SLICKLINE TRAINING

MANUAL
VOLUME 1

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 TABLE OF CONTENT
1. Meaning of Slickline

2. Slickline Tools

3. PCE’s

4. Slickline Operations

-Drifting Operation

-Plug Installation and Retrieval

-Opening and Closing Of SSD

- Fishing Operation

5. Slickline Rig-Up

6. Pulling and Running Tools

7. Wellhead Components and Functions

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MEANING OF SLICKLINE:
Slickline refers to a single
strand wire which is used to run
a variety of tools down into the
wellbore for several purposes.
Slickline is more commonly
used in production tubing. The
wireline operator monitors at
surface the slickline tension via
a weight indicator gauge and
the depth via a depth counter
'zeroed' from surface, lowers
the downhole tool to the proper
depth, completes the job by
manipulating the downhole tool
mechanically, checks to make
sure it worked if possible, and
pulls the tool back out by
winding the slickline back onto
the drum it was spooled from.
The slickline drum is controlled
by a hydraulic pump, which in
turn is controlled by the 'slickline
operator'

SLICKLINE TOOL STRING

Rope Socket:
This is used to connect slickline to the tool string, using the brace tool.
The Rope Socket assembly consists of a body with an external fishing
neck, a sleeve and a brass wedge.

How To Make Up Rope Socket

Thread line through top of rope socket and sleeve, lay line in groove of
wedge and form around radius at bottom of wedge. (care should be
taken to form the line around the wedge and not bend or kink the line as
this may create a weak spot in line and lead to failure)

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Once the slickline is formed around the wedge, the sleeve should be slid down over the wire and
wedge to hold it in place, the tail of the wire should be trimmed so as not to stick up past top of
wedge.

Swivel Joint
The Swivel Joint is designed to minimize line twisting during deployment of the tool string.
Depending on operational requirements, one or more swivel joints can be inserted into the tool
string above the jars, at the operator’s discretion. Swivel joints are particularly useful when
handling long tools, as the operator does not have to rotate the tools manually during change
out.

STEMS/ SINKER BAR

The stem is a device that essentially helps to add weight to the tool string. It provides the
hammering action to the tool string which in return allows the jars to transmit force produced by
the movement of stem bars. Extra large and extra small OD stems are used based on different
well conditions.

CONVENTIONAL STEM

ROLLER STEM
Roller Stem Bars are designed to replace conventional stem bars for operations in deviated well
bores. The rollers on the stem bar run along the underside wall of the tubing. The use of rollers

greatly reduces the friction that conventional stem bars would encounter.

Jars
A mechanical device used downhole to deliver an impact load to another downhole component,
especially when that component is stuck.

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 TYPES OF JARS
- Mechanical Jar/ Span Jar: Mechanical jars
look like a long, tubular piece of machined
metal that slides longer or shorter
approximately 75% to 90% of its total length.
They give the effect of hammering on the
downhole tools. The weight or hit of the
'hammer' depends on how much sinker bar
is added above the jars. Generally, a
slickline operator controls the downhole
tools with taps and hits from the sinker bar
via the mechanical jars, controlled at surface
by lowering or raising the tool string and
monitoring weight, depth, and pressure.
Mechanical jars for slickline can hit up or
down the hole, making them a versatile
form of jarring.

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- Spring Jar : Spring Jars provide an upward jarring action and
are commonly run with mechanical jars on either standard
intervention operations, or fishing operations.

- Tubular Jar: A Tubular Jar is a special tool that is used in

slickline operations. It is used along a slickline that is
either stretched or warped back. The Tubular Jar is ideally
used in the fishing operations where there is a possibility
of debris or other substances clogging the wellbore.

Tublar Jar

- Hydraulic Jar: Hydraulic jars for slickline are generally meant

to jar up only, because not enough sinker bar is able to
feasibly be lubricated in to jar down on the downhole tools.
Hydraulic jars work by the operator pulling up on the line,
which puts an upward force on the top of the hydraulic jars.
The bottom of the hydraulic jars is usually attached by
threaded connection to the mechanical jars, which are
attached to the downhole tools. Depending on how hard the
operator pulls on the hydraulic jars will affect how fast they
hit, and how hard they hit. When the top is pulled on, the inner mandrel begins to slide upwards.
It has a restriction in it that hydraulic fluid has to bypass as it is pulled upwards, until it reaches
an area of no restriction, allowing it to slide rapidly. The reason for the initial tighter restriction is
to allow the operator to pull his line to the desired hitting range.

