An overview of Slickline
operations
Presented by: Eng. Khaled
Senior Petroleum Engineer
Plan
AGENDA
Definition of Production Tubing Slickline Pressure Slickline tool Service tools
Slickline String Control string
operations Equipment (PCE)
DAY 2
DAY 1
DAY 1
Definition of Slickline operations
Definition of Slickline operations
Slickline is a method to perform several functions inside the
production tubing with the well is under pressure.
Some of these functions are:
• Drifting the tubing string and scrap clean paraffin, wax and minor
debris from inside tubing;
• Installing and retrieving plugs;
• Bailing sand;
• Recording bottom hole pressures;
• Changing out gas lift valves;
Production Tubing String
5
3 4
1
Elastic deformation, where Stress/Strain= Constant (Young
1 Module)
Occurring a Plastic Strain, after releasing the Stress, the
2 material behaves nearly straight and parallel to Elastic line,
leaving permanent Strain
Yielding, at approximatively constant load, there is a period a
3 deformation, has Upper and Lower Yield Point
The material becomes stronger, causing the rise of the curve,
4 but at the same time the cross-sectional area becomes less
5 Falling off until final fracture occurs
API Specification for Casing and Tubing (API
SPEC 5CT)
Selection of tubing grade is based on:
Physical strength
Chemical Properties (resistance to H2S, CO2, water etc.)
Cost
API L80 = Carbon Steel. Suitable for H2S service
Relatively inexpensive
API P105 = high strength steel. Suitable for deep wells, high load.
Expensive
API identification of Tubing GRADE
Character is an indication of the type of steel - (C, J, K, L, etc)
two digit figure X 1000 PSI = yield strength
Example
P110
Tubing Hanger
Tubing Hanger
Tubing Head Spool
Tubing
The tubing is a smaller diameter pipe installed inside the casing to
carry the reservoir fluids to the surface.
Flow Coupling
Flow Couplings are used to protect the tubing string from the
turbulent abrasive action of flowing gas or fluids due to changes in
the inner diameter in the tubing string.
Flow couplings are essential in high-rate gas wells.
Sliding Side Door (Sliding Sleeve) SSD
Sliding sleeves provide an efficient method of circulating between
tubing and annulus.
for selectively producing a zone
fluid circulation (treatment)
well kill or contingency
Operated by slickline using a special shifting tool
Side-Pocket Mandrel (SPM)
Side pocket mandrels (SPM) are positioned in a completion to
provide an injection point for gas lift or chemical inhibitors or provide
a circulation facility for well kill purposes.
A SPM allows communication between the tubing and annulus.
1. Guide to oriente the Kick-over Tool
2. Side pocket to receive the Gaslift valve
3. Upper seal bore
4. Ports opened to ensure a communication with annulus
5. Lower seal bore
6. Location where the Gaslift valve will be latched
Packers
Are designed to isolate production zones and the casing annulus
from well pressure. The main types available are:
• Inflatable - typically used in open hole, low-pressure completions or
in well intervention operations.
• Mechanical set - set by tubing string rotation, not common in
completion applications.
• Hydraulic set - set with the application of hydraulic pressure,
available in single or dual string configurations.
• Wireline set - permanent packers can by set on electric line.
Nipples
Nipple profiles are installed at various intervals in the completion
string to permit the installation of lock mandrels and flow-control
devices during slickline operations.
Landing nipples include:
X®, XN®, R®, RN®
Wireline Entry Guide (WEG)
WEG installed on the bottom end of tubing string.
Provide easy access for Slickline tools in POOH.
Types are:
Bell Guide
Mule Shoe Guide
Slickline Pressure Control Equipment (PCE)
Stuffing box
The stuffing box is used to provide a seal
around the slickline as it moves into and out of
the well.
A packing nut compresses, the packing within
the stuffing box to effect the seal.
A sheave is used to effect a 180deg bend and to
guide the wire into the stuffing box packing.
Liquid chamber
The liquid chamber is an optional piece of PCE.
It is located directly below the stuffing box.
It allows lubricants, inhibitors and chemicals to
be pumped into the lubricator and onto the wire
in situations where it is necessary to inhibit for
corrosion, provide lubrication to the wire, or
prevent hydrate formation.
Upper Lubricator sections
In general, lubricator stacks are threaded end
connections.
that employ O-ring seals to enable the components to be
easily connected without special tools.
Lower Lubricator sections
The lower lubricator section has been equipped with two
bleed ports for the installation of bleed valves.
Higher-pressure gas well might cause the valve to freeze
off when bleeding down the lubricator, to change service
tools, before the pressure inside the lubricator is bled off.
Thus, the other valve can be opened to finish
depressurizing the lubricator.
