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Cable Care

20 STEPS TO GOOD CABLE CARE

Proper Installation: This is the First Key of the Three Keys to longer cable life. Be sure you set up for the proper Fleet Angle, watch the spooling crew, don't get in too big of a hurry, keep checking the tension and inspect the cable.
Proper Reheading: Rehead once a month; use the correct parts, calculate the correct number of strands to use or the proper tension link/cable. Inspect the cable head before and after each job (in hostile environment every run).
Spot the truck properly: Again remember the Fleet Angle. Truck should be further away from the rig than the derrick is high for safety. Spot so the cable will not be rubbing or binding on any part of the rig, safety rails, catwalk ladder, or other equipment between our Truck and the bottom sheave
Rigging up and down: Use care and common sense when rigging up and down. Be especially watchful where the cable lays. Watch for anything that may kink or mash it. Have preplanned and defined hand signals or other mode of communication when picking up and laying down tools. Park a vehicle between the catwalk and your truck to prevent someone from driving into the cable. When picking up tools pull all the "slack" cable through the bottom sheave toward the truck.
Proper Break-In-Period:The proper cable break in period and procedure is the Second Key to longer cable life. The break in period for new line is the first 20 to 25 runs in the well. It takes this many runs to "season" the cable. Be aware! Nearly every Truck or Skid has in the field probably has some new line on it! It may be only the bottom 3 or 4 wraps on some units, but it has hot been seasoned. Also, remember that when you cut off a large amount of, cable (1000 ft or more) or go on an unusually deep well, you may be running unseasoned cable. During the break in period run the cable slowly, always maintain at least 50 percent of your weight going in the well. When coming out of the well keep line speed under 300 ft per minute to avoid causing excessive reverse torque forces on cable. These forces can result in loose armor. During the break in period watch for any cable deformities or spooling problems and report them immediately.
Use correct diameter sheaves: This means rig up sheaves. To small of a sheave causes extreme bending stress on the cable. This can cause loose or "ropey" armor. Large diameter sheaves are even more critical in deeper (below 15,000 ft) wells. The minimum sheave diameter is recommended by the cable manufacturer. It will be different for each cable diameter. As the cable diameter, increases the sheave diameter also increases. The sheave wheel diameter will be approximately 60 times greater than the cable diameter. Always check sheave wheel and frame for physical damage. Grease and check bearings regularly.
Correct sheave groove: The sheave groove is even more important than the sheave diameter. The correct groove should cradle at least 120 degrees of the cable diameter. Sheave grooves that are too small pinch the cable, resulting in excessive wear and may cause jerky cable movement. If the sheave groove is too large, it results in flattening of the cable, possibly causing the armor to deform, and may damage the insulator and/or conductor. Improper sheave grooves may also cause loose or "ropey" armor. Inspect all sheave grooves after every job to be sure they are clean, do not have any kinks, cuts, or burrs.
Regular sheave maintenance: Inspect all sheaves at least monthly for wear, damage and cleanliness. Stand sheave on end and spin to check bearings. Be sure sheave groove is clean and is not cut, burred or worn. Check all screws and bolts to be sure they are tight. Check sheave wheel and frame for physical damage. Grease and check bearings at least monthly and repaint wheels as necessary. Check all tie down cables of chains and fastening hardware.
Measuring Head/Horsehead: Check and grease all bearings, make sure idler and tension wheels are in good condition, and are clean. Check height adjustment after starting in the well and correct if necessary to reduce the strain on the cable.
Keep tension on cable: The cable is designed and constructed to operate under tension at all times and should never be run in the well so fast that it is put into compression. As speed increases going in the well, a point will be reached where the tool will begin "floating". Further speed increase results in the cable trying to push the tool down the well. This puts the cable in a compressed condition. When this happens the armor wires go slack and large gaps may appear between the wires. The insulator and conductor are very susceptible to damage, also this is when "mud lumps" may form in the armor.
Proper spooling: If the cable is installed properly the cable should practically spool itself when the Truck is spotted properly. If the cable is allowed to miss "corners" make gaps, stack up and cross over, it can lead to armor and/or conductor damage. Making the corners and getting a perfect spool job is important.
Do not overrun the cable: This may sound like step #8. However, this is a much worse condition. By "over-running" the cable we mean there is slack cable in the well. It may lay beside the tool head, down alongside the tool, loop around itself, tie itself in knots or other horrible things. Cable speed must be controlled to avert these problems. We have total control of cable speed, so it is really a matter of exercising good judgement and responsibility. Be aware of what excessive cable speeds can do to your cable (and profits).
Conscientious spudding: We often have to spud our tools to try to get down the well, but at least use a little common sense. We always worry about the logging tool taking a beating, and rightly so, but do you think about the beating your giving the cable and the cable head? Each time you spud a tool you are putting extra strain and shock forces on the cable and cable head. Electric leakage in the cable and/or the cable head is, often caused by excessive spudding.
Watching for cable problems: While running the reel one of your responsibilities is to inspect the cable as it is spooled out and in. Watch for loose armor, high strands, broken strands, ropey cable, discoloration of the cable (by H2S or acid). You should always find out what kind of environment the cable will be run in. The well may contain KCl (salt water). It is corrosive to our cable but the corrosion will be slow and we can reduce it's action and effects by wiping and lubricating the cable as it comes out of the well.
Hostile environment: The well may contain HydroChloric Acid (HCl). Care must be exercised in handling the cable and tools that are retrieved from the well. HCL is a very potent acid and reacts very quickly on metal. Check the cable and cable head every run. Before HCl is pumped in the well it should be inhibited. This means the acid will be retarded for a length of time. Find out for certain BEFORE going in the well that the acid was inhibited.

