Today’s wireline
operations look quite different than they did just five years ago. Some of the notable
changes have been rooted in technological changes, while others were driven by
extenuating external factors.
Fully
integrated, pre-loaded perforating guns. One of the most significant changes in the past few years
has been the market’s move away from conventional guns to fully integrated, pre-loaded
perforating gun systems. While lower oil and gas commodity pricing played a
role in this transition, other variables, such as efficiency gains, cost
reductions and labor shortages, have all played a significant part in this
industry evolution.
Safety
concerns. Today’s
wireline crews face many challenges, but none of these are greater than losing
the expertise and tribal knowledge of experienced, senior hands. Safety is
paramount in the shops and at the well site, and the limited experience of
newer personnel can be a concern for a wireline management team.
The safe
handling of perforating guns and explosive charges is a top priority for all wireline
operators, and this imperative has driven technological changes that are aimed
at helping wireline operators manage the current dynamics in the industry.
Easy-to-use, fully integrated perforating gun systems provide wireline
companies with the safety and reliability they require. Fully loaded guns also provide
repeatable performance and help reduce costs, as well as eliminate the need for
wireline operators to carry additional staffing for loading guns. With the
current workforce challenges, this can be very beneficial.
Eliminating
supply chain constraints. Fully integrated guns also address another wireline concern: supply
chain constraints. The standardization that a fully integrated perforating gun
provides affords wireline operators multiple benefits, from leveraging their
buying capabilities to reducing expenses. Additionally, it reduces the amount
of component inventory a company must carry in its warehouses. Fully integrated
guns also can be shipped directly to the well site, thereby eliminating the need
to load guns at a customer location and the required logistics that this entails.
This reduces time, cost, paperwork and other obstacles that a wireline company
may face while trying to run a gun loading shop and managing the wireline operation
at the well site.
While there
are wireline companies that choose to use fully integrated perforating guns,
there are many that prefer the flexibility of fully customizable perforating
solutions. Companies that have their own loading shops often opt to train their
crews personally, to follow their unique methods.
The decision
to use an open architecture gun system enables wireline companies to select the
specific components that meet their needs for each project. From charges to switches,
customizable perforating guns allow companies to optimize costs, utilize
existing component inventory, experience greater project flexibility and
exercise complete field service control.
Suppliers
make adjustments. The
dramatic changes that wireline operators have experienced have caused suppliers—including
GEODynamics™—to make adjustments that reflect these nuances. For example, we
have aligned our entire organization, from management to manufacturing, around
how wireline companies operate in today’s climate. One of the noteworthy outcomes
of this shift was the development of a new suite of perforating solutions that
reflect the realities in the field and the dichotomy of wireline company
preferences. Our EPIC™ system offers a completely customizable option, as well
as a fully integrated gun, that enables even newly hired hands to run the equipment
on-site safely and confidently while achieving the reliability and repeatable
accuracy that operators demand. Understanding that seasoned expertise can be
difficult to find, post-pandemic, our field service and technical solutions
teams are available 24/7/365 for on-site training, application support and
troubleshooting. We find that direct, in-person training and support helps new crew
members upskill faster and reduces downtime.
In this
environment of doing more with less, being a strategic collaborator that can provide technology
and support helps wireline companies to reduce costs, empower their existing team
and bridge any knowledge gaps that may exist, due to more experienced workers
leaving the workforce. Becoming an extension of the perforating teams of
wireline companies—extending our expertise to encompass such activities as charge
performance and proppant modeling—ultimately better positions wireline
companies to deliver their services with greater efficiency. Even with today’s
continuous duty pace, where the time between stages is expected to be short,
wireline functions can be performed quickly and efficiently by leveraging
streamlined technology and skilled technical support.
The industry’s drive for efficiency gains and workforce challenges has impacted operations and capital at the well site. A supportive, authentic partnership that not only delivers the kind of technology wireline crews need today but also provides the technical support that positions them to succeed is essential. It used to be said, “think outside the box”; however, we have learned to eliminate the box completely. Fresh thinking, novel approaches and purpose-built technologies designed with wireline companies’ current needs in mind will help them thrive. WO
RON HICKERSON leads GEODynamics as group vice president of downhole
technologies, under the Oil States banner. In his current role, he directs the
growth strategies of GEODynamics and closely aligns the company’s activities
with wireline operators’ needs.