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SLICKLINE CONNECT
Downhole Tools
Tool String Components

Tool string components make up the bulk of the tool string during all Slickline interventions, in conjunction
with the wire these components provide the conveyance and means to access the well bore to perform
different maintenance and remedial tasks as well as to set or recover a wide variety of devices in the well.

The selection of the individual components that go to make up the tool string is dependent on a number of
factors which must be carefully considered in order to arrive at the correct selection and their arrangement
within the tool string. The correct tool selection will critically affect the success of the intervention.

The primary factors that affect tool string selection are: -

Job / run objective

The type of job that is planned will be one of the prime drivers for selecting different tool string components.

Completion component ID’s, tubing, landing nipples, SSD’s etc

The diameter of the completion drives the choice of tool string diameter, especially in smaller diameter
tubing where the ability to fish a Slickline tool is a major consideration.

Target depth
The deeper the run target depth the higher the wire tensions, simply because of the weight of the wire and
the friction on the wire from the tubing wall. In addition the well may be deviated and there could be a high
viscosity oil in the well bore, coupling these factors together and the constraints of Slickline interventions at
depth becomes apparent. Careful tool string design and pre-job planning will help to address these factors.

Well Deviation
To address well deviation the tool string design must be configured to reduce drag and high wire tensions
while providing flexibility to navigate tight spots in the completion, this can be accomplished by considering
the following: -
 Roller stem, roller centralisers and roller subs, such as Roller Bogies, reduce the friction of the
tool string
 Shorter tool strings
 Smaller diameter tool strings
 Using knuckle joints for increased flexibility

Dog Leg Severity (DLS)

Dog legs can be due to the tubing buckling (corkscrewed) as a result of too much weight set on the packer
and the consequent expansion of the tubing due to raised flowing temperatures or as the result of issues
during drilling, where the drilled hole has changed direction faster than planned. In cases of High Dog Leg
Severity tool choices focus on adding flexibility to the tool string to enable the passage through ‘tight spots’
in the completion, which also result in higher wire tensions because of the increased friction on the wire.

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Well Fluids
The typical fluids encountered during Slickline interventions are oil, gas and water. In oil, the density and
viscosity of the oil impact tool operations and tool movement, in gas there is little or no resistance to the
passage or operation of the tool string, but jarring effectiveness increases considerably and caution must be
taken to avoid damaging tools and equipment

Well fluid viscosity

Well fluid viscosity has a large impact on the movement of the tool string through the fluid, high viscosity
fluids slow the tool string and reduce jarring impacts. In extreme situations Slickline interventions cannot be
performed and it may be necessary to displace the tubing contents to a less viscous fluid such as diesel.

Pressure
Well pressure affects the amount of weight required in the tool string as weight is needed to overcome
pressure acting on the cross sectional area of the wire as it passes through the stuffing box, the higher the
well pressure the more weight required. Stem bar provides the necessary weight.

Program & Well Files

The well history file is an important source of information, providing a summary of previous interventions and
any issues encountered during those interventions as well providing information on well pressures and fluids
and completion data. A Client provided program should include a reference to the Well History File and the
program should be planned accordingly.

Intervention Planning
Critical interventions can be simulated and planned using proprietary programs such as NOV’s Cerberus
Modelling Software, the software can predict and analyse the forces at each stage of the intervention and
enable the correct tool string configuration and jar settings.

Tool String Selection & Two Basic Must Do Rules

1) For every Slickline tool run into the well it must be possible to fish it using Slickline methods

2) A spring, hydraulic or upstroke jar must be included in addition to a mechanical jar in all tool strings run
below 1000ft

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Tool string Components

Slickline tool string components are manufactured to industry standards – diameters, fishing necks and
connections. Tool string diameters are made to match tubing drift dimensions, especially in the smaller
tubing sizes (2”, 2-1/2” & 3-1/2”).

