Well Perforating

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 Perforating
• The objective is to establish efficient and effective communication
between the wellbore and reservoir.

Cement

Tunnel

Casing

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 Perforating process

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 Perforating methods
• Wireline deployed (Casing perforating)

• Run before the completion is installed in the well

• Tubing conveyed perforating - TCP

• Run with the completion string

• Thru-tubing perforating

• Run through the completion at any time in the life

of the well

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 Wireline conveyed guns

• High density gun

(HSD).

• Scallop gun.

• Capsule gun.

• Port plug gun.

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 Tubing conveyed guns - TCP
• Run with the completion.

• No restriction on gun size.

• Requires a sump to be drilled.

• Allows underbalance to be applied

without pressurising the whole
casing.

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Through-tubing perforating - Features

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 Components of a perforating
system

• Gun housing

• Explosives & shaped liners

• Electronic / mechanical (firing heads..)

• Accessories (safety equip., connectors…)

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8
Components – Carrier and shaped charge

Courtesy of Devon Energy

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 Components

• Hollow carrier gun

• Expendable gun

Courtesy of Hunting Energy Services

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 Components – Charges / Liner

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 Type of explosives
• Detonating – High, used on shape charges

• Deflagrating – Low, propellants, primacord.

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 Applications
• Big hole or deep penetrating tunnels ?

• Gravel packed completions - BH

• Hydraulic fracturing – Oriented, BH/DP

• Highly damaged reservoirs – DP

• Sand management – DP, oriented

• High rate wells – DP, high density

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 Designing perforating programs
• Key parameters to be specified

1. Gun size – casing ID, net reservoir interval

2. Perforating density (spf) – Flow rates, tunnel erosion

3. Phasing – Tunnel stability, fracture orientation

4. Charge size, type – Temperature, gun size

5. Pressure conditions – Over or underbalance

6. Perforation length – Fluid/solid invasion, damaged

radius
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 Designing perforating programs

Courtesy of Bellarby
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 Key operational issues
• Depth and depth control

• Height of the interval (Selective or blanket)

• Pressure conditions at the time of perforating

• Well configuration – Deviation, casing size…

• Perforating fluids

• Gun firing mechanism

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 Summary
• Main objective is to establish communication between the reservoir and
the wellbore

• Three methods : Casing guns, TCP & Through-tubing

• Main components include : Carrier, charges, firing mechanism &

accessories

• Key design parameters : gun size, shot density & phasing, tunnel length,
EHD, pressure conditions

• Operational considerations : depth control, length of the interval, well

configuration (deviation, casing size, depth…)
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