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Sec D BC Seasoning
Sec D BC Seasoning
Sec D BC Seasoning
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SLICKLINE CONNECT
Braided Cable
Seasoning
Due to the torque that always builds up in a cable, to a certain extent through manufacturing, but mainly due
to spooling it is necessary to season or normalise a cable at the beginning of its working life. A properly
seasoned cable will have an extended life whereas a cable which hasn’t been seasoned correctly is highly
likely to fail fairly quickly. It cannot be stressed enough how important the seasoning process is. The torque
in the cable is not particularly an issue as long it is managed correctly and the cable is worked under tension.
Once a cable enters operations it immediately sees conditions it hasn’t been exposed to before:
High tensions
High temperatures
Free to rotate
Running speeds and well pressure are two factors which can
‘unbalance’ a cable and must remain a focus during cable seasoning.
High pressure wells can cause cable issues with the high line wiper
and grease injection pressures required for well control which cause
torque to build up in the cable as a result of passing through the
grease injection assembly. Twisted Over Torqued Cable
Running into a well too fast at low tension does not allow the cable to rotate and balance torque
Pulling out too fast can result in bird caging or stranded wire as the cable tends to unwrap itself below
the grease injection head
Seasoning
The cable should be run with a heavy tool string which is free to rotate and ideally run in a vertical well,
deviated wells add frictional forces to the cable which will limit rotation.
It is recommended that two swivel joints are used below the rope socket during seasoning.
Wells with high well pressures should also be avoided as high line wiper and grease injection pressures will
cause sudden tension changes as the cable passes through the grease injection head, firstly at a point directly
below the lowest flow tube where well pressure tries to lift the cable and also directly below the wireline
wiper, resulting in low cable tension areas. A cable passing through a pressurised restriction will tend to
unwind itself. Extreme over pressuring in the GIH will result in a loose outer layer which will lead to bird
caging and/or stranded cable.
Wireline wiper pressure must be carefully monitored throughout the operation, it should be maintained at a
pressure that is sufficient to control well pressure with over stressing the cable. A correctly applied line wiper
should as a rule of thumb add 100lbs tension to the cable
Running and pulling speeds are critical to the life of the cable and should be clearly defined prior to starting
the operation. Guideline maximum speeds would be within the range of 100-300ft/min
A typical seasoning procedure is in effect a yoyo process moving the tools up and down the well bore getting
progressively deeper in the well and exposing more cable with each yoyo cycle. At pre-determined depths
stopping and pulling the tools back up. For instance, the tools are run to 500ft, stop for 30 seconds which
allows the cable to rotate and making a note of the static cable tension. Then pull up 200ft not exceeding
120% of the static weight. The tools are then lowered to a 1000ft, stop for 30 seconds again allowing the
cable to rotate and noting the static cable tension. Then pull up to 800ft not exceeding 120% of the static
weight. This step by step procedure will continue down the well. In perfect circumstances a new cable should
be seasoned over 20 runs.
In addition to normalising the torque, seasoning also beds in the layers of the cable which will in effect reduce
the OD of the cable. A heavy toolstring as opposed to a light toolstring accelerates the bedding process.
Flow tube selection is very important and the diameter of the cable must be monitored through the seasoning
period to ensure the correct flow tubes are being used. Flow tube clearance should be between 0.004 –
0.008” for a standard the cable, and 0.010” for a formed cable.
All runs should be recorded using a ZChart which has been set up to reflect the seasoning steps that will be
used. The ZChart provides a positive record of the seasoning procedure and should be added to the cable
history file. In addition, it is always good practice to use a ZChart for braided cable runs as a back-up depth
reference.
It should be noted that new cables are more susceptible to torque issues than a used cable. In a new cable the
strands and the interstitial spaces are clean and free from any well debris, grease, or even surface corrosion.
These will build up with exposure to well fluids and operations and provide a certain amount of friction in the
strands and layers which in effect reduces cable rotation.