SPE-194232-MS

Automated Wireline Milling System

Kyle Wiesenborn, Nikolay Baklanov, Pierre Olivier Gourmelon, Maxim Klyushev, and Xuedong Yang, Schlumberger

Copyright 2019, Society of Petroleum Engineers

This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/ICoTA Well Intervention Conference and Exhibition held in The Woodlands, TX, USA, 26-27 March 2019.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents
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Abstract
An automated wireline milling solution targeted for removal of wellbore obstructions of a varying type, from
scale to metal, with built-in capabilities of autonomous cruise navigation between consecutive obstacles,
is presented. This paper highlights design features that made a step change in the efficiency and usability
of milling services.
Control challenges are still common in downhole milling technology. Changes in milling target
composition, cuttings accumulation around the target, drag forces from production flow, and other variations
can reduce system efficiency and result in lost time or failed interventions. In the case of wireline milling
technology, inclusion of intelligent on-board electronics in the downhole equipment presents an opportunity
to actively control the milling process to optimize rate of penetration and implement additional protections
to reduce operational risk. We describe a robotic toolstring that automatically and independently controls
a wireline tractor using real-time feedback from a milling cartridge and other on-board sensors. Embedded
control algorithms implement intuitive workflows derived from the combined experience of multiple experts
in well intervention.
With this automated wireline milling system, the user can initiate the milling process by defining certain
milling parameters and then can monitor progress in real time while the downhole robotic tool regulates
weight on bit and the milling motor. This new automated downhole control system significantly improves
torque-on-bit and weight-on-bit controls yielding superior performance, such as rate of penetration and
usability. Dynamic load conditions are handled in a high-speed distributed control loop downhole to get
most of bit torque capacity across the entire speed range defined by the motor power curve. Tractor push
force is adjusted quasi-instantaneously with changes in cutting conditions. Control responsiveness along
with software solutions for tracking of motor stall preconditions and a torque limiter greatly reduce the
occurrence of motor stalls arising due to the bit wedging in highly reactive targets. With stall avoidance and
an automatic backing-off feature to reengage the bit in case of a sporadic torque spike, direct involvement of
an operator is significantly minimized compared to the previous tool generation. Head-voltage stabilization
is another factor positively impacting the overall power stability and performance of electromechanical tools
downhole. Safety features are also in place to prevent cable twisting and protect assets from overcurrent
and overtemperature conditions.
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The progressive design of the automated milling tool boosts operational efficiency and autonomy,
minimizes human mistakes, and reduces risk of getting stuck during the service. Case histories demonstrate
the first field jobs and system integration tests performed with this new tool.

Introduction
Removal of wellbore obstructions using wireline milling tools has been a proven intervention approach
for over 13 years (Krüger et al. 2005). Before the introduction of wireline milling tools, any major
workover operation required the use of jointed pipe or coiled tubing and involved considerable cost,
logistical complications, and risk. Wireline milling tools allow major workovers with a smaller footprint,
less personnel, no foreign fluids introduced and no bottomhole pressure increase in the wellbore. Compared
to conventional approaches of milling on pipe, wireline milling tools use downhole anchoring and
centralization with controlled application of weight-on-bit which drastically reduces many known tubing-
conveyed milling complications like pipe vibration and bit whirl. To date, a wide variety of wellbore
obstructions have been removed using wireline-powered milling tools including scale buildup (Haugen et al.
2017), isolation valves (Tyagi et al. 2018), nipple profiles (Schwanitz et al. 2010), and ball seats (Halvorsen
and Arnskov 2011). While conventional thinking is that wireline milling technologies have only a niche
application compared to coiled tubing milling, in fact the vastly better control of wireline milling tools
demonstrates a significant advantage in many applications. However, existing wireline milling technologies
have only minimal measurement and control capability, leading to additional time required to complete
the intervention and avoidable operational risk. With the improvements in real-time monitoring and tool
automation presented in this paper, wireline milling technology is taken to the next level of downhole
machining capability.
A wireline milling system typically uses a wireline tractor to provide weight on bit (WOB) and torque
reaction (Fig. 1). The tractor includes a series of drive sections, each having a motor and drive wheels, which
extend toward the casing walls using hydraulic pressure. Torque applied to the drive wheels by the tractor
motor provides a thrust force, which is used to apply WOB, and the radial force from hydraulic opening
pressure allows the wheels to grip, which provides traction and torque reaction when used within a wireline
milling system. The milling module is attached below the tractor and rotates the bit using a separate motor
and configurable gearing for various speed and torque ranges. The downhole modules receive power from
the surface via the wireline cable, which may also be used as a telemetry link for data exchange and tool
operation commands in the more modern telemetry-enabled systems.