Tool string OD 1 1-1/4 1-1/2 1-7/8 2-1/8 2-1/2 2-11/16

Fishing Neck 3/4 1-3/16 1-3/8 1-3/4 1-3/4 2-5/16 3-1/8

5/8 1-1/16
SR Connection 5/8 or 15/16 1-1/16 or 1-9/16 -
15/16 1-9/16

QLS Connection 1-1/2 1-7/8 2-1/8 2-1/2 2-11/16

All dimensions in inches

Basic Tool String Components

Rope Socket
Stem (Steel)
Mechanical Jar (Spang, Link jar) (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)

Additional Tool String Components

Knuckle Joint
Swivel Joint
Heavy Weight Stem (Lead, Tungsten)
Roller Stem
Tubular Jar (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)
Linear Jar (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)
Hydraulic Jar (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)
Spring Jar (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)
Upstroke Jar (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)
Accelerator, Stretch Simulator

Rope Socket
The rope socket provides the link between the wire and the tool string. For Slickline wire there are two types
of rope socket, Knot or No-Knot. The Knot style rope socket was in use when the wire sizes were smaller than
commonly used today, 0.082”, 0.092” and 0.105”. In the Knot style rope socket the wire is bent round a
thimble (disc) and wrapped around itself to make the knot, but with wire sizes 0.108” and bigger this was not
possible and the No-Knot style rope socket came into common use.

In the No-Knot type rope socket design the wire is bent round a tapered device called a pear drop, the pear
drop makes up into a corresponding tapered sleeve, the wire is then held and constrained between the two
tapers. The pear drop is normally made from brass while the sleeve is made from steel. The pear drop has a
groove which corresponds to the diameter of the wire and a grub screw in its base for retaining the wire pear

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drop until it is fully bedded in and formed and secured between the two tapers. The sleeve is designed so the
wire knot can rotate in the rope socket body

In some designs the tapered sleeve is not used and the female taper is machined directly into the rope
socket body.

To make a rope socket, the wire is passed through the body of the rope socket from the top and through the
sleeve. The wire is bent around pear drop groove so that the end of wire is approximately 2/3 of the way
along one side of the pear drop. When the wire conforms to the shape of the pear drop the sleeve is slid
down over the pear drop at which point the grub screw tightened and the wire will be firmly secured. The
sleeve and pear drop are then pulled into the rope socket body. Under tension the pear drop will be pulled
firmly into the taper of the sleeve.

Stem
Stem or weight bars provide the weight or mass in the tool string. Standard steel stem is available in industry
standard lengths of 2’, 3’ or 5’, and standard OD’s, 1-1/4”, 1-1/2”, 1-3/4”, 1-7/8”, 2-1/8”, 2-1/2” and for HD
fishing applications 2-11/16” OD. A stem bar is supplied with male and female tool string connections, either
sucker rod threads or male and female Quick Lock connections and a fishing neck corresponding to the OD of
the stem bar.

Weight is needed in the tool string to overcome the well pressure acting on the cross sectional area of the
wire as in enters the well at the stuffing box. In controlling the pressure at the stuffing box hydraulic pressure

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is applied on the packing which in turn results in a frictional force on the wire, stem weight is required to
overcome the friction.

The weight or mass of the stem is required for effective jarring. The weight of the stem coupled to the
acceleration of the tool string generates an impact force

Rule of Thumb - the weight of a steel stem bar can be determined by: - OD2 (stem) x 8/3 = weight lbs/ft

Rule of Thumb - 8ft of stem is considered the standard / optimum length of stem to be used in the majority
of interventions

Mechanical Jars
See section 13 Jars and jarring

Knuckle Joint
Knuckle joints are used to provide flexibility in the tool string, where flexibility is often required in deviated
wells, or for passing through tight spots in the tubing, or passing in and out of the tubing shoe, or to improve
the tool alignment during setting or pulling operations. The positioning of the knuckle joint in the tool string
is not fixed and it depends on a number of factors relating to the well and the type of operation. The knuckle
joint can be placed above a pulling tool, or it can be positioned above the jars or in between sections of stem
bar or below the rope socket, there are no hard or fast rules.

A knuckle joint is a ball and socket joint which provides a maximum of 15o of lateral movement. A knuckle
joint consists of two subs, the lower sub has a female tool string connection at the bottom and a fishing neck
at the top. A threaded stem, pinned to the lower sub, connects to the top sub with a ball which sits in a
socket in the upper sub. The top sub has a tool string connection and fishing neck threaded and pinned to
the sub.

If too many knuckle joints are used in a tool string they can have a negative impact, one example, when
jarring down the impact will be reduced as the effective impact will be dissipated by too much sideways
movement of the tool string.

