The electronically activated nonexplosive wireline cutter drops from surface to sever slicklines and cables when a toolstring becomes stuck downhole. The cutter is activated via an electronic timer and trigger module.

The cutter was originally designed to cleanly cut slickline and wireline cables ranging from 0.105 in. to 5/16 in. As wireline cables become larger and more complex, the need for a more robust wireline cutter was needed to cut cable with outer diameters as large as 0.59 in.

Preprogrammed countdown times and optional custom programming capabilities support target depth and activation assurance without reliance on explosives or impact against the stuck toolstring to make a cut. The features of the unique electronically activated nonexplosive wireline cutter are outlined and several case studies presented from onshore and offshore operations.