Figure 1—Wireline milling tool.

Control Challenges in Milling

Although wireline milling tools are capable of precision cutting operations, the capability of these services
is still limited by the electrical power that can be transmitted downhole on a wireline cable. To extend
the capabilities of wireline milling tools, the electrical power must be better controlled so that mechanical
power is efficiently transmitted to the bit cutting structure and milling target. The overall efficiency of a
wireline milling operation can be measured by indicators such as rate of penetration (ROP), total operational
time, hardware reliability, and operational risk. Although these are strongly influenced by bit design and
milling target material and geometry, the ability to control certain milling parameters is essential for
optimizing performance downhole and for reproducing the performance achieved during surface tests. For
SPE-194232-MS 3

most wireline milling applications, the milling process is force-controlled, and the critical process control
variables are WOB and bit torque. The goal of the automated wireline milling system is to measure and
accurately control WOB and bit torque to achieve a more efficient and reproducible milling process with
reduced operational risk.
For a typical bit cutting structure in an efficient milling regime, the required bit torque is proportional
to the depth of cut, and depth of cut is proportional to the applied WOB (Detournay and Defourny 1992).
Each bit and target combination will have a characteristic relationship between the applied WOB and the
required milling torque. The depth of cut determines the volume of material removed per revolution of the
bit, so, in general, a larger depth of cut is preferred to improve ROP. Therefore, the process of optimizing
the ROP for a given bit and target combination can be thought of as maximizing the milling WOB and
bit torque without exceeding the torque capability of the milling motor. To control the milling torque, it is
necessary to control the applied WOB.
In some existing wireline milling tools, WOB is controlled from surface by the operator either pulling
back on the cable or relaxing cable tension (Dulic 2013). With this approach, the tractor provides a constant
push force, and the operator simply reduces the push force transferred to WOB by applying cable tension. In
practice, the operator starts the tractor and the milling bit and then spools out cable to contact the target and
continues spooling cable to increase WOB until average DC current consumption shows steady oscillations
above the baseline current. The operator does not have a measurement of downhole WOB or torque on
bit, so cable tension adjustment is based on operator experience and intuition. Cable tension relationship to
downhole WOB depends on cable length and friction, and cable tension adjustments are slow to affect the
downhole WOB. Other more advanced wireline milling tools use a tractor with variable push force capability
to control WOB using commands sent by the operator with cable telemetry. This telemetry-enabled manual
approach for WOB control allows more direct visibility and control of the milling process by allowing
separate monitoring of tractor and milling motor torques. However, despite this improved WOB control, the
latency for data monitoring, operator reaction, and downlink telemetry prevents the operator from reacting
quickly to sudden changes in milling behavior.
The existing approaches to WOB control in wireline milling tools require operators to find a balance
between improving ROP and preventing the milling bit from becoming seized in the target. Operators
must constantly adjust WOB to compensate for slow changes in milling torque caused by bit friction and
progressive bit wear. Tension-controlled milling tools must also continuously spool out cable to follow the
bit progress. In making these WOB adjustments the operator must maintain some margin for torque spikes.
The bit torque could increase suddenly due to changes in target composition, changes in target geometry,
buildup of milled cuttings, and other reasons. If a bit torque spike exceeds the torque capacity of the milling
motor, then the motor will stall, which can lead to equipment damage and failures due to self-heating and due
to power spikes in the motor or drive electronics. Motor stalls are a common occurance when using existing
milling tools which cannot compensate for sudden torque spikes due to the fast time scale compared to
human reaction time. If a bit torque spike exceeds the torque reaction capacity of the tractor, then the milling
toolstring will start to rotate relative to the tubing, which can cause serious operational issues if the cable
is damaged and a toolstring is lost in hole or if a kinked cable cannot pass through the lubricator packoff.
Although wireline milling operations are generally run with a swivel to mitigate this risk, the severity of
twisting the cable warrants redundant monitoring and control systems to prevent cable damage in case of
swivel failure. With existing wireline milling tools, the large WOB margin required to reduce bit seizures
caused by torque spikes results in a lower average WOB and therefore a lower total ROP. An automated
milling system with fast downhole reaction to torque spikes can smooth out the torque spikes to operate at
higher average WOB. This automated milling system can deliver faster ROP, it can recover automatically
from motor stalls, and it can implement downhole safety features to significantly reduce the risk of tool
hardware failure and cable damage.
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Automated WOB Controller