Hydraulic Jar

Gauge Cutter

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A gauge cutter is a tool with a round, open-ended bottom which is milled to
an accurate size. Large openings above the bottom of the tool allow for fluid
bypass while running in the hole. Most often a gauge ring will be the first
tool ran on a slickline operation. A gauge ring that is just undersized will
allow the operator to ensure clear tubing down to the deepest projected
working depth; for example 2 7/8" tubing containing 2.313" profiles would
call for a gauge ring between 2.25" - 2.30". A gauge ring can also be used
to remove light paraffin that may have built up in the tubing. Often a variety
of different sized gauges and/or scratchers will be run to remove paraffin
little by little. Gauge cutter can be used for drift runs also.

LIB
If an obstruction is found downhole, a lead impression block can
be run to help determine its nature. The LIB has a malleable
lead base in which the obstruction can leave an impression
when they meet. The LIB is called Wireline Camera because of
its function to mark any object downhole. They are also
sometimes called "confusion" blocks because they only give a
two-dimensional view of the down-hole object, making it hard for
an inexperienced person to determine what three-dimensional
object is in the hole.

BLIND BOX
The Blind Box is generally used when heavy downward jarring is required to clear an
obstruction, dislodge a stuck fish

PCE’s

Stuffing Box
The Stuffing Box is a sealing device connected to the top of the lubricator sections. It allows
the wireline to enter the well under pressure and also provides a seal, should the wireline
break and be blown out of the packing. The stuffing Box will cater for all sizes of slickline
but the size of the wire must be specified to ensure the correct packing rubbers are installed.

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 Hydraulic Stuffing Manaul Stuffing box
box

LUBRICATOR

The lubricator is, in effect; a pressure vessel situated above the Xmas tree, subject to
the
wellhead shut in pressure and also test pressures. For this reason, it should be
regularly
inspected and tested in accordance with Statutory Regulations.
All lubricator sections and accessories subject to pressure must be stainless steel banded;
the band should be appropriately stamped with the following data; - maximum working
pressure, test pressure, and date and rating of last hydrostatic test.

Description
A lubricator allows wireline tools to enter or be removed from the well under pressure. It is a
tube of selected ID, and can be connected with other sections to obtain the desired length.
The following factors govern the selection of Lubricators:

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 i. Shut in wellhead pressure
ii. Well fluid
iii. Wireline tool diameter
iv. Length of wireline tools

The lowermost lubricator section

normally has one or more bleed off
valves installed; a
pressure gauge can be connected to one
of the valves to monitor pressure in the
lubricator. If the lubricator has no facility
to install valves then a bleed off sub, a
short lubricator section with two valves
fitted should be connected between the
wireline valve and lubricator.

Some companies implement a color

coding system. The color coding system
uses one or two bands of color to identify
the service. The pressure rating is
identified by the base color of the item
(e.g. lubricator) or accessory and should
satisfy the following:

QUICK UNION

The connections used to assemble the lubricator and related equipment are referred to
as Quick Union. They are designed to be quickly and easily connected by hand. Quick Union
are the weakest link in a pressure control equipment rig up and they will determine the
overall pressure ratings of the rig up.

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Warning: In general, unions that cannot be loosened easily indicates that high pressure may
be trapped inside. If pressure is not bled off first, unscrewing the union could cause a sudden
release of pressure projecting equipment parts at lethal speeds.

WIRELINE VALVE (BOP)

A wireline valve must always be installed between the wellhead/ xmas tree and
wireline
lubricator. This valve is a piece of pressure control equipment that can close around the
wireline and seal off the well pressure below it. This enables the pressure to be bled off
above
it, allowing work or repairs to be carried out on equipment above the valve without pulling the
wireline tools to surface. A positive seal is accomplished by means of rams, which are
manually or hydraulically closed without causing damage to the wire.

