then pressured to well pressure. When the master valve
is opened, the tools can be lowered into the hole to perform the necessary work. The
lubricator may also have a tool trap, which will catch the tools if the wire should part or be
pulled from the rope socket at top of lubricator.

Lubricator Test

No matter when the lubricator was tested, it should be field tested again before use on the
well. The more that can be done prior to rigging up on surface may prevent problems while
running wire line. New flow tubes and pack off rubbers should be considered. Fill all grease
pots with grease or honey oil prior to start and testing. The Service Company will normally
furnish the test pump.
Test procedures are as follows:

1. Record tubing pressure.

2. All well valves must be closed.
3. Place the wire line BOP with its adapter on the Christmas tree.
4. Pressure below the BOP to the working pressure of lubricator or Christmas tree.
5. Do not exceed the lower working pressure.
6. Hold for 15 minutes. If the test holds, bleed pressure off.
7. Install the stuffing box and lubricator, with the line and wire line tools above the BOP.
8. Fill with fluid and bleed air. Test working pressure as in #4. If the test is good, bleed
pressure off.
9. Proceed with wire line operations.

Other lubricator practices follow:

 Lubricator should be secured at all times.

 Lubricator should cover the entire string of tools and fish.
 Lubricator support should be in position before wire line tools are pulled up.
 Where possible, a platform should be provided to prevent personnel standing on
wellhead connections.
 Lubricator should have a pump in line below it equipped with a high-pressure, low-
torque valve.
 When bleeding down the lubricator, open and close the valve several times to avoid
freezing the valve.

Figure : Wire-line Lubricator

Rig Up (CT)

 All equipment delivered to the location should meet the guidelines required for the
job.
 Verify that the log book for each piece of equipment is current.
 Dummy run a drift larger than the maximum OD of the BHA through the well bore to
the depth required by the job program prior to commencing the job. If this requires
the use of the CT equipment, perform the drift run after the well site pressure tests.
 Install the secondary pressure control equipment on X mas tree..
 Connect the hydraulic lines.
 Test the operation of the rams by hydraulically opening and closing each actuator.
 Positions vent lines from pressure relief valve to discharge safely away from any
personnel.
Rig up of Injector head

 Stabilize and secure the injector support platform ( if provided) before installing the
injector head.
 Verify proper operation of the injector head before installing it on the BOPs.
 Remove the support clamps from the injector head and verify that the weight
Indicators are functioning
 Ensure that the centreline of the CT is aligned with the vertical centreline of the BOP
stack.

Cautions during Rig up of Injector Head

 Post a detailed schematic of the pressure control equipment stack in the CT unit
control cab.
 Verify that the DAS, all sensors and all displays are fully operational.
 Prepare a detailed fishing diagram of the BHA prior to running it into the well bore.
 Operate crane engines continuously while any load is suspended from the crane.
Rig Down Process (CT)

Once the operation has been performed, the unit can be rigged down. Keep in mind that
there may be pressure trapped in the stack, between valves or in manifold.

To rig down:

1. With tool string in stack, if N2 unit is present, blow or displace the tubing with
nitrogen. This will minimize the transport weight.
2. Check to ensure that no pressure is trapped in the stack or between valves.
3. Open the choke line, then open all stack valves and manifold lines.
4. Open the stripper.
5. Remove the tubing, and spool it onto the reel. Secure the tubing and reel.
6. Rig up crane or lifting device to injector/ extractor head (if not present). Remove and
secure injector/extractor.
7. Remove and secure BOP from wellhead.
8. Install cap of Xmas tree.
9. Rig down all equipment and prepare it for transport.
Complications and solutions during Well Servicing operations

Junk in Hole

Junk refers to any objects or debris which have been dropped into or lost in the hole. Junk
can include all manner of things, from downhole tools and bottomhole assembly
components, to bit cones, or even hand tools which have been accidentally dropped into the
hole. In some cases, it may be clear what the junk is, such as when something has been
visibly dropped down the hole. On the other hand, though, it may sometimes be unclear just
what is causing the problem. In order to remove any junk from a well, junk removal tools will
be used depending on a particular condition of junk and wellbore.

There are three main ways that junk can be dealt with; which method is chosen will depend
on the size of the junk itself, and how hard the formation is. The junk can be recovered
whole, split into smaller pieces so that these pieces can be recovered or that they are too
small to cause any additional issues, or finally pushed into the side of a soft formation or the
bottom of a formation with a large enough rathole. If none of these are possible and the junk
continues to interfere with well operations, then the well made need to be sidetracked or
abandoned.

Stuck tool string

Tubing or other pipe may become stuck when you attempt to pull it from the well. A workover
may be required to free the stuck pipe so maintenance can be carried out and flow restored.
Stuck pipes are usually caused by a few common problems. Salt bridges are one of the
more common problems that can lead to a stuck pipe. Salt bridges are created when the well
is pumped in several daily cycles and the formation holds very salty water. The water will
collect in the annulus space until pumping begins, when it will drain out. The water leaves
behind a salt residue. When the process is repeated many hundreds of times over months of
pumping, the residue can build up into bridges that block the annular space. Production can
be reduced or even stopped altogether by the salt bridges that form. Fresh water can be
dropped in the annular space, dissolving the salt. Salt bridges may still occur, however.Scale
can have a similar effect when it builds up over time. More scale will break out of the water
as the temperature and pressure drop. Scale buildup can be drilled out, though there are
chemicals and coatings that can be used to reduce scale. Sand may also migrate to the
bottom of the hole, and gravel may also become packed so that pipe or other equipment
becomes stuck. Adding screens to perforated joints can help keep sand out of the well.

Fishing

Fishing is another operation that can cause complications in shut-in procedures and well
control methods. Although kick detection is essentially the same, the variety of tool
connections and dimensions in a fishing operation require special shut-in methods. One
important consideration is fishing assembly connections. Most rigs are supplied with two
floor safety valves sized for the work string in use. Step 2 of the shut-in procedure while
tripping requires the rig crew to stab and make up the full open safety valve. In order to do
this, with the fishing tools in the slips, the rig crew will need the appropriate crossover sub (or
a separate safety valve with the appropriate thread) readily available on the rig floor. If a
crossover is not available, the crew should recognize and be prepared to take the
appropriate action required to shut the well in (e.g., RIH until drill pipe is across the BOPs,
pull out of hole, etc.).

Another consideration during fishing operations is the fishing tool dimensions. Most
operators design their BOP stacks with pipe rams sized for the workstring in use. For
example, a workover which utilizes a 2 7/8" tubing string typically has a BOP stack equipped
with 2 7/8" pipe rams.

Therefore, if a kick is detected with fishing tools that have a different O.D. across the BOP
stack, the annular preventer will be the only BOP component which can effectively seal off
the wellbore. Knowledge of fishing tool dimensions and connections must be considered
when developing shut in procedures. Rig crews need to be aware of these aspects and be
capable of shutting in the well promptly upon detection of a kick.