Engineering Design & Manufacture

of Oilfield Intervention Tools

Masts/Crane Units
& Flow Control Equipment

Wireline
Based in Poole, Dorset, on the south coast of the United
Kingdom, PCE, is an innovative oilfield engineering company
specialising in the design and manufacture of precision engi-
neered, downhole intervention and completion equipment for the
worldwide oil & gas industries. PCE is accredited with ISO 9001,
is approved by leading major oil companies and is a VAM licensee.

Founded in 1985, PCE originally specialised in the design and

manufacture of wireline tools and equipment. Today PCE's
comprehensive range of over 100 wireline / electricline downhole
service tools have a world wide reputation for quality and reliability.

In 1990 PCE began to design and manufacture coiled tubing tools

for the newly emerging coiled tubing service industry. For the past
10 years PCE has been at the leading edge of world coiled tubing
tool technology. Many of PCE's pioneering flow activated tool
designs have now become the coiled tubing industry standard
tools. With over seventy field proven coiled tubing tools, PCE has
one of the most comprehensive CT tool ranges available.

In the last 10 years PCE has also developed a range of spe-

cialised Flow Control equipment. The range includes coiled
tubing / wireline conveyed Lock Hangers and Plug systems with
associated nipples, ESP By-Pass systems, Velocity Strings and
PCE's award winning Multi Lateral Re-Entry Completion System
(MLR™).

During the last 18 years PCE have built up a worldwide reputation

for being a problem solving company. PCE have worked closely
with some of the world's leading operators and well service
companies on design projects to solve their specific downhole
engineering challenges. PCE can offer a cost effective individual
project design engineering service, which specialises in provid-
ing innovative engineering solutions for your unique downhole
intervention requirements.

Many of our tools have been manufactured to customer specified,

non standard sizes. Over the years PCE have also designed and
manufactured hundreds of special "one off tools" to solve
customers specific intervention and fishing problems.

For a formal quotation or an informal discussion please contact PCE.

PCE Products
Wireline Service, Fishing & Mono Conductor Tools
Coiled Tubing Service, Completion & Fishing Tools
Plugs/Nipple Systems & Flow Control Equipment
ESP By-Pass Systems
CT Velocity String Systems
Thru-Tubing Multi Lateral Re-Entry Systems

Holton Road, Holton Heath Trading Estate, Poole, Dorset, BH16 6LT United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)1202 631817 Fax: +44 (0)1202 631708 Sales E-mail: [email protected]
Technical Support E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.pce.co.uk
WLHB.book Page 1 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

WIRELINE
9
MASTS / CRANE UNITS

Truck Mounted Lifting Units ........................................................... 2

Skid Mounted Masts ...................................................................... 5
Man-Rider Winch ......................................................................... 10
Mast Periodic Testing and Certifications ..................................... 11
Gin Pole ....................................................................................... 13
Combined Wireline Winch/Mast Units ......................................... 14

Copyright© 2004, Varco International

 WLHB.book Page 2 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

Wireline Masts / Crane Units

Truck Mounted Lifting Units

WIRELINE MASTS / CRANE UNITS

The primary function of a wireline mast/crane ("wireline lifting unit") is to

provide a means of running wireline equipment into a well. Wireline
masts achieve this by supporting a wireline sheave wheel that is held
above the wireline equipment and pressure control equipment. Utility
winch(es) mounted on the wireline mast allow the wireline equipment and
required pressure control equipment to be hoisted to vertical and con-
nected to the wellhead before the wireline equipment is run in.

Most complete mast units have two or three utility winches. One utility
winch may be used as a man riding Winch. In this case special hydraulic
circuits limit the maximum pull, and safety interlocks ensure personnel
safety in the event of hydraulic power or brake failures.

Mast units normally require back stays (guy wires) for full rating under
high wind conditions.

Truck Mounted Lifting Units

When wireline services are

to be performed in wells
where no derrick or rig is
available, a mobile mast/
crane unit is used.

95’ Mast Truck

2
 Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Truck Mounted Lifting Units

These units typically com-

prise of a steel boom or col-
umn that is hydraulically
raised and extended
although some smaller
units can be manually oper-
ated. Operation heights
vary from 35 feet on
smaller units to 110 feet on
the larger heavier duty units
with maximum allowable
wireline loads up to
175,000 lbs.