Manual
BOP
Hydraulic BOP

SLICKLINE OPERATION
DRIFTING OPERATION

DRIFT
An accurate machined device that is run through the casing, tubulars and completion
components to ensure free passage of intended operation using minimum ID specification of the
accessory in the program and maximum OD of the intended operation

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.
DRIFT REQUIREMENTS
1. A drift configuration shall be assembled onto the stool string such that :
a) The Drift is the largest diameter of the largest tool to be run or retrieved.
b) The actual Operation is simulated as near as possible in the case of a drift run for electric
line.
2. Run the drift to the required landing nipple or depth of the operation to be performed.

SLICKLINE PLUG

This is a downhole tool that is located and set to isolate the lower part of the wellbore.
Bridge plugs may be permanent or retrievable, enabling the lower wellbore to be permanently
sealed from production or temporarily isolated from a treatment conducted on an upper zone.

Installation Procedure

Step – 1 Check the program to confirm the plug that is to be run

Step – 2 Dress / Prepare the plug, that is making sure the seals and the keys are confirmed to
be okay.
Step – 3 Get the tool and make up the plug.
Step – 4 Check the well Parameters Such as FLP,CHP,SITHP,SICHP
Step – 5 Run the appropriate drift to the expected depth
Step – 6 Make-up the appropriate running tool to the plug
Step – 7 Run in hole with the plug at the maximum speed of 120ft/min
Step – 8 Check your pick up weight as you get to the expected depth
Step – 9 Jar down to Set the plug and check your pick up weight again to confirm the plug is
Sitting at the nipple.
Step – 10 Once confirmed Set, you jar up/down to shear and pull out of hole.

Retrieval Procedure

Step – 1 Make-up the appropriate pulling tool

Step – 2 Run down to the expected depth
Step – 3 Confirm the pressure below and above the plug is same before un-sitting the plug to
avoid to be blown up
Step – 4 Commence to pull out hole.

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 SLIDING SLEEVE DOOR (SSD)

This is completion device that can be operated to

provide a flow path between the production conduit
and the annulus. Sliding sleeves incorporate a system
of ports that can be opened or closed by a sliding
component that is generally controlled and operated
by slickline tool string.

Procedure For Opening & Closing SSD

Step – 1 Confirm the SSD direction for opening /closing

Step – 2 Check the casing and tubing fluid gradient and take all the pressure parameters in
casing and
Tubing and record it.
Step – 3 Make-up your shifting tool according to shifting direction of the SSD
Step – 4 Run in hole to the expected depth to engage the sleeve
Step – 5 Tap and wait to observe if there is change in the casing or tubing pressure
Step – 6 Once You see difference in the pressure gauge, stop and wait for pressure to
equalize before
you complete your shifting procedure and pull out of hole.

FISHING OPERATION
Slickline fishing can be broken down into two distinct categories, Fishing Wire and Fishing
Objects.
Fishing wire is characterized by the locating and recovery of wire which has parted in the
course of a Slickline operation. Fishing Objects is related to the recovery of dropped, lost or
broken items in the well bore, they may be from multiple origins or causes and not just as the
result of a Slickline operational failure.
Slickline is a quick low-cost intervention service which can provides a quick response and
results. The objective of Slickline is to complete a set program as safely and efficiently as
possible without getting the tools stuck or breaking the wire.
However, for many reasons Slickline wire can fail in service, sometimes with catastrophic
results. Wire, tools and equipment can fail, or not function as designed, sometimes with a
catastrophic outcome which may ultimately lead to having to assign a rig to work over a well as
the result of a Slickline fishing job that has gone wrong.

It’s NOT possible to ELIMINATE fishing, things do wrong even in the best run organizations, the
objective is to MINIMISE their occurrence by ensuring that all aspects of the Slickline operation
are thoroughly managed through the use and application of the correct Standards, Procedures

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and Processes
At any point in the operation be prepared to STOP and review the program and objectives
versus progress and available resources and if the assessment requires it, SUSPEND
operations until the situation can be addressed and the correct resources can be mobilized and
available on site.
FIVE CAUSES OF FISHING

1) Equipment Failure
Equipment failure in service, either on surface or downhole, the equipment’s suitability or
functionality has not been checked or verified or the equipment has been incorrectly operated.

