Welltest 101: Wireline (Slickline) Reporting

Braided electronic wireline (e-line) instruments include open hole logs (sonic, neutron) and production logs (pressure, temperature, and gradiometer recorders, and flow spinners), or even video cameras. For welltesting, pressure recorders (bombs) are the primary slickline instrument.

Down the casing, bridge plugs, packers, and perforating guns can be run by braided wireline.

In the tubing, gauge rings are run to tag fill or fluid or to be sure there are no obstructions before running other tools. Other devices include isolation plugs (and equalization prongs), collar stops (darts), sliding sleeve shifting tools, and sample (fluids) or measurement (pressure) instruments. Overshots are run to retrieve tools. Jars are run to apply upward or downward striking forces, sometimes to set tools but also to shear safety pins and get out of the hole, leaving a stuck tool (fish) behind. Impression blocks have a facing of lead and are run to evaluate obstructions and fish, but can also be good for locating a liquid level. There are many fishing tools, including wire catchers, over-shots, junk baskets, and magnets. Swabbing is also done with wireline, and wax cutters are run on wire. These are just a few of the basic tools, there are far too many to get specific.