29.1m Hydraulic power on these

units is supplied from a
pump, mounted under the
truck bed, which is driven
off the truck engine via a
P.T.O. The bed of these
units stores all of the pres-
sure control equipment and
houses the hoisting
winch(es).

A number of these units are

fitted with safety shutdown
systems that are specifi-
cally designed to protect
434mm the unit and operational
Mast in Operating Position personnel from damage
and/or injury.

3
 WLHB.book Page 4 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

Wireline Masts / Crane Units

Truck Mounted Lifting Units

Mobile Wireline Mast / Crane Comparison

Fixed/Slewing Column

Although the roles of a wireline

mast and crane are similar, they
have distinct differences relating
to their operation that is inherent
in their design. The first and most
noticeable difference is that the
column of a wireline mast is oper-
ated in one fixed position. This
means that the mast unit must be
correctly positioned at a specified
distance from the well to maintain
vertical alignment. A wireline
crane boom is multi-positional,
this makes the correct positioning Mast / Crane Truck
of the mast unit at the well site
less critical, and in some applications the additional reach and mobility of a
wireline crane boom may be advantageous.

Maximum column heights are

similar although the inclined
nature of the wireline crane boom
and resultant load radius means
the maximum allowable wireline
load on a wireline crane is usually
less than a wireline mast unit.

Wireline mast units use guy wires

to increase the rating and stabi-
lize the column under high wind
conditions. Crane units normally
have slender columns, with less
cross sectional area and can be
deployed without guy wires.

Mast / Crane Truck

4
 Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Skid Mounted Masts

Skid Mounted Masts

Skid-mounted wireline masts

are used on offshore or
remote/jungle operations that
are not reachable by truck-
mounted units.

70’ Skid-Mounted Telescopic Mast

These units provide the same functions

as a wireline mast/crane but have a steel
skid frame that houses the hoisting
winch(es), operator controls and storage
basket(s). The skid frames features fork-
lift pockets and lifting points for transpor-
tation purposes.

There are different types of skid

mounted masts, based on the type of
columns used:

• Telescopic or Folded columns

• Multiple Box Sections or Lattice-

work Masts

Operational heights vary from 35 ft to

100 ft with maximum allowable wireline
loads up to 15,000 bs.

Some units are modular in design which

allows them to be lifted onto the rig or
derrick in separate pieces in instances
where maximum rig crane capacity is
less than the weight of the unit.

Mast in Extended Operating Position

5
Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Skid Mounted Masts

Hydraulic power on these units is supplied from a separate stand alone

power pack which can be either electrically, hydraulically or air driven.

Like the mobile units a number of skid mounted units are fitted with safety
shutdown systems that are specifically designed to protect the unit and
operational personnel from damage and/or injury.

Skid Mounted Wireline Mast Comparison

Box Column

Although visually different,

the operation and functional-
ity of box and lattice work
columns are similar.

Generally, the box column

assembly is fabricated from
high strength steel and is
simple and compact in 65’ Lattice-work Telescoping Mast
design; the column is
extended via a multiple stage tele-
scopic cylinder and is rated for
medium to heavy duty use. Box col-
umns are easily operated and can be
extended to full height quickly. Once
extended all imposed loads are trans-
mitted through the telescopic cylinder
and surrounding steel structure.

Lattice column

Lattice columns are typically fabri-

cated from commercial grade steel
and because of their "open" design
are less susceptible to the effects of
wind; this typically allows these col-
umns to extend higher. Coupling this
with their robust construction, lattice
columns are ideally suited for use in
heavy duty applications, although
medium and light duty lattice columns
exist.

Like box columns, lattice columns are

easily operated, although rig up time
can generally be longer. The interface
Inclined Mast in Extended Operating Position between each lattice column section

6
 Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Skid Mounted Masts

is either hydraulically connected or mechanically locked. This allows the

imposed loadings to be transmitted through the entire column structure.

Vertical / Inclined Column

Another variation that exists which applies to both box section and lattice work
columns is whether the column is vertical or inclined. Vertical columns make
use of a component called a "horse's head", this enables the vertical column to
reach out over the well and allow wireline to be run in. The horse's head is gen-
erally fabricated from high strength steel plate and can be either of one piece
construction or two pieces, fold- away construction.

