Published: 01/01/2014
Published: 01/01/2014
Slickline-conveyance services have long been used in the exploration and production industry, with much of the slickline equipment, processes, and capabilities remaining relatively unchanged. Mechanical services have remained slickline’s mainstay. Evolutionary enhancements resulting from developments in metallurgical engineering are applied to the line itself and the mechanical tools deployed, along with improvements in pressure-control and winch technology used to deploy the tools and services safely in live wells. Slickline services have most recently seen a move toward on-command services and job-recording capability through telemetry enablement of the slick wire, combined with purpose-built downhole tools and a computer command-and-acquisition system. With telemetry-enabled slickline, its real-time data acquisition and control capabilities enhance and expand not only the remedial and measurement services on offer through slickline conveyance, but also the more-routine mechanical services that make up the majority of slickline applications. Case examples highlight two single-well subsea plug and abandonment operations, and recent subsea intervention operations for two customers in the Gulf of Mexico.