Wireline Operator Spotlight
- 2 min read
When there’s a problem at an oil or gas well, they need a Wireline Operator. In company trucks, they drive between wells with a load of specialized equipment and heads full of expert knowledge for diagnosing and fixing problems. Wireline Operators are needed across the oil and gas industry in exploration and production, oil sands operations, oil and gas services and on pipelines.
The wireline itself is a special electrical cable that is attached to a truck or drilling platform and accommodates tools to replace parts, fix the rig or measure the depth of the hole. With the right tools in place, a Wireline Operator raises and lowers the cable into oil wells or natural gas reservoirs and reports daily progress.
What a typical day looks like:
Wireline Operators work in the heat and the cold and the weather can be unpredictable. It’s usually just one operator in a company truck, travelling between job sites in remote locations and working extended hours. They lift heavy equipment and perform a variety of physical tasks throughout the day.
The kinds of problems Wireline Operators solve at work:
When a Wireline Operator arrives, they’re keeping an eye and ear out for unusual sights and sounds that can indicate worn or broken parts, faulty operations or unusual well conditions. The information they collect helps geologists, drillers, engineers and other oilfield technicians know if there are issues with equipment, reservoirs, debris or well pressure. That’s essential data for real-time decisions about a drilling operation.
Skills used most on the job:
Using the wireline cable and tools, a Wireline Operator determines what the problem is and helps identify ways to fix it. Meanwhile, they’re keeping things safe: making sure that wireline operations are safely conducted and that drilling operations can safely continue when they’re done. Wireline Operators follow safety regulations and processes and perform safety inspections on their equipment and tools, because when the call comes, they’re needed.