H₂S and CO₂: Both of these gases, Hydrogen Sulfide (H₂S) and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), are dangerous and require special equipment and training prior to working on a well where either of them are present. Again, the caution is, know what environment your cable will be run in and take the necessary action to protect it. Special cables are available and inhibitors can be injected on the cable to at least slow the corrosive action.

Proper use of Hydraulic Pack-Off Heads: This consists mainly of communication. If the pack-off head needs to be packed down, be sure a good means of communication is set-up, (visual and auditory), between the reel operator and the hydraulic pump operator. Too much pressure on the packing rubbers will strip down the cable armor, and may break one or more wire strands causing a "birdcage". It is possible to exert so much pressure on the cable that it will be pulled apart. Always be sure you have the correct size rubbers and top and bottom brass.
Proper use of grease heads: The same care should be taken with regard to head pressure control and correct size rubbers and brass as was just discussed in Hydraulic Pack-Off Head use. Additionally, there ought always to be a minimal amount of grease pressure applied to lubricate the tubes and reduce line wear. One other caution that holds true for both standard and grease head pack off equipment is slow down, reduce line speed. Maximum 300 FPM.
Regularly Checking for leakage: Here regularly means after every job and anytime electrical problems are suspected in the cable. This check tells us if there may be a breech in the conductor insulation. Before you hook up a meter to check for leakage make sure BOTH the cable head end and the reel end of the cable are OPEN. If the cable shows leakage, double check both ends of the cable. Make sure moisture, dirt or grease on your hands is not adding to the reading. Strip the cable head "rope socket" down and check again before cutting off cable head.
Regularly checking and recording resistance: Each month during the Truck PM II the cable total resistance should be measured and recorded in the cable record book. This measurement is a check of the conductor total resistance from the cable head end to the reel end.
Proper Cable Lubrication: Proper Cable Lubrication is the Third Key to longer cable life. The cable must be lubricated. By lubricating the cable, we reduce wear, inhibit corrosion, protect the outer armor and increase the life of the cable (total number of service runs). The single most important maintenance step to longer cable life is proper cable lubrication. There are four specific times that the cable needs to be lubricated.
1. If it is not to be used for one week or longer, (stacked trucks and skids)
2. At least every five runs more - more often under harsh conditions.
3. Anytime the cable looks dry.
4. The last run out of the well.
After every job you should check out the cable oiler and refill the supply tank.

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Camesa, Inc · 1615 Spur 529 · P.O. Box 1048 · Rosenberg, Texas 77471 Phone: (281) 342-4494 · Fax: (281) 342-0531