2) Well Conditions
well pressures, temperatures, fluids, tubing effects such as buckling and doglegs, deviation and
friction, well fluid chemistry such as H2S, Co2, produced sand or conditions resulting in the
deposits of salts, scale, paraffin wax etc.
3) Maintenance
No formal maintenance organization or the lack of trained maintenance staff, or
inadequate and low quality maintenance

Human Error
Incompetence through the lack of knowledge or skills, poor personnel attributes or
inadequate job performance as the result of multiple conditions such as insufficient
sleep or rest, lack of concentration, distracted, or other personal failing

Methodical Approach to Slickline Fishing

The fishing job potentially starts when a standard operation is disrupted by an unplanned event.
Alternatively the fishing job can be resolved by adopting a process approach and methodically
resolve the situation. Slickline fishing provides a low-cost quick solution which can avoid
potentially costly workover operations.
Areas for Consideration

• Successful fishing jobs require a thorough evaluation, flowed by careful planning and
preparation
• Record keeping must be thorough and accurate, covering each step of the whole
operation

• Review well records to know and understand the history of the well

• Fish, description, ODs (IDs) lengths

• Analyze the fish in the well if there’s any weak points that could break during fishing
operations, ensure contingency planning addresses these potential issues
• Operations at the time the fish occurred, depth of the fish and /or the estimated top of
the wire
• Completion jewelry (packer, nipples, crossovers, SSDs, SPMs) tubing ID will influence
tool

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 Selection

• Well conditions, fluid type and fluid depth, pressures, temperatures

• Deviation impacts wire or cable tensions, wireline cutters and go-devil speeds

• Fluid viscosity affects jarring efficiency, especially jarring down

• Scale, sand, deposits and waxes impact tool movement downhole as well as locating the
top of wire and recovery of objects in the well bore, consideration must be given to their
removal displacement with chemical washes or other methods prior to starting fishing
operations

• Fishing in gas wells improves jarring and tool movements in the well bore, but dropping
wireline cutters and go-devils, with high impact can cause potential damage to the fish,
tool or puncture the tubing or other unplanned issues downhole
• Planning includes contingency planning, what happens if a plan fails to achieve its
objective and includes sourcing all potential tool options

• A complete risk assessment must be completed for all phases of the operation

Slickline Rig-Up
Slickline Rig-up is said to be the making-up of slickline tools and stabbing in the PCE on the
wellhead for achieve a given operation.

Steps on Slickline rig-up

a) Position Slickline equipment

b) Check wellhead connection
c) Make-up tool string
d) Make-up Lubricator sections according to the length of tool string
e) Make-up rope socket and attach to tool string
f) Enter tool string in the lubricator and make-up stuffing box to the lubricator sections
g) Make-up stuffing box hydraulic hose.
h) Clamp the wire on the lower lubricator section
i) Put the tag line to the lower lubricator section
j) Make-up manifold at the lower lubricator section with pressure gauge and bleed off hose
k) Make-up Wellhead x-over and Pump-T
l) Make-up BOP on the Pump-T
m) Pick up the lubricator sections and stab it on the BOP.

Note: Make sure the seals in on the PCE are well protected and also hold the tag line while
picking the PCE

PULLING & RUNNING TOOLS

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 PULLING TOOLS
Pulling tools are a class of downhole intervention tool designed for retrieving devices from well
bores. All downhole intervention equipment will (should) have a standardized ‘fishing neck’
which a pulling tool engages and latches on to. Fishing necks have universal standard industry
dimensions which correspond to the size of the tubing the downhole devices are run in. Fishing
necks can have either an internal or external profile.
In the event that a device cannot be recovered from the wellbore, pulling tools can be released
from the fishing neck by shearing a pin in the tool. Shear pins depending on the type of tool are
sheared either by jarring up or jarring down.

Pulling tools are described and/or classified by the following:

• Internal or external latch

• Jar up or jar down to shear to release
• Size (nominal) 2”, 2-1/2”, 3” and 4” (see pulling tool table)
• Reach

Nominal Size
Is the size used for the description in name only, as a rule of thumb it is the true size rounded up
or down, as an example, a 1.77” OD RB pulling tool is rounded up and becomes a 2.00”
nominal RB pulling tool.
Internal Dimension (ID)
Tubing and casing, depending on the weight, will have a physical internal diameter.

Drift ID
The maximum guaranteed internal diameter of a tubing or casing and is the reference size for
Slickline
operations in determining the largest size tool or device that can safely pass.