Downhole automation can mitigate many of these limitations of surface-controlled milling and reduce
operational risk. One of the biggest limitations to manual surface control is the delay in reaction that
results from the various human-centric reaction latencies: observational, perceptional, and decision-making.
Downhole automation intrinsically eliminates the systemic and physiological/psychological challenges of a
human operator and the resulting propagation delays related to the user-interface and telemetry commands.
Performance improvement in ROP is achieved using a downhole WOB controller to automatically adjust
WOB to maintain a stable target torque close to the maximum motor torque with reduced margin needed
for stall prevention. Operational risks are also addressed through improved measurement and automation
of the milling system, as described in this paper.
The core of the automated milling system is the WOB proportional-integral (PI) controller distributed
between the milling tool and the tractor; the controller continuously calculates the required WOB to maintain
bit torque at a user-defined torque setpoint. The WOB controller resides in the milling tool, and its output
is sent to the tractor tool via the internal high-speed digital bus. The torque setpoint is determined by
the operator with knowledge of the maximum motor torque and the reduced amplitude of automated
milling torque spikes based on previous experience or surface testing. The bit torque setpoint can be
adjusted by the operator as needed throughout the milling operation in real time. The actual bit torque
is calculated by the milling motor controller based on the stator phase current measurements and motor
rotor position measurement, along with a simple model accounting for losses due to gear friction and oil
viscosity. The WOB controller compares the actual bit torque to the torque setpoint, and the output is fed
to the tractor motor controller (see Fig. 2). The tractor drive system is designed so that push force is not
constant but instead can be rapidly increased or decreased throughout the full WOB range. This adjustable
WOB capability allows the automated wireline milling system to operate autonomously, efficiently, and
continuously by adjusting WOB in response to measured bit torque (Lee et al. 2011).

Figure 2—Automated WOB control. The telemetry link to the surface and high-voltage DC line are not shown.

A simplified control loop for the WOB PI controller is shown in Fig. 3. Implementation of this control
algorithm has its own challenges that arise from the restrictive mechanical packaging requirements, which
implies absence of actual sensors for WOB and torque measurements. This robotic system uses their
software substitutes, estimators. WOB estimation is based on the tractor motor RPM and data obtained
from characterization of the motor power curve. The WOB PI controller was tuned and verified using
physical testing on a variety of bit and target combinations to provide stability and rapid response to torque
disturbances while avoiding oscillations.
SPE-194232-MS 5

Figure 3—Simplified WOB control loop diagram.

Automatic control of torque on bit intrinsically minimizes bit seizure. Low latency of push force control
using downhole sensing and reaction reduces the likelihood of bit seizure for highly reactive bit/target
combinations characterized by a drastic torque increase versus the applied push force increase. Examples
of such bit/target combinations include, but are not limited to, a tapered bit wedging or the case when the
bit breaks through or is drawn into a thin target. These scenarios are not feasible to operate without stalls in
manual control mode because the required swift reaction cannot be achieved. Adequate sampling rate and
the fast control loop applied in the downhole controller enable operation of these highly reactive bit/target
combinations. The automated controller also utilizes motor capabilities more effectively since due to the
fast response it allows closer following to the milling motor power curve. The present system version still
relies on expert judgement to select milling motor torque and speed setpoints but, in general, the automatic
regulation allows selection of higher torque values.
Operators using this automated WOB controller are not required to constantly track and adjust the milling
parameters to prevent bit seizure and therefore can select high milling torque setpoints for faster ROP. The
operation time is only limited by the endurance of the hardware; automatic milling control will run for as
long as the bit is able to cut, and the electronics is able to spin the motor. Operator interaction is only required
in cases when an operational decision must be made outside of the normal process flow. This automation
removes the need for expert operators at the wellsite and therefore enables remote operations for reduced
personnel at the wellsite.

