Various embodiments include methods and apparatus structured to increase efficiencies of a drilling operation. These efficiencies may be realized with a fiber cable located in a wellbore at a well site, where the fiber cable can include an optical fiber disposed as a single handed helix in the fiber cable, where the optical fiber is disposed in the cable without having helix hand reversal. Construction of such fiber cables may include applying a twist to the optical fiber during insertion of the optical fiber into the fiber cable in a tubing process in which control of an amount of the twist to form a portion of the optical fiber can control excess fiber length in the tube. Additional apparatus, systems, and methods can be implemented in a variety of applications.