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RB: RB Pulling Tool is a tool that helps in fetching the subsurface devices that have fishing
necks. The tool has long core but cannot go far as it has short reach. However, timely
inspection is needed to protect the tool from getting damaged, deformity, and cracking

SB: SB Pulling Tools are used to employ external fish necks on subsurface devices inside the
wellbore. These pulling tools have long cores with short reach. The tool is used to retrieve
subsurface tools where debris might block the latching of fish neck.

JUC: JUC Pulling Tool is designed in such a way that it has a long core with a short reach. The
“JU” series is divided into three parts named as JUC-U, JUC-2, and JUC-TD. The JUC-2
increases the limit of OD to maximum whereas JUC-U and JUC-TD reduce the value of OD.

JDC: JDC Pulling Tool is used to run or retrieve the equipment or subsurface tools with the help
of external JDC fish style neck. Due to its simple and robust design, the tool can run to the
depth conveniently. However, nozzles are fitted to avoid the flow restriction problems.

GS: GS Pulling Tool can be used to deploy and retrieve the subsurface devices with internal fish
necks. It can be released from devices by jarring down. This tool is advised where the
downward jarring on subsurface device is needed before pulling.

GU: Used most commonly for retrieving down hole components, that require downward
movement or jarring during pulling sequence.

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GR: The GR Pulling Tool is assembled by attaching a GU Adapter sub to the top of a GS Pulling
Tool. The shear pin must be removed from the shear down GS Pulling Tool and a shear pin
installed in the GU Adapter sub.

Note: The above tools can also be used as running tools

RUNNING TOOLS

Running Tools are generally used to run and set down the slickline locks or plugs or permanent
packers into a wellbore. Once the slickline locks and plugs effectively settle in the well bottom
the Running Tool is brought back to the surface. These tools are also used to carry various
other tools into the wellbore such as:

• Downhole chokers
• One way check valves usually TKX style plugs
• Instrument hangers
• Tubing plugs

A Running Tool is also called as a setting tool

W Running
The PARVEEN ‘W’ Running Tool sets type B, C and W slip type mandrels
in the tubing. The W Running Tool consists of a top sub complete with a
fishing neck and sucker rod pin connection, a middle sub, a bottom sub, a
collet set and an inner core. When the desired setting depth has been
reached the tools are picked up to set the slips and expand the rubber
element. Once set, the pin in the W Running Tool can be sheared and the
prong can be withdrawn from behind the collet, allowing the running tool to
release from the mandrel.

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RX Running Tool

The PARVEEN “RX” Running Tool sets X, XN, R, RN, and RQ Locking
Mandrels in the top type X, XN, R, RN and RQ landing nipples. This tool is
generally used for installing safety valves in the uppermost landing nipple.
With this tool, the lock mandrel may be run with the keys in the control or
locating positions. The lock mandrel keys PARVEEN as a no-go to locate
the nipple rather than the dogs on the running tool. When a non-no-go lock
is being run, the keys must be run in the locating position and the lock must
be set in the first nipple in the bore of that lock. The position of a snap ring
in the tool gives a positive indication when the lock is fully set.

X-Line Running Tool

The X Line type running tool is specially designed for providing a
service of either running or setting the Otis X & XN type lock
mandrels. The main feature of this running tool is that it can run or
move in either non selective or selective position.

X-Line
Running Tool
C1 running tool
The C1 running tool is used for running and setting the various types of
Baker style lock mandrels or bypass blanking plugs.
The C1 running tool can typically be used for any of the baker style
equipment that utilizes an external fishing neck.
The C1 running tool utilizes no-go rings to prevent the running tool from
passing through profiles with the pre-determined sub surface tools
attached or pinned to the running tool.

C-1 Running Tool

WELLHEAD COMPONENTS AND FUNCTION

A Wellhead is a structure that is installed at the top of a natural oil or gas well. Its main
function is to ensure a safe operation and manage the flow of oil or gas from the well
into the gathering-system. It is a system composed of valves, spools and assorted
adapters that control the pressure of the production well. It acts as an interface between
the surface facilities and the casing-strings in the wellbore.