Hierarchical Controller Structure and Automation Ecosystem

The automated wireline milling system includes two electrical cartridges, which can independently provide
power and control for the tractor and the milling tools. In the developed automated milling system, the
cartridges are physically identical so the proper tool mode for each cartridge is programmable by a command
sent by surface software according to operator declaration. The system is designed to support WOB control
by both manual command from surface and automated milling operations, with an ability to perform
reversable on-the-fly switching between them. In manual milling mode, the tractor can be independently
driven either to control WOB directly or to convey the entire toolstring between milling targets. In automated
mode, the WOB controller and higher-level state machines control the tractor and milling tool together.
To start the automated milling process, the operator applies several settings, as shown in Fig. 4. The bit
torque is the target torque that the WOB controller must achieve and maintain by adjusting WOB generated
by the tractor variable push force. During the automated milling process, the operator can change both
bit speed setting and target torque setting to maximize ROP and minimize bit seizures. Tractor arm force
adjustment is also possible to manipulate the tractor traction. The system also operates using new tractor
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systems with advanced restriction navigation features which enables milling with independent drive arm
closing (Foucher and Poorten 2018).

Figure 4—Automated workflow.

When the operator activates the automated milling operation, the electronics performs a safe context
switch, and the bottom cartridge becomes the milling master while the upper cartridge starts acting as a
slave tractor, as depicted in Fig. For the automated mode, a distributed supervisor controller is defined.

Figure 5—Tool modes, supervisor, and hierarchical state machines.

By design, supervisor code is split between tractor and milling sections to provide simple-to-implement
synchronization between workflows on either side. After the system is in automatic mode, the two cartridges
become logically connected and perform direct packet exchange on the communication bus. The master
cartridge takes the decision on tractor motor speed value and sends the tractor RPM update on every pass of
the WOB control loop. To offload logic implementation for certain use cases from the master side, the master
can also send a generic macro-command asking the tractor cartridge to perform some predefined workflows
autonomously, such as the "unstick" operation shown in Fig. In the latter case, the tractor cartridge is
expected to send an acknowledgment to the master side upon completion of the request. The described
approach allows for modular design and provides an open architecture for pending extensions such as
SPE-194232-MS 7

"cruise" mode of motion, where the WOB communication link should be temporarily suspended for the
system to navigate between milling targets. In other words, this solution provides low code coupling and
high code cohesion to achieve better device quality, testability, and scalability for future extensions. Each
workflow can be thought as of a sequential timed "logical controller" and is implemented via a hierarchical
state machine.
The system automatically identifies milling motor stalling and implements the stall recovery mechanism
via two dedicated inner-layer state machines: "Backing off" and "unstick". The backing-off operation is a
master state machine's state but internally itself is designed as a "child" state machine nested to its "parent"
container. The master transitions to this inner-layer state machine from its core WOB state to perform a
distinctive operational sequence: reversing bit rotation (R), commanding tractor to move backwards (B),
stopping the tractor (S), and resuming bit rotation (D). Finally, the master returns to its core WOB state,
the automated milling loop. It should be noted that in the backing-off state, the master code continues to
command the tractor (with negative RPM values), but these commands are the result of a different logical
controller than the normal WOB PI controller.
From the stall recovery perspective, if the backing-off process fails or is repetitively ineffective, the
operator can initiate a forced stall recovery by issuing the automated unstick command. In this case, the
inner-layer state machines are launched on both the master and slave sides. Because of their cooperative
actions, the bit stops, the tractor attempts to move in the uphole direction, and after a few seconds, the bit
rotation and the automated milling resumes. Finally, if any of the mentioned above automations fail, then
the operator can either force the bit to rotate in the opposite direction or switch the system completely to
manual milling mode for commanding independent tractor and bit motions to free a stuck bit.
With regard to the above-mentioned architecture, the core WOB PI master controller is just one of the
upper-layer states of the described nested automata in Fig. and such can easily be replaced with any other
controller code should future development require it.
The system uses a Controller Area Network (CAN) bus and associated high-level CANopen protocol.
This is a proven solution in environments with a high level of electrical noise from running motors,
solenoids, and switching mode power supplies. Because the CAN packets propagation delay is much less
than the control loop characteristic timing, the described distributed control becomes possible. A central
electronic module collects statuses and data from other modules connected to the same internal bus and
sends them periodically to the surface via the dedicated real-time telemetry link, so the operator is constantly
notified about ongoing automatic operations. Certain commands related to the automated WOB controller
and especially related to automatic shutdown—if the system exceeds an internal safety limit—are given
priority on the bus to minimize latency in high data traffic conditions. This high-speed communication
and automated decision-making between downhole cartridges is far superior to any control approach that
involves wireline telemetry or continuous human interaction in the control system.
A model-based development approach was chosen to simulate motor-level and high-level controllers
first. Next, hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) methodology was applied to tune the controllers and gain
further confidence. Embedded software was developed using cross-platform techniques with emphasis on
abstraction to allow reuse and validation of the same code within the simulator environment, HIL, and the
real target. Finally, system-level validation tests were performed using the full automated wireline milling
system on a variety of real milling targets to tune controllers and ensure stability, validate safety mechanisms,
and measure performance improvement compared to previous methods.