Inclined columns are designed to sit

directly over the well when the col-
umn is fully extended; this eliminates
the need for a horse's head and
makes the column lighter. However,
the column height cannot be
changed without first repositioning
the base which is not the case with a
vertical column. To maintain inclined
column strength backstay wire ropes
are attached between the top of the
column and a point on the base
frame, or on the platform deck.
12200mm (40ft)

Compact Skid Mounted Masts

3150mm

Compact Mast in Transport Position

652mm 3140mm
4100mm

Compact Mast in Operating Position

7
Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Skid Mounted Masts

On well site locations where height limitations make it impractical to utilize

a conventional wireline mast/crane unit to assist in the rigging up and rig-
ging down operations, a compact mast is used.

A compact mast is a lightweight unit with a small base footprint the col-
umn of which comprises of a series of tubular sections which quickly con-
nect together and extended to form a column. Maximum column height
varies from 20 ft to 40 ft depending on the
number of column sections inserted, these
type of masts are rated for a maximum allow-
able wireline load up to 4,400 lbs.

Hydraulic power on these units is supplied

(70 FEET)
21,560
from a separate stand alone power pack which
can be either electrically, hydraulically or air
driven.

Heliportable Skid Mounted Masts

Folding Heliportable Mast

Remote wells or wells located in regions with

poor access routes require a different style of
wireline mast to perform wireline operations, 1,000mm
(3.28 feet)
this type of mast is a heliportable unit.
Heliportable Mast in Operation

Heliportable units are small, extremely lightweight masts with either man-
ually extendable or hydraulically extendable box or lattice section col-
umns. Some telescopic units have a cable-and-pulley system to extend
the sections, either manual or operated by a small hydraulic or pneumatic
motor. These units vary in height from 35 ft to 70 ft and have maximum
allowable wireline loads ranging from 1,100 lbs to 6,000 lbs. These units
are generally fitted with one hoist winch rated to 2,240 lbs (1 ton) and pro-
vision is made for the storage of loose equipment.

8
 Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Skid Mounted Masts

Wireline Mast/Crane Summary Table

The following table gives a summary of typical wireline mast/crane speci-

fications.

Max Footprint
Max Height Weight
Wireline Mast Type Wireline Load Dims
(ft) (lbs)
(lbs) (in)
Crane 100 15000(1) 39690 420x96x156
Mobile
Mast 95(2) 17500 58300 472x98x181
Skid Mounted 90 1000 19800 315x52x71
Compact 40 4000(3) 5808 116x55x123
Heliportable 70 6000 2900 304x55x68
(1) At 76.5 degree boom angle and 10ft load radius.
(2) 110 ft with fly-jib and reduced maximum load.
(3) When used in conjunction with a drop sheave.

Maximum Allowable Wireline Tension

Maximum allowable wireline tension load T, is always a fraction F, of the

maximum allowable column load L, depending on the way the wireline
sheave is rigged-up.

The most common sheave set-ups and the corresponding wireline ten-
sion rating (assuming wireline parallel to column) are shown in the follow-
ing table.

Max Max
Config Sheave Config
Column Wireline
Number Config Factor, F
Load Tension, T
1 Hair Pin Hook
2 Sheave Lock 0.5 0.5 x L
3 Wireline Over Horse-head L
Sheave hanging from utility
4 0.25 0.25 x L
winch line
1 2 3 4

9
 WLHB.book Page 10 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

Wireline Masts / Crane Units

Man-Rider Winch

The sheave lock configuration, available in Elmar's truck-mounted masts

units allows the mast to be rigged up & secured before the wireline
sheave and the wireline are installed, thus avoiding the risk of damaging
the wireline while extending the mast structure.

Man-Rider Winch

A man-rider (or man riding) winch is a winch designed specifically for lift-
ing personnel, allowing to lift an operator to the top of an extended mast in
total safety.

Note: A special safety harness must be worn at all

times when using a man-rider winch.

A man-rider winch can be dedicated to man riding or dual use man-rider

and utility modes. Man-rider winches can be hydraulically, pneumatically,
or electrically powered. Most man-rider winches associated with wireline
masts are hydraulically powered.

Dual use man riding and utility winches normally have a spring loaded
control for the "utility" mode, and return automatically to "man-rider" mode
when the control is released.

A man-rider winch has some or all of the fol-

lowing features:
• Factor of safety of x8 for the lifting
wire when in man-rider mode
• Pull limited to 150kgs (330 lbs) in
man-rider mode
• Fail safe redundant winch brakes
acting directly onto the winch drum
• Manual operation to raise and lower
the rider in case of power failure
• Direct winch drive through a gear-
box, no clutch
• Hydraulic load holding valve Typical Dual-use Man-Rider / Utility Winch

10
WLHB.book Page 11 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

Wireline Masts / Crane Units

Mast Periodic Testing and Certifications

• Slack wire safety shut-down

• 3rd last wrap safety shut-down

Mast Periodic Testing and Certifications

Mast and crane structures are normally certified under lifting appliances
regulations, issued by local governments or regulatory authorities. These
regulations vary according to location.

