The invention concerns a power cable suitable for providing power to and from a downhole tool situated within a borehole. The cable comprises at least one inner conductor comprising at least one first electrically conductive material, at least one inner insulating layer surrounding the inner conductor(s), comprising at least one electrically insulating material, an armour sheath surrounding the inner insulating layer(s) comprising at least one second electrically conductive material and at least one outer conducting layer surrounding, and electrically contacting, the armour sheath, comprising at least one third electrically conductive material. The armour sheath further comprises at least one inner radial layer comprising a plurality of armouring wires with a diameter D and at least one outer radial layer electrically contacting the inner radial layer(s), the outer radial layer(s) comprising a plurality of armouring wires (6c) with a diameter d the diameter d being dissimilar to the diameter D, and wherein said armouring wires are radially arranged, in a closed packed structure in order to maximize the armour sheath density.

A method for performing operations in a well comprises sensing a condition at, adjacent, or within a wellhead arrangement located at an opening of the well and performing a safety procedure in response to the sensed condition to improve the safety of the well operations. The method may comprise sensing the condition when a tool is located at, adjacent to, or within the wellhead arrangement. The sensed condition may be associated with a status of the tool. The sensed condition may be associated with an emission, field or signal transmitted to and/or from the tool, extending to and/or from the tool, and/or coupled to and/or from the tool. Performing the safety procedure may comprise controlling a position or status of the tool or controlling an environment at, adjacent to, or within the wellhead arrangement.

A well logging assembly adapted to collect data from the well, comprises a downhole locomotive to move a downhole portion of the logging assembly into the well, a power conduit to supply power from the surface to the downhole portion and a data conduit to transmit data from the downhole portion to the surface. The power conduit comprises a single electrical conductor to send electrical current to the downhole portion from a power supply at the surface. The downhole portion comprises an electrical contact exposed to the well for transmission of the return path for the electrical current to the surface.

A system is disclosed that includes a cable with a core material, an intermediate layer surrounding the core material, a retention assembly located around the core material and configured to compress the core material and restrict the core material from moving in the cable, and an outer metallic tubular surrounding the intermediate layer. Further an electrical device is coupleable to the cable.

A submersible pumping system for use in producing wellbore fluids from a wellbore within a subterranean formation includes a motor and a pump driven by the motor to produce the wellbore fluids. The pumping system further includes a self-supporting power cable connected to the pump. The self-supporting power cable includes a plurality of conductors and a plurality of strength members. A method of deploying and retrieving a submersible pumping system in a wellbore includes the steps of connecting a wireline to the submersible pumping system, connecting a self-supporting power cable to the submersible pumping system, lowering the submersible pumping system into the wellbore while the weight of the submersible pumping system is borne by the wireline. The method continues with the step of locating the submersible pumping system on a landing assembly, disconnecting the wireline from the submersible pumping system, and retrieving the wireline from the wellbore without removing the submersible pumping system from the wellbore.

A pumping system for pumping downhole fluid is disclosed. The pumping system includes: a first electric submersible pump (ESP) and a second ESP, each of the first ESP and the second ESP including a motor, a pump inlet, and a pump outlet; a tubing fluidly coupled to the pump outlet of the first ESP and the pump outlet of the second ESP; a connector coupled to the first ESP; an electric cable coupled between an uphole power source and the connector to deliver electric power to the motor of the first ESP; and an electric cable extension coupled between the connector and the second ESP to deliver electric power to the motor of the second ESP. The first ESP and the second ESP are fluidly coupled to the tubing in parallel or in series.

A reinforced power cable system for use with an electric artificial lift system is provided. The system includes an electric artificial lift system. The system also includes a power cable that provides power to the electric artificial lift system from a surface of a well. The power cable includes at least one conductor positioned within a cable jacket and a braided tube with an open-weave of a reinforcing component installed around the cable jacket. Additionally, the power cable includes a coil tube welded around the braided tube.

A cable of the disclosure may include insulated conductors arranged in a spaced apart generally coplanar configuration, a jacket encapsulating the insulated conductors and having a generally rounded rectangular cross-section and at least one spline along a minor edge of the jacket and at least one channel along a major edge, and an armor layer applied about the jacket.

Systems and methods may include balancing an unbalanced power cable using a transformer that has one or more phases by selecting a voltage on a tap handle; disposing a first bushing on one or more phases at a different voltage than the selected voltage; and balancing the unbalanced power cable based on the disposition of the first bushing on the one or more phases at the different voltage.

Aspects of the disclosure relate to methods of forming and using hybrid wirelines, and associated apparatus thereof. The method is configured to form a hybrid wireline cable that comprises a core having a conductive strand and an insulation layer disposed around the conductive strand. A first plurality of solid wires are disposed around the core to form an inner armor layer. A combination of a first plurality of stranded wires and a second plurality of solid wires are disposed around the inner armor layer to form an outer armor layer. A jacket is disposed around the inner armor layer and the outer armor layer.