Product spotlight: Slick-E-Line^®

Time is money in our industry and the ability to optimise well intervention operations by making informed decisions in-situ and in real-time is of great value.

Slickline, with its small footprint and simplified pressure control equipment, has long been viewed the most cost-effective service operation for offshore platform and RLWI situations. Electric line rig-ups were still required for depth critical applications however where real-time downhole depth control was needed.

Traditional slickline operations with real-time data streaming from downhole tools

Slick-E-Line® an innovative new slickline technology, combines the efficiency and versatility of traditional slickline with the real-time data streaming capability of electric line. It is the ideal technology for well interventions that otherwise require multiple slickline and electric line rig-up changes, where platform space is limited or in RLWI situations where the use of braided electric line carries additional problems and limitations.

Slick-E-Line® technology typically delivers 2 to 5 days rig-time savings (or more than 50%) compared to traditional slickline and electric line operations. Watch the video here.

A service company operating in Alaska recently reported successful deployment of Slick-E-Line® in setting a tubing patch in a field with known downhole scale challenges such as packers failing to bite into the tubular wall and causing a fish. The ensuing operations included fishing the packer, running an explosive string shot for clearing the scale, setting the upper and lower packers with an explosive setting tool and replacing the bottom gas lift valve. All these services were completed with a single rig-up and the Slick-E-Line® systems telemetry performed perfectly throughout and no damage to the slickline was experienced. This particular Slick-E-Line® job saved approximately five days of rig time compared to the traditional slickline/electric line approach that requires multiple rig-ups and equipment scheduling to complete.

Traditional slickline operations with real-time surface control over downhole activation tools

On another project, an operator wished to improve wellsite efficiency and requested switching from a timer based explosive electronic trigger to a surface controlled on demand real-time device. The Slick-E-Line® systems offers real-time depth correlation with CCL (GR optional) and surface controlled explosive trigger and this system safely and accurately completed 65 real-time on-command explosive runs.

Slick-E-Line® systems are successfully deployed in Alaska as well as Gulf of Mexico, offshore Australia, North Sea and the Middle East. The Slick-E-Line® value proposition to minimise rig-ups allows operators to complete more runs per workday and reduce costs.