Head-Voltage Stabilization
Power fluctuations can stress the downhole electrical systems and induce noise in real-time telemetry.
Automation of the milling system generally smooths out power fluctuations because the WOB controller
reduces tractor power as power drawn by the milling increases. However, even with the improvements
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provided by automation of the downhole system, starting and stopping the milling tool causes large variation
in electrical power consumption that can still be problematic. The same principles of automation are applied
to the surface power delivery system to stabilize downhole head voltage, further enhancing wireline milling
efficiency and lowering operational risk.
The automated wireline milling tool uses a DC power delivery system. Voltage drop along the logging
cable is the result of DC current and cable resistance, which increases with cable length. Logging cables can
be extensively long nowadays, due to longer and longer wells being drilled. Cables with lengths near 30,000
ft are common and, in some cases, the cable length approaches 50,000 ft. At the same time, intervention
objectives often require high power delivery to downhole tools. These two factors result in high voltage
drop and power loss along the logging cable. Most of the high-power downhole tools do not draw constant
power during the job, so if the surface power supply outputs a fixed voltage level, the downhole voltage
can fluctuate over a very wide range.
Downhole head-voltage variation brings multiple difficulties to the high-power wireline operations in
general and to the milling operation in particular. The downhole electronics must operate with a wide range
of input voltage. Motors may suffer insufficient voltage to sustain the commanded speed when load increases
and head-voltage drops. Variation of the input DC bus voltage to the motor drive circuit can also compromise
motor control performance. The tool operator must constantly monitor and adjust the surface voltage to
keep downhole head voltage in a desirable range. Too low of head voltage can starve motor operation and
too high of head voltage can damage motors and electronic circuits. Manual adjustment of surface voltage
by the operator prevents operating the entire system at maximum capable power due to the high latency
introduced by human reaction and increases the risk of motor or electronics failures.
To overcome these difficulties, downhole automatic head-voltage stabilization (Hernandez 2001) is
implemented as a part of the automated wireline milling system. As shown in Fig. 6, this scheme involves
two feedback controllers at surface to adjust surface output voltage automatically to keep downhole head
voltage at the user-defined set point. The fast controller loop takes estimated downhole voltage as feedback
and adjusts surface voltage at a high rate to achieve fast transient response in case of a sudden load change.
The slow controller loop takes measured downhole voltage as feedback to adjust estimated cable resistance
which can drift slowly due to temperature changes.
SPE-194232-MS 9

Figure 6—Head-voltage stabilization control system diagram.

Application of automatic head-voltage stabilization control to the wireline milling system allows the
milling and tractor motors and motor drive electronics to run at the lowest required bus voltage for increased
reliability, while allowing maximum power delivery when required. The same power delivery control
system can also be used for other high-power wireline services.