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COMPONENTS

1. CASING HEAD: The casing head, also referred to as a casing bowl, Is the lowest part of the
wellhead assembly. The bottom of the casing head is configured to attach to the casing below
(typically, the surface casing). The upper inside of the casing head provides a bowl in which the
next casing string can be set and sealed (if required). The top of the casing head then connects
to the next wellhead component. A casing head may also be supplied with a landing base plate
that takes the weight load off the surface casing and spreads it over the conductor pipe. Access
to the annulus between the surface casing and the next casing string is available through side
outlets.

CASING HEAD FUNCTION

a) Isolate the inside of the surface casing from the outside environment.
b) Provide a platform for and a means to test the rig BOP stack during drilling and well
servicing operations
c) Support or transfer the weight of drilling and workover equipment during drilling and well
servicing operations
d) Allow for suspending and packing off the next casing string
e) Provide access to the surface inner casing annulus for monitoring and fluid return
purposes.
f) Access to the annulus is available through side outlets drilled through the casing head.

CASING SPOOL

If a well includes one or more intermediate casing strings between the surface and production
casing, the next component required after the casing head is the casing spool. The bottom of
the casing spool mounts on top of a casing head or previous spool, and the top connects to the
next spool or tubing head assembly. The spool is designed so the bottom bowl or counter-bore
will allow a secondary seal to be set on the previous casing string, while the top bowl will hold a
casing hanger to suspend and allow a primary seal around the next string of casing. Multiple
casing spools may be used, one on top of the other, to hang intermediate casing strings and the
final production casing string.
CASING SPOOL FUNCTION
a) Allow for a secondary seal on the previous casing string in the counter-bore.
b) With a secondary seal in place, flange or hub seals and casing hanger seals are
isolated from internal casing pressure.
c) Provide a port for pressure testing primary and secondary casing seals and flange
connections.
d) Provide a platform to support, seal and pressure test the BOP during drilling and well
servicing operations.
e) Provide a load shoulder and controlled bore in the top bowl to support the next casing
hanger and enable a primary seal for the next intermediate or production casing.
f) Provide annular access for fluid returns or fluid injections and pressure monitoring,
through side outlets drilled in the spool assembly.

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CASING HANGER
Both casing heads and casing spool assemblies may require the use of casing hangers. Casing
hangers attach to the end of a given casing string and suspend and seal the casing string in the
top bowl of a casing head or spool. Casing hangers come in two main varieties: – Slip type
hangers that are installed around the casing after it is run, either before or after the casing is
cemented into place. Slip type casing hangers are used as a contingency when pipe is stuck,
allowing the casing to be cut off and set where it sits
CASING HANGER FUNCTION
a) To suspend the load of the casing string from the casing head or spool.
b) To center the casing in the head.
c) To provide a primary seal against the inside of the casing head and isolate the casing
annulus pressure from upper wellhead components.

Swab valve + cap and gauge

The swab valve is yet another manually operated valve which provides direct vertical access to
the well for well interventions. The T-cap and gauge are visual indicators of what valve is open;
for example, when the kill wing valve is open and the swab valve is closed, the gauge should
read 0 psig (no pressure), and when the production wing valve is open and the swab is open,
the pressure should read the value determined by the well manufacturer. They can also include
digital temperature valves and other monitoring systems to keep the well safe, as too many
manual valves can leave space for operator error.

Lower master valve

The lower master valve is a gate valve used to limit the amount of flow into the Christmas tree
from the wellhead. It is manually actuated in most cases and is kept in a restricted, partially
open position during production.

Upper master valve

The upper master valve is a failsafe measure in case the lower master valve fails or if
maintenance on the Christmas tree must be performed. It is often a remotely actuated valve and
is automatically shut when the safety signal is sent to prevent all flow to the Christmas tree.

Kill wing valve

The kill wing valve is another manual valve which is the connection point for injection. Fluid such
as corrosion preventers, methanol, dehydration formulas, etc. can be injected via this valve.
They are also known as side-arm valves or secondary wing valves.

Production wing valve + choke

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The production wing valve, often located 180 degrees from the kill wing valve, is an
automatically actuated component that requires positive hydraulic pressure to remain open. It
prevents injection/flow to the well under emergencies or maintenance and is often paired with a
choke to control flow volume and pressure out of the well. This choke is considered the “tap”
where fuel will flow from, so regulating the flow rate is very important to this part.

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