Certificates are issued by third party certification agencies against the rel-
evant standard applying in the area.

Some of the most commonly used for wireline masts are;

• American Petroleum Institute - (API)

Specification for Drilling and Production Hoisting Equipment (API Spec 8C)
Specification for Wire Rope (API 9 Spec A)

• Det Norske Veritas - (DNV)

Rules for Certification of Lifting Appliances

• UK Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

SI No.2307: "The lifting operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998"

A certificate is issued after a witnessed load test and should specify the
test loads and rigging applied at the time of the test.

The operations and maintenance manual of the mast will define the regu-
lar maintenance to be carried out after each operation and the in-depth
detailed maintenance at regular intervals.

11
 WLHB.book Page 12 Tuesday, April 13, 2004 11:03 AM

Wireline Masts / Crane Units

Mast Periodic Testing and Certifications

A recommended program of regular inspection and testing for masts that

complies with most regulations is shown in the following table.

Frequency Intervention
Every 6 months Pre-test thorough examination
Pre-test thorough examination
Every 12 months Function test
Post-test thorough examination
Pre-test thorough examination
Overload test
Every 4 Years
Function test
Post-test thorough examination
Following significant modification
As for 4 years intervention
or repair
Following an exceptional event As for 4 years intervention

Definitions
Pre-Test Thorough Examination

A visual examination of the mast structure and of load bearing components, lift-
ing gear to ensure that the mast shows no signs of damage, or excessive wear
such as:

• Cracking

• Permanent Deformation

• Excessive wear

• Loosening of structural connections

• Excessive corrosion

• Flaking Paint

Verify all controls systems and all load limiting and shut-down systems

Function and Load Test

Test all load bearing functions to their full safe working load (SWL). Test
winches to 110% of SWL. It may be necessary for these tests to temporary
adjust hydraulic limiting valves, use special test templates, and external hoists
to assist in applying the loads.

Overload Test

Test each load bearing function individually to 125% of SWL. Test all allowable
combination loads to 125% of the maximum combined SWL. It is necessary for
these tests to temporary adjust hydraulic limiting valves, use special test tem-
plates, and use external hoists to apply the loads.

12
 Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Gin Pole

Post-Test Thorough Examination

As the pre-test examination plus NDT (dye penetrant) testing of all structural
welds.

Major Repairs or Modifications

Any significant alteration or repair to the load carrying members of the mast
structure

Exceptional Event

Any accidental overload, shock, or exposure to exceptional stresses (e.g. expo-

sure to wind speed above specifications) that may have affected the structural
integrity of the mast.

Gin Pole

For slick-line operations

that use short, self sup-
ported lubricator strings,
and on well site locations
where it is impractical to uti-
lize a mast/crane type unit
to assist in the rigging-up
and rigging-down opera-
5840

tions, a "gin pole" is used.

A gin pole is a very basic

HYDRAULIC RAISE
CYLINDER mast type structure usually
composed of a series of
lightweight tubular steel
lengths of varying outside
diameters which can tele-
scope to form a mast. A
MANUAL EXTEND, AND PIN basic block-and-tackle
arrangement is utilized to
handle the pressure equip-
5550 ment.

The gin pole is attached to the wellhead by tying it with chains or with
bolted metal straps or clamps. The wireline sheave wheels are not nor-
mally attached to the basic gin pole, but are supported by the lubricators.

13
Wireline Masts / Crane Units
Combined Wireline Winch/Mast Units

Combined Wireline Winch/Mast Units

Combined wireline
winch/mast units are
available for slickline
and small conduc-
tor line operations.

In these combina-
tions the lifting unit
is often a telescopic
crane, mounted on
top of the winch unit
which is in turn
mounted on the
back of a flat-bed
heavy-duty truck.
More advanced
units have the winch
unit and crane
mounted on the
same rotating ped-
estal.

Advantages of these
systems are:
• Only one truck needed for both functions
• Faster rig-up

Disadvantages are:
• Heavier units, more difficult to handle on poor roads
• Winch unit always spotted close to the wellhead during opera-
tions.

14