Operational Risk Reduction and Safety Features

Multiple operational risks exist in a downhole milling job, and the automated milling system includes many
intelligent features for reducing risk to ensure a successful intervention operation. Sudden seizure of the bit
against the target can cause the tractor drives to spin against the tubing under poor traction conditions and can
damage the wireline cable in case of sustained undetected rotations. Sudden torque spikes or motor stall can
easily lead to electronics damage due to overcurrent conditions. Prolonged job hours under extreme wellbore
temperature and/or under high current load conditions can gradually lead to localized overtemperature that
has a damaging effect on the electromechanical components. These operational risks are addressed by the
control system and distributed networked embedded sensors in the automated wireline milling system.
Potential de-anchoring of the entire toolstring is possible in case of poor traction wellbore conditions or
tractor hydraulic failure, and countermeasures are taken in the design to prevent toolstring rotation. Given
the severe consequences of this potential failure mode, the system has two levels of protection to mitigate
a fishing job. The first layer is a mechanical swivel near the cable head to decouple toolstring rotations
from cable rotations. In case of a swivel failure, the second layer is implemented in embedded software
and utilizes an on-board inertial measurement unit (IMU) consisting of gyro and three-axis accelerometer.
The downhole software tracks the IMU in real time, performs signal processing to denoise sampled data,
and runs a Kalman-based sensor fusion algorithm. As a result, the system calculates and monitors relative
bearing, speed of the rotation, and total number of tool rotations. Onset of sudden slippage and markers of
slow permanent motion are computed and analyzed continuously. Alarms on the IMU measurements are
produced by embedded software so that an automatic decision is taken downhole to stop the milling process
to prevent the cable twisting, and a notification is sent to the operator.
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Motor stall prevention is spread into multiple layers with the deepest and fastest built into the internal
motor control algorithm. Embedded software utilizes the commanded torque limit to clamp the speed
controller output, which is the reference for the inner motor current regulation. If the measured motor rotor
position spontaneously lags the stator magnetic field, it serves as a stall precursor and, as a result, the internal
motor speed controller automatically increases requested current since it tries to compensate the larger error.
Thanks to the saturation clamp, the system in this case will not attempt to inject more power, and thus the
resultant torque is restrained, which reduces chances for further stall escalation. Effectively, the physical bit
speed may be automatically adjusted depending on the torque limit setting currently in use. The outer layer
of stall prevention is the WOB controller itself where the distributed controller naturally reduces push force
after the bit torque exceeds the setpoint. In cases where the stall prevention mechanisms fail, the stall itself
is detected and an automatic recovery from the stall takes place as described in the above section.
Overtemperature shutdown is another important safety mechanism embedded into the system. Two direct
measurements are taken: motor body temperature and temperature of power metal oxide semiconductor
field effect transistor (MOSFET) drivers. By exceeding a preset threshold, an automatic trip is triggered,
motor operations stop, and the operator is informed about the exception. The system further prevents the
operator from attempting to rerun the hot cartridge until it cools down. An ability exists for the operator to
override this default behavior in case a malfunctioning sensor is suspected.
Overcurrent protections and associated trip mechanisms are also implemented. The electrical cartridges
have built-in overcurrent watch dogs for both the high-voltage DC bus and the current at the motor driver
outputs. Current spikes on the DC bus are handled in hardware that shuts down the motor-side power
within nanosecond range upon detection of a fault condition. Motor output current limits are implemented
in embedded software with reaction time within millisecond range as the associated analysis runs at the
heart of the motor control algorithm. As a result, the system is capable to switch off the electronics as soon
as an onset of damaging condition is met.
After the end-user is informed if any trip has happened in the system, further extensive diagnostics is
available. Reset mechanisms exist for most faults, and many of them can be individually enabled or disabled
depending on job needs. These automatic protection mechanisms ensure that unexpected tool behavior is
stopped before damage to the downhole hardware and allow the operator to mill at higher bit torques and
overall power consumption with reduced operational risk.

Case Studies
Case 1: Ball Seat Milling
A controlled milling test was performed to compare the effectiveness of using the automated milling system
to manual WOB control using telemetry commands. The milling test was not attempted using cable tension
to control WOB because this method of control is considered to be far less effective in preventing motor
stalls for the reasons already discussed. The same physical wireline milling tool was used for both trials.
The test was performed with a full toolstring on a fixture that included tubing around the tractor sections and
a target holder on the other end (Fig.). The target was a cast iron simulated ball seat and the milling bit was a
long annular cutter used for capturing multiple ball seats in one run (Fig. 8). Recorded parameters included
torque and rotary speed at bit, tractor motor speed for WOB, surface voltage, head voltage, current, and ROP.
SPE-194232-MS 11

Figure 7—Surface milling I-beam fixture. Inset: cast iron simulated ball seats.

Figure 8—Carbide tipped annular cutter used for ball seat milling.

Table 1 compares the results of milling with each mode. Each trial was run with a fresh target.