A knuckle joint directly below the rope socket can be an advantage for going into and out of the tubing, but
latching a rope socket with a knuckle joint below in a vertical well can be difficult.

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Swivel Joint
A Swivel joint is installed directly below the rope socket and are used in the tool string to allow the tool string
to rotate to avoid twisting the wire or cable.

A swivel joint consists of an upper and lower subs connected by a shaft which is threaded and pinned to the
lower sub and free to rotate in the upper sub, a thrust bearing is used to provide a frictionless free rotation
which is effective even under high line tensions. The upper sub has a standard fishing neck and tool string
connection. The lower sub has a standard tool string box connection.

It should be noted that swivel and knuckle joints are not interchangeable: -
A knuckle joint provides tool string flexibility
A swivel joint allows the tool string to rotate

Lead and Tungsten Stem

Some intervention applications, such as flowing pressure and temperature surveys, required additional
weight in the tool string but constraints like rig up height may prevent the addition of standard steel stem, in
which case lead or tungsten stem can provide the additional weight, see the table below. In both cases the
stem are manufactured as hollow tubes with the top and bottom connections threaded to the tube, lead or
tungsten elements are inserted into the tube.
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Lead filled stem should not be used for jarring as the lead will move downwards which can result in the stem
housing splitting, tungsten stem can be used for jarring applications.

Both tungsten and lead have a higher density (mass per unit volume) than steel, as follows:
Steel 491 lbs/ft3 7850 kg/m3
Lead 708 lbs/ft3 11340 kg/m3
Tungsten 1223 lbs/ft3 19600 kg/m3

Cost can be a factor in the choice of materials, steel 500 $/ton, lead 1580 $/ton and Tungsten 5100 $/ton

Examples of Stem Bar Weights (SR Connections)

2ft Long 3ft Long 5ft Long

1-1/4 1-1/2 1-7/8 2-1/8 2-1/2 1-1/4 1-1/2 1-7/8 2-1/8 2-1/2 1-1/4 1-1/2 1-7/8 2-1/8 2-1/2

Steel 8 12 19 24 34 12 18 28.5 36 50 20.5 30 47.5 60 83

Lead 9 13.5 22 28 40 13.5 20 33 42 56 23 33 55 70 92

Tungsten 10 17 28 38 48 15.5 25 42 56 70 26.5 41 70 83 115

Dimensions in inches, weights in lbs

Roller stem
A method of reducing the friction of the stem against the tubing wall in deviated wells is to add rollers to the
stem. The use of rollers adds some maintenance, inspection and pre-job checks to their use, the most
common design is large diameter rollers with a an axel retained by pins or grub screws. The axels can either
run on bushings or bearings. All these components must be carefully inspected before use to ensure they are
functioning as designed and are securely fitted and properly installed, and that they are not damaged and
will neither fail or become lost downhole.

Careful consideration must be given to the increased diameter of roller stem, for instance, 1-1/2” roller stem
will have an effective OD of 1.8” and 1-7/8” roller stem an effective OD of 2.125”.

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Jars – (see section 13 Jars & Jarring)

Stretch Simulator and Accelerator

Stretch simulators and accelerators are used to compensate for insufficient stretch or
elasticity in the wire when jarring near the surface with spring or upstroke jars. A stretch
simulator uses a compression spring. An accelerator uses Belville washers and provides a
greater range of compression and are better suited to very high tension jarring
applications.

Wire under tension is a store of potential energy due to the wire’s elasticity, this
potential energy increases the impact force when the jar fires, near the surface due to
the lack of the wire elasticity the potential energy is missing. Jarring near the surface with
a spring jar without an accelerator may result in the wire breaking at or close to the rope
socket.

The wire’s elasticity also plays an important role in protecting the wire from breaking or
parting as the result of the shock on the wire when the jars fire.

Jarring near the surface the accelerator or stretch simulator is installed in the tool string
directly below the rope socket. On applying tension to operate the jars the accelerator or
stretch simulator springs are steadily compressed in proportion to the tension applied,
consequently the jars must fire before the stretch simulator or accelerator springs
become coil bound to ensure that the jarring is effective and that the wire is not exposed
to any shock forces as a result of the jars firing. When the jar fires the upward
acceleration of the spring in the accelerator enhances the speed and subsequently the
impact force of the jar.

Accelerators can also be used to improved jarring performance at depth in deviated

wells.

