Perforation Strategies

Case

Primer
Conical Liner

Main Explosive

Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Subsurface & Integrity Operations Lead │Freelance Instructor
https:\\www.linkedin.com/in/mahmoud-farag-radwan-a9266626
 Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Mahmoud Radwan is a Subsurface & Integrity Op. Lead with 16 years of experience in Oil
and Gas industry; worked in Well Engineering, Intervention, Integrity, Completion & Work-
over at several companies, including AMAL Petroleum Co. (AMAPETCO), KDT Global
Short Solutions, CUDD Well Control, Shell, Badr El-Din Pet. Co. (BAPETCO), Qarun Pet. Co.
Biography (QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel Petroleum Co. (WASPETCO).
Also, a freelance instructor at Upstream Oil & Gas in Egypt and Worldwide since 2008.
Mahmoud received a B.Sc. degree of Petroleum Engineering from Al-Azhar University in
2007.

❑ Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in Sour Wells and the Possible Causes
to Avoid Recurrence to the Well Integrity Annual Middle East Conference in Abu Dhabi;
UAE in Apr 2015
❑ Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and inspection to the Asset Integrity
Management North Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
❑ Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water Separation Technology in gas
Reservoirs with Bottom Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the 20th Middle East
Publications Oil & Gas Show and Conference in Mar 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
❑ Managing the Operational Challenges in Corroded Wells through Well Integrity
Management System to the Improving Brownfield Performance Technical Convention,
in Cairo; Egypt in Dec 2019
❑ Safe and Economic Attractive Rigless Operations Using a Digital Slickline in
Unmanned Platform with Low Structure Loads and Spacing; paper number: SPE--
202857-MS to the Abu Dhabi International Petroleum Exhibition & Conference (ADIPEC)
in Nov 2020 http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
 Outlines
❑ Purpose and History of Perforating

❑ Explosives and Charges

❑ Gun Types & Selection

❑ Perforating Techniques

❑ Perforating Damage

❑ Perforating for Productivity

❑ New Innovations/Technologies

❑ Perforation Analysis/Simulation
 Purpose of Perforating
❑ Perforating connects the
wellbore with the pay zone of
the reservoir.
❑ Provides the flow path
for reservoir fluids to
enter the wellbore.
❑ Successful stimulation and
sand control operations are
strongly dependent on
perforation parameters
❑ A key factor in well
productivity.
NOTE: Dangerous operation that
requires careful planning and
execution.
 Well 1. Drill well to total depth

Construction 2. Run casing

3. Cement casing and change fluid

4. Establish underbalance and perforate

reduced permeability
Mud filtrate invasion

Reservoir
History of Perforating
•Mechanical, Nitro Shot before 1932.
•Bullet Gun, 1932 to present
•Shaped Charge, 1946 to present
• Most popular
•Hydraulic, 1958 to present
• Abrasive jetting
History of Perforating
•Mechanical, Nitro Shot before 1932.
•Bullet Gun, 1932 to present
•Shaped Charge, 1946 to present
• Most popular
•Hydraulic, 1958 to present
• Abrasive jetting
History of Perforating
•Mechanical, Nitro Shot before 1932.
•Bullet Gun, 1932 to present
•Shaped Charge, 1946 to present
• Most popular
•Hydraulic, 1958 to present
• Abrasive jetting
History of Perforating
•Mechanical, Nitro Shot before 1932.
•Bullet Gun, 1932 to present
•Shaped Charge, 1946 to present
• Most popular
•Hydraulic, 1958 to present
•Abrasive jetting
History of Perforating

•Mechanical, Nitro Shot before

1932.
•Bullet Gun, 1932 to present
•Shaped Charge, 1946 to present
• Most popular
•Hydraulic, 1958 to present
• Abrasive jetting
 Explosives & Charges
Shaped Charges are capable of releasing energy
instantaneously in an explosion. They use a cavity effect
and metal liner to maximize penetration. They consist of 4
components:
1. Primer
2. Main explosive
3. Conical Liner
4. case
Shaped Charge Components
Case

Primer
Conical Liner

Main Explosive
Shaped Charge Materials
 Explosion travels
down the cord
Primer is initiated
Main explosive
Shaped Charge Mechanism

detonates
Detonation
advances
spherically:
Pressure up to 7.5
Million psi
The charge case
expands
Liner collapses to
form high-velocity
jet of fluidized
metal
This is propelled
along the charge
axis
Classification of Perforating Gun
Systems
Through-Tubing
Small guns to get through the tubing string
Can be shot underbalance

Casing
Larger guns with big charges
Usually shot overbalance

High Shot Density

Larger gun with more shots per foot
Used for tubing conveyed applications
Another Classification of Gun Systems

Capsule Charge
• Enerjet (1 11/16, 2 1/ 8 , 2 1/2 -in. (
• Pivot Gun 1 11/16 -in

Hollow Carrier
• