Downhole intervention and completion programs rely on high-quality tools for every operational phase, from initial drilling to maintenance to well abandonment and recovery. If an issue arises mid-project due to damaged equipment, missing components, or unsuitable tool configuration, this can prevent the wider well schedule from running efficiently.
Maintaining a reliable supply of wireline tools at the ready will help reduce avoidable downtime, maintain efficiency, prevent accidents, and help your team meet your wellsite’s production requirements.
At Avalon Research, we specialize in researching, designing, and developing state-of-the-art oil tools for wireline projects to simplify and optimize downhole operations. Keep reading to learn why you can count on our team to provide the right solution to your worksite.
Reliable Tools and Your Worksite’s Uptime
Wireline operations are generally one part of a larger production schedule, and can face major operational and financial impacts from unplanned downtime.
When equipment fails, the wrong tools are ordered to the site, or the specifications you require for replacement components are unavailable, this can cause significant delays to your wellsite’s production.
Avoidable tool-related delays usually occur due to equipment damage, incorrect tool selection, missing service parts, or discovering at the wellsite that a tool does not match the required tubing/casing I.D., pressure, temperature, material, or setting configuration.
This unprecedented downtime can have ripple effects in several areas, including…
- Scheduling: If your downhole operation experiences extended downtime, this can affect the timelines of other planned work, including pressure-control equipment, service crews, testing, wellhead work, and subsequent intervention stages. If equipment is mobilized for a specific job, an unexpected tool issue may also create extended delays.
- Revenue and production: The longer a wellsite remains inactive, the less oil and gas can be retrieved and distributed. The actual production and financial impact depend on the well, the reason for the intervention, and the operator’s production plan. Potential results could include difficulty fulfilling contracts, scheduled product deliveries, and other production commitments.
Operational costs: A project delay may require additional crews, equipment, or intervention, especially when multiple site visits are needed to resolve the issue.
Maintaining a supply of quality, frequently used tools, redress kits, shear components, adapters, and other critical service parts can help reduce avoidable delays, improve readiness for recurring operations, and preserve your reputation as a reliable oil and gas supplier.
The appropriate inventory depends on the tools in your installed fleet, the frequency of use, expected service requirements, replacement lead times, and the consequences of not having a critical component available.
What Wireline Tools and Spares Should You Have Available?
Downhole projects rely on a series of tools for different stages of completion and production. What your wellsite requires largely depends on the operation. For teams that regularly perform isolation, gauge deployment, or setting-tool work, inventory planning may include the following categories:
Zone isolation tools: Permanent, miniature, and retrievable bridge plugs are essential for isolating sections of a wellbore for temporary or permanent operations.
Tasks where these tools are required include pressure control and management for snubbing and wellhead changes, sour gas or C02 zone suppression, offshore collision control, wellhead repair and maintenance, water or gas shut-off, and abandonment or intervention programs where a mechanical barrier is required.
For sour service, CO2, high-temperature, or other demanding environments, the plug materials, elastomers, pressure rating, and overall configuration must be selected based on the actual well conditions.
Deployment and retrieval tools: Jobs that require temporary zone isolation plugs, such as retrievable bridge plugs, gauge hangers, and instrumentation, can be deployed using several conveyance methods. The most common set-and-pull tools include slickline, e-line, wireline, coiled tubing, and jointed pipe.
Our retrievable bridge plugs from Avalon Research can be set and pulled with several of these conventional methods, so you can successfully lower and retrieve the plug without switching out your current line.
Another area where deployment and retrieval tools are essential is for downhole gauges and instrumentation devices. The appropriate setting tool and retrieval equipment are selected according to the QUP size, well conditions, and deployment method being used.
The same conveyance methods are used to deploy and retrieve downhole gauges and other instrumentation devices. The high-expansion retrievable gauge hanger from Avalon Research offers bi-directional anchoring for these tools.
We offer materials and configuration options for H2S and CO2 exposure, and other demanding well environments. It has a slim O.D. profile to maximize the available flow-by area, and can be retrieved and reused for other wellbore deployment and retrieval tasks.
Setting systems: Setting tools generate the force and stroke required to set downhole equipment such as bridge plugs and packers. Depending on the application, they may use explosive or hydraulic power.
Avalon’s Non-Explosive Setting System (NESS) provides a self-contained hydraulic alternative for compatible setting tools where explosives create transportation, storage, or operational challenges. It can be deployed on slickline or e-line.
How Avalon Can Fulfill Your Worksite’s Inventory Needs
At Avalon Research, we design and manufacture durable, high performance downhole tools to support a wide range of well intervention and production operations. With Avalon, you’ll receive…
Custom design and machining to your specifications: Sometimes, even the highest quality tools and components at your disposal don’t meet the specific needs of the job. If you can’t find what you’re looking for in commercial-grade downhole tools, our team can evaluate a custom configuration or purpose-built design.
We offer complete Front-End Engineering and Design services that include tool conceptualization and design, 2D and 3D CAD modelling, testing and analysis, and detailed blueprints of the finished product.
Reliable designs that don’t overcomplicate your downhole operation: Tool or equipment failure can contribute to costly downhole project delays. We focus on simple, high-quality designs intended to reduce project complexity and prevent common issues in downhole tools related to sealants, retrieval mechanisms, and material selection.
A simple design means fewer failure points, reducing the need for immediate replacements or extended downtime. Avalon operates under an ISO-9001:2015 certified quality management system, and our products are tested for performance, durability, and reliability for their intended application. Material and configuration options are also available for sour-service applications in accordance with NACE MR0175/ IS0 15156-requirements.
Efficient ordering and shipping that reduce delays: We understand many wellbore sites run on tight schedules, and we want to get your tools to you as quickly as possible. We maintain an inventory of commonly requested tools so you can place immediate orders and avoid unnecessary lead times.
Whether your worksite is local to Alberta or halfway across the world, we want to be your go-to supplier for specialized oilsite solutions.
Maintain Your Wellsite’s Production with Avalon’s Wireline Tools
Oil and gas sites can improve their uptime by maintaining a supply of high-quality, reliable tools, which you can find at Avalon Research. Our downhole tools can be used in offshore and onshore operations, with materials and configurations available for sour gas, high-pressure, and high-temperature environments. You can count on our team to provide the tools you need, when you need them, aligned with the specifications required for your well conditions and operations.
Contact us to place an order or inquire about our custom design and manufacturing services.