Lubricator length
Consider the tool string length when sizing the lubricator length. The
available length to swallow a tool string is from the top of the swab
valve to the bottom of the stuffing box. This length should be the
TOTAL tool length, line head to bottom nose, plus 3 extra feet
Wireline Valve BOP
It is used to close off and seal around the
slickline without causing damage to the
wire.
As an example, if there is a leak in the one
of the lubricator sections, the wireline
valve would be closed to shut in the well
until the problem was corrected
Slickline Tool String
The Wire
Some Wire Types:
• Bright Steel – most widely used, not for H2S or CO2
• AISI 304 – H2S service
• AISI 316 - H2S service
Nominal Weight of Wire
Wire Size Weight per 1000 ft of wire
0.072 14 lb
0.082 18 lb
0.092 22.6 lb
0.108 31 lb
0.125 44 lb
Torsion testing of wire
Weight indicator system
The weight indicator system is commonly configured as a sealed
hydraulic system. The sensing load cell is attached to the Christmas
tree by a chain and a high-pressure hose connected to the fluid filled
pressure gauge which is calibrated in lb, kg or kN.
The weight indicator enables the operator to detect:
•Wellbore fluid levels
•Changes in fluid density
•Jar action
•Location of downhole equipment
The correction factor
It is applied to the indicated
weight to obtain the true weight
on the wire
Example
With the wire angle at the hay pulley of 110°, the weight indicator reads
900 kg.
Correction factor for 110° = 0.8
Ft (force on the wire) = 900/0.8
Actual line force= 1125 kg
A typical slickline tool string should
consist of:
A - Rope Socket
B - Stem (Weight Bar)
C - Mechanical (Link) Jars
D - Knuckle Joint
E - Service Tool
Rope Socket
The slickline rope socket provides a
means of connecting the tool string to the
end of the wire.
Stem (Weight Bar)
The stem should provide the weight
necessary to overcome the friction and
force and pull the wire into the well.
The amount of stem used in a
tool string is determined primarily by:
The amounts of well pressure (working
against the area of the wire).
The impact required to accomplish the
downhole work to be done.
Typically available in
2, 3 or 5 ft lengths
The required stem weight to pull slickline into the
well
The amount of stem required to overcome the force created by the
tubing head pressure, neglecting other upward forces (friction and
balance weight), can be calculated as:
AxP=F
Where:
A = Cross-section area of slickline
P = Shut-in Wellhead pressure
F = Force or weight of stem required (lbm)
Example
Shut-in pressure=5000 psi
𝜋
Slickline diameter=.092”, area= 𝑥𝐷 = .7854 𝑥.0922 =
4
.0066 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑐ℎ𝑒s
Stem diameter= 1 ½”
Stem length=2’
Upward force
F = .066*5000= 33 lb +50% = 49.5 lb
As a rule of Thumb, to calculate approx. stem weight (For steel stem
only)
𝐷2 x8
= lbs/ft
3
(1 ½)^2*8/3= 6 lbs/ft of stem available
49.5 / 6= 8 feet of stem
Mechanical (Link) Jars
With the mechanical jars attached below the stem, the
weight of the stem can be used to “jar” up by quickly
pulling up on the wire to rapidly “open” the jars
to create an upward impact. To jar down, the wire would
be pulled up slowly to extend the jars and then released
quickly to allow the stem to fall, closing the jars
and creating a downward impact.
Knuckle Joint
The knuckle joint has a ball and socket design to
allow for “swivel” and angular action between the
jars and the tool or control device that is
attached below the knuckle joint.
Service Tools
Service Tools are attached to the bottom of
the Slickline Tool String. Service Tools
perform the necessary tasks to complete
the job objective.
The job objective may require only one
tool to be used such as tagging bottom or
it may require several tools, each with their
own task such as a running tool to set a
downhole
device and the pulling to retrieve the
downhole device.
Gauge cutter
Before any operation inside tubing, it is
recommended to run a Gauge cutter first to ensure
that the required depth can be reached and that the
tubing ID is clear.
Tubing swage
The Tubing Swage is often used to re-open minor
restrictions that have been caused by mechanical
damage to the tubing.
Lead Impression Block
The Impression Tool (commonly called an
impression block) is used primarily in fishing
operations.
Bottom View
Blind Box
It is often used to cut the Slickline off the Rope
Socket to start fishing operations.
Wire Grap
The Wire Grab is commonly used to catch and
retrieve Slickline that has been balled-up.
Tubing End Locator
The Tubing End Locator is used to locate the end
of the tubing. That depth measurement can then
be used as an accurate reference point to relate
Tubing Measurements back to Slickline
Measurements.
Different Levels
SL: Seal Level.
KBL
GL: Ground Level.
GL
KBL: Kelly Bushing Level.
SL
GROUND
SEA
Thank You
