Advanced Wireline Operations Course

Wireline Fishing

Mahmoud F. Radwan
Subsurface & Integrity Op. Act. Dept. Head
 Presenter
Name: Mahmoud Farag Radwan
Mahmoud Radwan is a Subsurface & Integrity
Operations Acting Dept. Head at AMAL Petroleum
Company (AMAPETCO) with more than 12 years of
experience in oil & gas industry. Mahmoud worked in
Well Engineering, Intervention, Integrity & Work-over
Short at several companies, including Badr El-Din Pet. Co.
Biography (BAPETCO), Qarun Pet. Co. (QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel
Petroleum Co. (WASPETCO).
Also, a freelance instructor at upstream Oil & Gas in
Egypt & UAE since 2008.
Mahmoud received a BSc degree in Petroleum
Engineering from Al-Azhar University in 2007.
- Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in
Sour Wells and the Possible Causes to Avoid
Recurrence to the Well Integrity Annual Middle East
Conference in Abu Dhabi; UAE in Apr 2015
- Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and
inspection to the Asset Integrity Management North
Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
- Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water
Publications Separation Technology in gas Reservoirs with Bottom
Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the 20th
Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference in Mar
2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
- Managing the Operational Challenges in Corroded
Wells through Well Integrity Management System to
the Improving Brownfield Performance Technical
Convention, in Cairo; Egypt in Dec 2019
Guidelines Should be Reviewed During
Wireline Fishing Operations
1. Calmly assess the situation and consider
immediate actions to ensure the safety of
personnel and security of the well.

2. Establish control of well site events while

observing standing and special safety
precautions.
• Gather the facts and job design details:
• Well bore diagram
• Depth of tool when wire broke
• Counter reading with wire at known point
• Details of lost tool string
• Review operational circumstances prior to
the break
• Lubricator length and location of zero-point
• Distance from lubricator to unit
Guidelines Should be Reviewed During
Wireline Fishing Operations
3. Establish lines of communication with well site
representative, supervisor and rig superintendent
(if any).
• Prepare a plan of action, considering worst case
scenarios and potential outcomes
• Availability of appropriate equipment - function
and pressure tested
• Prepare detailed procedures and contingency
plans
• Select tool string and jars to ensure functionality
and contingency release
4. Execute the plan of action
• Use diagrams to visualize the down hole
environment
• Run tool string at low speed under a high level of
control
• Maintain constant check of weight indicator
readings
• Do not pass the top of wire, start looking for wire
100 ft above calculated depth
• Maximum ball wire – 5 ft
• Maintain a close record of wire recovered
5. Evaluate operation.
Fishing Necks
Internal Fishing External Fishing
Neck Neck
 Other Considerations

Nipple Sizes
No-Go Nipples
Cutter Bars
Go-Devils

•Make sure you can pass through

the tubing and landing nipples and
still be retrieve
•Size your tools so that Cutters or
Go-Devils can not go along side.
 Slickline
Tool String
Rope Socket
Components

Weight Bar

Jars

Knuckle
Joint
Fishing Tools
Lead Impression
Block
The Impression Tool
(commonly called an
impression block) is used
primarily in fishing
operations.

The tool is lowered into the well

to the top of the fish. One light
to moderate downward stroke
of the jars is usually sufficient
enough to obtain an impression
in the soft lead face. This
impression is then used to
determine the type of tool
necessary for the next step in
the fishing operation.

Bottom View
Wireline Lead Impression Block
Photos Interpretation
Tubular Jars

When there is wire or

debris present that could
foul a set of spang jars.
Blind Box

:Applications
• Dislodge stuck Subsurface
Flow Controls.
• Dislodge or Break Junk.
• Drive an object downhole.
• Cut wire at Rope Socket
 Sizing the Blind Box
Tubing ID ) + (Wire2Rope Socket OD/( – )2OD/
Equals the Blind Box OD

BLIND BOX
Minimum Size

ROPE SOCKET WIRE

 Sizing the Blind Box

Tubing ID – (Wire OD x 4) = Max. Size

or Nipple ID

BLIND BOX
Maximum Size
Wire Finder

Applications:

• Dislodge stuck
Subsurface Flow
Controls.
• Dislodge or
Break Junk .
• Drive an object
downhole .
• Cut wire at Rope
Socket
Wire Grab

Applications:

• Retrieve Wire
Left in Well.
• Chip Ice
Plugs.
• Retrieve
Packing and
Elements.
Kinley Snipper

Application:

