Methods of Perforating

Internal Use Only

Bullet Perforators

• The first perforating gun; developed in 1932.

• Fired a projectile (bullet) through the casing,
cement, and into the formation to create a flow
path from the formation into the casing.
• Provides very uniform hole in the casing.
• Became less effective as well depths required
higher strength casing.
• The bullet posed problems with plugging.
• Still in limited use today.

Internal Use Only

 Jet Perforating
• Jet Perforating also known as Shaped Charge Perforating
was developed from Armour piercing shells.

• The Shaped Charge consists of the following components:

– Charge Case.
– Detonating Cord Groove.
– Primer Charge.
– Main Explosive Charge.
– Conical Liner.

Internal Use Only

Jet Perforating

Charge Case
Detonating Cord Groove

Liner

Booster Charge
Main Explosive Charge

Internal Use Only

Shaped Charges
The Process by which a shaped charge penetrates the Casing
and Cement sheath can be divided into three stages.

1) Detonation.
2) Formation of Jet.
3) Jet Impact and Penetration.

With the jet reaching a speed of approx. 25,000ft/sec. and creating a

pressure around 4 million psi. the casing simply flows away from the
point of impact (like pushing your finger through soft butter).
The penetration of the cement and formation is rather different.
They crush and compact away from the jet, forming a tunnel in the
reservoir.

Internal Use Only

Charge Liners

Internal Use Only

Shaped Charge

Internal Use Only

Types of Perforators

• Body copy for slides

Internal Use Only

Wireline Casing Guns

Advantage
• Large O.D. guns with large charges for
maximum performance
• Perforating cost may be lower that other
methods

Disadvantages
• Perforating must be done in balanced or
overbalanced conditions for safety
• Perforator length is limited to lubricator
length

Internal Use Only

Wireline Casing Gun (cont.)

Disadvantages (cont.)
• Well control is dependent on lubricator
sealing system
• Well deviation increases time and
difficulty in perforating

Internal Use Only

Through Tubing Perforating

Patented by Exxon in 1953

Patent purchased by Schlumberger
Advantages
• Allows limited underbalance to formation
• Underbalance provides perforation cleanup
• Better well control due to packer and tubing
in place during perforating
• Packer and completion/DST tools in well
when perforating

Internal Use Only

Through Tubing Perforating (cont.)

Disadvantages
• Small O.D. guns with small charges
have limited performance
• Guns are often decentralized to
optimize performance
• Underbalance generally limited to
1000 psi
• Perforator length limited to lubricator
length

Internal Use Only

Through Tubing Perforating (cont.)

Disadvantages
• Surface well control limited by lubricator
seal system
• Underbalance only available on first run
in well
• Wire may be difficult to maintain seal
while pulling out of hole
• Special pressure sealing equipment is
necessary when SITP is high

Internal Use Only

Tubing Conveyed Perforating
Advantage
• Large O.D. guns with large charges for
maximum performance
• Optimum well control
• Unlimited underbalance
• No limits on well deviation
• No limits on overall length
• Surface safety is enhanced by use of
non-electric detonators and no fire
devices

Internal Use Only

Tubing Conveyed Perforating
Advantage (cont.)
• Guns are fired mechanically or
hydraulically
• Can be deployed on conventional
tubing, coiled tubing, slickline or
wireline
• Rig is not always required
• Multiple zones can be perforated
selectively
• Saves rig cost on long intervals

Internal Use Only

Tubing Conveyed Perforating

Disadvantages
• Have to change customer’s perception of
cost from single service cost to overall
completion cost.
• Misfires can be more costly to correct if
guns are attached to tubing.
• Have to relieve customer’s safety
concern’s.

Internal Use Only

What You Want

Internal Use Only

What You Get

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want
Underbalance perforating
• Use sufficient underbalance to back flush
perforating debris and damage into the tubing and
up to surface
• Available underbalance is limited to formation
pressure
• Maximum usable underbalance is determined by
formation matrix and mechanical systems of the
well
• Proper underbalance will maximize production

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want

Extreme Overbalance Perforating (EOB)

• Apply extreme overbalance pressure to tubing or
wellbore while firing the perforating gun
• Will frac through the perforating damage and
damaged zone into virgin formation
• Extreme overbalance pressures range from 1.4 to
2.2 psi/ft
• Typical to see the same production results as with
underbalance perforating
• More expensive than underbalance perforating

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want
Power Perf
• Provides scouring agent (bauxite)
near the perforations
• Pumping during/immediately after
perforating process forces bauxite
into perf tunnels to aid in clean up
• Bauxite aids in removal of
perforating debris and compacted
zone
• Normally run in conjunction with
EOB and/or Stimgun

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want
STIMGUN
• Propellant sleeve is installed over standard
perforating gun
• Sleeve is ignited when guns fire and produces a
rapid, large pressure at the perforations
• Pressure provides near well bore stimulation
creating fractures throughout the formation
• Reduces injection pressures for further stimulation
• Can be used in conjunction with EOB and
PowerPerf

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want

“StimGun ” TM

Assembly
Conventional
Perforating
Outer Propellant
Carrier
Cylinder Designed to
System
Break in Known Sections
Modified
Charge
Designs

Internal Use Only

StimGun
• The propellant is positioned
and fired over the
completion interval.
• As the propellant burns it
produces a pressure load
on the formation below the
formation rock’s
compressive yield strength.

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want

StimGun
• As the propellant burn pressure
increases strain energy is
accumulated in the rock matrix
until the circumferential stress
around the wellbore exceeds the
strength of the rock.
• At this point fracturing occurs.

Internal Use Only

Getting What You Want

StimGun
• Fracture volume is
increased by
continued gas
generation from the
progressive burn front
of the propellant.
• Burn duration
averages 12 ms.

Internal Use Only