Table 1—Milling performance comparison on simulated ball seat

Test Average
Bit Average Torque Number of Stalls Stalls Stalls
Mode Time Penetration
RPM (WOB Controlled) in Test Period per Hour per Inch
m:s Rate (in/hr)

Automated 0:58 36 147 2.91 3 3.1 1.0

Manual 1:23 36 106 1.04 13 9.4 9.0

This test demonstrates that automated milling enables a higher average torque by constantly adjusting
the pushing force. This higher average milling torque results in a higher ROP with less time lost to stalling.
Fig. compares automated milling performance to manual milling performance for a portion of the test, with
the torque comparison shown at the top and the tractor motor speed, which controls the WOB, shown at
the bottom. In manual milling mode (curves shown in dotted brown) the operator had to set and constantly
adjust WOB to maintain an elevated torque for efficient cutting while avoiding stalls due to torque spikes.
The dotted brown motor speed curve along the bottom graph in Fig. reflects the manual WOB adjustments
made by the operator, including multiple instances where the tractor was stopped to allow the milling motor
to recover from stalls. The dotted brown curve in the top portion of the graph shows the resultant torque
as the operator attempts to maintain as much torque as possible without stalling, though multiple stalls
still occurred in this interval. In comparison, in automated milling mode (shown in solid blue), the bottom
graph shows the continuous adjustments made automatically by the system to respond to changing milling
conditions. This continuous adjustment of WOB results in a smoother and, on average, higher torque as
shown in the upper graph on Fig. 11. The complete test run is shown in Fig. 10 which also includes a graph of
ROP for both manual and automated milling modes. This test demonstrates that the higher average milling
torque enabled by automated milling allows a higher ROP and fewer motor stalls.
12 SPE-194232-MS

Head-voltage stabilization was enabled during this test to maintain minimum head voltage at high load
and prevent head voltage spikes when the motor was stopped (Fig. 10). For this test, a 12,000-ft-long
monocable with resistance of 33 ohm was connected between the surface system and the milling toolstring.
The current varied between 70 mA when the milling motor was stopped to approximately 2.5 A while
milling. The head-voltage stabilization algorithm automatically adjusted the surface supply output voltage
accordingly from 700 V to approximately 780 V to keep the downhole head-voltage constant at the setpoint
of 700V. Note that the cable used in this test was relatively short but the same head voltage stabilization
principle applies for longer cables or cables with smaller conductors which result in more significant surface
voltage changes.
The human operator was not required to monitor and adjust the surface supply voltage during the test.
Without the head-voltage stabilization controller, the surface voltage would need to be raised to at least
780 V while milling, and the head voltage would spike when the milling current was reduced. With head-
voltage stabilization, there is less voltage stress on the downhole electrical hardware, and the motor control
algorithm does not need to compensate for sudden changes in the high voltage supply.

Figure 9—Graph comparing manual and automated milling for a

portion of the test. Data is taken directly from the wireline logs.
SPE-194232-MS 13

Figure 10—Graphs comparing Automated milling and manual milling operation for the full test duration.
The top graph compares milling torques and bit speeds. The middle graph shows penetration depths and
ROPs. The bottom graph shows the milling torques and tractor motor speeds which controls the push force.
14 SPE-194232-MS

Figure 11—Head-voltage stabilization.

Figure 12—Taper bit diagram. Notice that the angle of the cutter results in an axial to
radial force transfer of approximately 16 times, making WOB control particularly critical.

Case 2: Taper Bit for Nipple Profile Enlargement

For certain bit and target combinations, the use of automated wireline milling control enables operations
that may otherwise be deemed impossible to perform due to tool torque limitations and operator and surface
system response time. This enabling control capability is demonstrated using a 3.5° taper, nipple-profile,
enlargement bit (Fig. 12). The geometry of this bit is commonly used in coiled tubing operations and is
well suited to widen restrictions. However, this bit geometry poses some challenges when used in wireline
milling due to the high cutter area around the perimeter and the narrow angle of the bit, which results in a
high rate of WOB transfer to milling torque due to the radial force coupling. This force coupling, plus the
limited torque available to drive the bit in wireline milling compared to coiled tubing milling, meant that
the operator would have to almost immediately respond to a torque increase to prevent a stall.
SPE-194232-MS 15

Figure 13—Milling test fixture with wireline milling tool and taper bit.
Inset photo: target, prior to milling. Photo courtesy of Schlumberger.