•
• Designed to cut the
wire approximately
2.5” above Rope
Socket upon impact
Upside-down Snipper
and
Go-Devil

Application:
• Designed to cut the wire
approximately 22” above
Rope Socket after Go-Devil
impacts plunger.
• Used where rope socket
might not be clear.
• Used in deviated well
where gas lift mandrels
might cause standard
cutter to cut the wire high.
Rotating Knife
Wire Cutter

Application:
• Designed to cut
the wire
approximately
1” above Rope
Socket
Magnetic Fishing
Tool

• The magnet
fishing tool is
practicable for
removing small
pieces of ferrous
metal that may be
resting on top of a
fish preventing
the fish from
being latched.
Tar Baby

• Used to attempt in
recovery of small
non-metallic pieces
• Tar (bitumen) is
inside hollow
bottom
• Temperature from
reservoir activated
• Sit down and tap
down
• Hopefully, fish will
be embedded in tar
• Pull out of hole
slowly
 Broken Wire Calculations
• The amount of fall is measured from the level where
the wire would be if it was standing straight.

Estimated Wire Fall for Various Tubing Diameters

 Types of Fishing Jobs

 Toolstring Stuck wire still intact.

 Toolstring Stuck wire broke .
 Wire broke Toolstring not stuck .
 Tools blown up-hole wire still intact.
 Tools blown up-hole wire broke.
Stuck in well!
Conditions
• Unable to jar free
• Wire still attached to Slickline
unit.
• Wire might break if jarring is
continued.

Recommendations
• Close Wireline Valve
• Bleed Pressure off
Lubricator.
• Attach Cutter to wire.
• Re-Install Lubricator
• Pull 100lbs above wire
weight
• Open Wireline Valve and
allow cutter to fall to Rope
Socket
• Cut wire at Rope Socket
• Retrieve wire
• Prepare program to retrieve
toolstring.
Closing the Wireline Valve
against the
Wire
Closing Hydraulic Wireline
Valve against the
Wire
Stuck in well!
Conditions
• Toolstring is stuck
• Wire broke while jarring to
free and fell downhole
Recommendations
• Close Swab Valve
• Bleed Pressure off
Lubricator.
• Tie new Rope Socket attach
Toolstring using tubular jars
• Attach Blind Box to
Toolstring (3’ to 5’ Stem may
be used)
• Re-Install Lubricator
• Slowly run Blind Box into
well until reaching stuck
tools
• Jar down cutting wire at
Rope Socket
• Pull slowly out of well
• Run Wirefinder to top of wire
and locate.
• Run Wire Grab and retrieve
wire
• Prepare program to retrieve
toolstring.
Lost Tools and Wire!
Conditions
• Toolstring is not stuck
• Wire broke while
running into well.

Recommendations
• Close Swab Valve
• Bleed Pressure off
Lubricator.
• Tie new Rope Socket attach
Toolstring using tubular jars
• Attach Wire Finder to
Toolstring
• Re-Install Lubricator
• Run Wirefinder to top of wire
and locate.
• Run Wire Grab and retrieve
wire and toolstring.
• Close Wireline Valve on Wire
install bar clamp.
• Prepare program to retrieve
wire and toolstring.
Closing Hydraulic Wireline
Valve against the
Wire

Bar Clamp
Toolstring Blown Uphole!

Conditions
• Toolstring is stuck
• Wire is still attached to
the unit at the surface.

Recommendations
• Close WL Valve, Bleed
Pressure off Lubricator.
• Attach Flat Bottom Go-Devil
to Wire, Replace Lubricator,
Pull 100# over wire weight,
Open WL Valve and allow
Go-Devil to Drop.
• Close WL Valve, Bleed
Pressure off Lubricator.
• Attach Cutter to Wire,
Replace Lubricator, Pull 100#
over wire weight, Open WL
Valve and allow Cutter to
Drop.
• Pull wire Out of well
• Prepare program to retrieve
Go-Devil and Toolstring.
Toolstring Blown Uphole!

Conditions
• Toolstring is stuck
• Wire is not attached to
the unit at the surface.
Recommendations
• Close Swab Valve, Bleed
Pressure off Lubricator.
• Prepare program to retrieve
wire and tools.
• Run Wirefinder to top of wire
and locate.
• Run Wire Grab, break and
retrieve wire.
 References
• M. F. Radwan, Advanced
Wireline Operations Training
Course Rev. 3 in Jan. 2020
• Halliburton Slickline Services
Manual in 2010.
• Schlumberger Slickline Training
Manual in 2004.
Thank You