Crossovers
Tool string crossovers are often required to connect tools with different connections
together, whether it’s different sucker rods thread sizes or a quick lock to sucker rod
connection. It is always necessary to have the correct crossovers for every application
and an important part of the pre-job preparations is to ensure that the right crossovers
are available in the tool box.

Quick lock connections make tool changes between runs simpler and quicker and in the
case of tools with sucker rod threads it is good practice to use a quick lock crossover
made up to male pin on the work tool and to the female box on the mechanical jar.

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Tool string Checks & Inspections

All Slickline tools in field use will be subject to wear and potential damage in the course of normal operations
and it is important that each tool string component is carefully checked and inspected as part of the well site
pre-job checks before starting operations.

Tool Connections
Inspect all threads, checking for damage, wear and corrosion. The pin threads are simple to inspect, but it is
the box threads where the corrosion can and will occur. It is always good practice prior to putting tools back in
to storage at the end of the job to clean and lubricate all sucker rod threads. Always observe how a sucker rod
thread makes up, if it appears loose then it is likely to be worn and should not be used.

Similarly with Quick Locks, a careful inspection of the pin and box are required, the pin should slide into the
box and rotate easily by hand and the locking plate should audibly snap into position, if it is difficult to make
up a Quick Lock then it needs to be serviced. If the Quick Lock connection is loose when it is assembled then it
has effectively worn out and should be replaced. Wear gauges are available for QLS connections and can be
used to check the condition and the amount of wear in the connection. Female quick lock connections should
be maintained periodically. This requires the removal of the lock plate and spring, the spring condition should
be checked and its length measured and the spring changed if it is below tolerance.

Fishing Necks
Using of pipe wrenches to make up and break out sucker rod connections will expose fishing necks to damage,
either due to the pipe wrench being misplaced or if the wrench slips. Fishing necks must be inspected and
redressed if they show signs of damage. If redressed they should be checked with a pulling tool to verify a
clean latch and release.

Rope Socket
Inspect the rope socket for burrs around the wire hole, which could cause damage to the wire.

Knuckle Joint
Knuckle joint flexibility needs to be checked, the top and bottom subs checked for tightness, there must be no
play in any threads and the roll pins are correctly and securely installed

Swivel
Swivel joint movement needs to be checked and that the top and bottom subs are fully tightened with no play
and that roll pins are correctly and securely installed. The thrust bearing should demonstrate a clean
movement and should be periodically greased.

Stem
Plain stem is subject to inspections only

Roller Stem
The roller assemblies must be carefully checked and inspected. Firstly to ensure the rollers and roller axels are
properly secured in the stem body and that the rollers rotate freely. Secondly, all grub screws and retaining
pins are properly tight and secure, check each one individually before each run.

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Accelerator
At the beginning of the operation the setting of the bevelled spring washers must be checked to ensure the
correct spring arrangement and rating meets the operations requirements. The top and bottom subs may be
threaded and pinned (with roll pins) to the body, the pins must be unbroken and fit securely and tightly into
the pin holes.

Mechanical (Spang) Jars

Inspect spang jars for buckling, bending, bowing, and check for smooth operation.

Tubular Jars
Inspect tubular jars and check for smooth movement of the jar rod. Verify the top and bottom sub
connections to the jar body are fully tightened and that roll pins are correctly and securely installed. Check the
fishing neck is fully tightened and correctly pinned to the jar rod.

Linear Jars
Inspect Linear jars for smooth movement of the jar rod. Verify top and bottom sub connections to the jar
body are fully tightened and that roll pins are correctly and securely installed. Check the fishing neck is fully
tightened and correctly pinned to the jar rod.

Hydraulic Jars
After each use replace the hydraulic oil in the jar. Check the top and bottom subs are fully tightened to the jar
body. Check the fishing neck is fully tightened and correctly pinned to the jar rod. Make sure the bleed off
screw is full tightened.

Spring Jars
Open the spring jar and remove the bevelled springs washer stacks and check the correct number of washers
are installed in the correct arrangement. Check and grease the jar release mechanism. Verify the rod moves
smoothly inside the jar body. Reassemble the jar, fully tighten the top and bottom subs to the jar body, and
check the fishing neck is fully tightened and correctly pinned to the jar rod. Perform a jar function check to
verify the jar setting.

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