The milling test was performed using both the automated milling system and with the same hardware
using manual WOB control using telemetry commands. Like the ball seat milling test in case 1, the milling
test was not attempted using cable tension to control WOB as this approach was already proven to be
ineffective (Schwanitz et al, 2010). The test was completed with a full toolstring on a fixture that included
tubing around the tractor sections, and a target holder on the other end (shown in Fig. 12). The target was a
13 Cr ring with a 3.73-in. initial inner diameter. Recorded parameters included milling torque and bit rotary
speed, tractor push force, voltage, current, and ROP.
The test was run in both manual and automated control modes with equal bit rotary speeds, and the
difference in performance became very apparent. Manual control resulted in so many motor stalls that very
little progress could be made. The operator was left with the choice to apply so little WOB that no discernible
progress could be made or to increase WOB and immediately stall. When the bit seized in manual mode,
it was more difficult to back off the bit from the target because it was wedged in at full push force. In
comparison, the use of automated milling control allowed the operator to maximize the power delivered to
the bit as the tool continued to adapt to changing conditions in real time. Although stalling still occurred,
the automated milling system was able to mill through the target. The test also demonstrated that each time
the bit seized with the target, it was much easier to back off the bit to resume milling when it stalled in
automated milling mode because push force was reduced automatically by the controller leading up to the
stall. Fig. 13 shows the automated WOB response and milling torque during the restriction milling test.

Figure 14—Tapered bit restriction milling operation with automated milling control.
16 SPE-194232-MS

Case 3: Scale Milling in the North Sea

An operator in the North Sea needed to remove scale buildup from an offshore well before installing a
straddle packer to seal holes in the 4.5-in. tubing at a depth of 12,180 ft. From a caliper log, the well was
identified to have significant scale in its upper completion which prevented running the straddle packer to
the target depth. The well was thought to be scaled from the downhole safety valve (DHSV) nipple at 555
ft to a depth of over 5,000 ft. The minimum restriction of this interval was 3.5 in. with a nominal tubing
ID of 3.958 in. The client first attempted to run a slickline broach to try and remove the scale but that was
unsuccessful. The scale was determined to be extremely hard barium sulfate.
The automated milling system was run with a 3.7-in. PDC bit, and scale was milled from a depth of 620
ft down to 5,270 ft (Schlumberger 2014). The total milling time was 81 hr, which represents an average
milling ROP of over 50 ft/hr. The straddle passed smoothly after milling, and the intervention objective
was achieved.

Conclusions
The automated wireline milling system presented in this paper uses downhole measurements within a
hierarchal control ecosystem to improve operational efficiency and reduce operational risk. Automation of
the milling system provides the following benefits:

• Faster ROP is achieved by allowing milling at higher bit torques, which are enabled by the ability
of the automated system to prevent bit seizure and motor stall events. The automated system also
reduces the time spent recovering from bit seizure and motor stall events through the automated
"backing off" sequence.
• Operator vigilance and compentency requirements are relaxed compared to existing wireline
milling tools, which need an experienced operator to be constantly involved in milling process
adjustments. Prolonged hours of autonomous milling operation become possible.
• Operational risk is reduced through tool hardware protection actions including tool rotation
protection, overtemperature protection, and overcurrent protection, which are taken in-situ at rates
unachievable by humans. Overvoltage protection is provided by the head-voltage stabilization
controller which adjusts the surface power supply to prevent voltage spikes to the downhole tool.
Advanced diagnostics capability is in place with fault precursors being monitored downhole in
real time.
This automated wireline milling system has been used to successfully mill through multiple target types
using a variety of bits to demonstrate these advantages compared to existing wireline milling approaches.

Future Work
The modularity and flexibility of embedded software and the implemented infrastructure offer a variety
of options for further automation and expansion of functionality. Research and development activities are
ongoing for enhancements to the presented automated milling system. The most important is optimization
of ROP by different means such as automatic tuning of the WOB PI controller. This involves historical data
analysis of recordings obtained for different bit and target combinations across a grid of RPM values and
torque setpoints. Should the technical challenge of ROP in-situ estimation be solved, it would allow a direct
and immediate ROP control in an outer-loop hyper PI controller. Implementation of a cruise-control mode
is also underway. This work further offloads the operator from the need of manual toolstring navigation
between consecutive obstacles downhole. The existing placeholder in the automation ecosystem is ready to
be populated with embedded code for smooth transitions between "automated milling" and "tool drifting"
states. The planned activities are expected to bring the described milling system to an even higher level of
automation where experts' knowledge is more deeply integrated into the machine.
SPE-194232-MS 17

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