A technique facilitates construction and operation of a power cable which may be used to deploy an electric submersible pumping system downhole into a wellbore. The power cable is constructed to provide structural support of the electric submersible pumping system while also providing electric power to the electric submersible pumping system when located downhole in the wellbore. The power cable comprises at least one conductor and a plurality of layers selected and arranged to ensure long-term support and delivery of electrical power in the relatively harsh downhole environment.

Communication cable including insulated conductors and a composite tape having an insulative layer and a conductive layer. The composite tape includes first and second lateral sections that are folded over each other to form a shielding tape. The shielding tape includes opposite inner and outer sides that are formed from the first and second lateral sections, respectively, and a folded edge that joins the inner and outer sides. The conductive layer defines the inner side, the outer side, and the folded edge. The shielding tape is wrapped helically about the insulated conductors a plurality of times along a length of the communication cable to form a plurality of wraps. The inner side of a subsequent wrap of the shielding tape overlaps a portion of the outer side of a prior wrap of the shielding tape.

A method for manufacturing a motor lead cable includes the steps of forming one or more motor leads and placing external armor around the one or motor leads. The step of forming each of the one or more motor leads includes providing an insulated conductor, providing an open capillary tube that has opposing sides that have not been joined together, placing the insulated conductor inside the unclosed capillary tube, approximating the sides of the unclosed capillary tube around the insulated conductor, and welding the sides of the capillary tube together to form a closed capillary tube around the insulated conductor.

A cable apparatus having an increased linear pullout resistance and related methods is disclosed. The apparatus includes a metal tube. At least one conductor is positioned within the metal tube. An armor shell is positioned exterior of the metal tube and the at least one conductor. A polymer material is abutting the metal tube, wherein the polymer material includes therein at least one additive, wherein the polymer material with the at least one additive remains substantially inert during a recrystallization process.

A fiber composite rod intervention cable includes a central electrical cable portion; a bonding layer; a generally unidirectional carbon fiber composite mantle layer; a protective, balanced braided fiber composite layer. The central electrical cable portion includes a generally central electrical conductor with a first cross-section conductive area; an inner insulation layer on the central electrical conductor; and a coaxial electrical conductor layer having a second cross section conductive area equal to the first cross-section conductive area. The fiber composite rod intervention cable is arranged for being injected into a well from a drum unit via an injection unit at the wellhead and may carry an intervention tool, a logging tool, a well tractor with or without an energy source.

Downhole slickline cable including a polymer matrix having reinforcing fibers embedded therein. A plurality of integrity-sensing optical fibers are embedded within the polymer composite and extend along an axial length of the downhole slickline cable that enables slickline cable structural and mechanical integrity self-diagnosis. The cable may include energy transmission lines that include one or more integrity-sensing optical fibers.

A method for providing power to an artificial lift system includes providing at least two conductors, each conductor being an insulated conductor having insulating material surrounding such conductor. The at least two conductors are surrounded with a composite fiber jacket to form a power cable, the composite fiber jacket being an outermost member of the power cable and having a substantially smooth exterior surface. The power cable is connected to the artificial lift system such that a load of the artificial lift system is transferred to the composite fiber jacket of the power cable.

A self-retracting coiled cable having a variable length along a center line can include an outer insulator sleeve having a longitudinal axis. The self-retracting coiled cable can also include a spring material extending along the longitudinal axis of the outer insulator sleeve. The spring material can hold the outer insulator sleeve in a helical shape around the center line. The spring material can also allow the self-retracting coiled cable to expand upon an application of an axial force to an end of the self-retracting coiled cable, thereby increasing a length of the self-retracting coiled cable, and to retract upon a removal of the axial force from the end of the self-retracting coiled cable, thereby reducing the length of the self-retracting coiled cable. The self-retracting coiled cable can further include multiple wires extending along the longitudinal axis of the outer insulator sleeve and disposed symmetrically around the spring material.

Tubing encapsulated cable consists of one or more electrical conductors and possibly one or more fiber optic cables sheathed in a corrosion resistant metallic alloy. However, pumping during the installation of tubing encapsulated cable is required to overcome the capstan effect of the tubing encapsulate cable inside the coil tubing as the tubing encapsulated cable travels through the coiled up wraps of coil tubing. In an embodiment of the invention the tubing encapsulated cable consists of one or more electrical conductors and possibly one or more fiber optic cables sheathed in a fiber reinforced composite sheath. Because there is little drag between the fiber encapsulated cable and the coil tubing, conventional pumping operations used to install braided wireline into coil tubing may not be required when installing fiber encapsulated cable into coil tubing. Additionally, the smooth outside surface and relatively small diameter of the fiber encapsulated cable are desirable attributes for well intervention work because the smooth surface is more resistant to chemical attack than braided wire while the smooth surface and relatively small diameter provide little viscous drag while fluids are pumped through the coil tubing in the course of intervention operations.

A communication system, comprises a composite slickline including an electrical conductor surrounded by an electrically insulating structural material, a downhole tool; and a sensing element. The composite slickline is mechanically and electrically coupled to the downhole tool and extends from the downhole tool to the sensing element. The composite slickline and the sensing element are capacitively coupled so as to permit relative movement therebetween and so as to permit an electric field to extend from the electrical conductor of the composite slickline to the sensing element through the electrically insulating structural material of the composite slickline for the transmission of an electrical and/or an electromagnetic signal between the downhole tool and the sensing element via the composite slickline.