Slickline Wire Finder

Description

Slickline Wire Finder: Technical Description and Specifications

The Slickline Wire Finder is an essential fishing tool used during slickline intervention to locate, engage, and physically ball or bend the upper end of a parted slickline or braided cable that remains in the wellbore. This action prepares the broken wire for subsequent retrieval using a Wireline Grab, Spear, or other dedicated fishing tool.

Key Technical Specifications and Operation

• Function: To positively locate the top of the lost wireline and manipulate its free end to create a shape (typically balled or bent upwards) that can be reliably engaged by an internal fishing tool.

• Design: Typically a solid-body assembly featuring a slotted or skirted finder skirt at the bottom end. The slot/skirt ID is sized to guide the wire into the tool while the external OD is sized to the tubing ID.

• Operation:

  1. The tool is run downhole on a light tool string (often with a dummy rope socket).

  2. When the skirt encounters the top of the broken wire, the tool weight indication at the surface temporarily decreases (due to the wire supporting the tool string weight) then increases as the wire is manipulated into the skirt.

  3. A minor jar-down action is then performed to physically curl or ball the wire’s end within the skirt’s confines, making it ready for the next fishing run.

• Configuration: Often run as a standalone finder but can be combined with a Wireline Grab or Centre Spear via internal threads to perform both finding and immediate retrieval in a single run, minimizing trip time.

• Connection (Customizable):

  • Standard connections include common proprietary slickline pin threads (e.g., $15/16″-10$ UN, $1-1/16″-10$ UN).

  • Custom order connections are available to ensure full compatibility with proprietary quick-connect systems (e.g., JHQ, JHP) and non-standard thread profiles.

• Material (Customizable):

  • Standard construction uses high-strength alloy steel (e.g., AISI 4140).

  • Custom material options are available, including NACE MR0175 compliant materials for use in sour gas and highly corrosive well environments. Certification documentation is provided upon request.

• Critical Parameters (Customizable Size):

  • Tool OD and Skirt Profile: Available in standard ODs (e.g., 1.75″ to 3.5″) designed to maximize coverage within the target tubing ID.

  • Custom ODs and adjustable skirt profiles are fabricated to optimize the wire finding function for specific tubing IDs or known downhole restrictions. Clients must specify the target tubing ID and the nominal OD of the broken wire when placing a custom order.

SEO Keywords (Targeted for Slickline Procurement)

Primary: Slickline Wire Finder, Wireline Fishing Tool, Downhole Wire Recovery, Solid Wire Finder, Wire Baller Tool.Secondary: Slickline Skirted Finder, Wireline Fishing Assembly, Parted Wire Location.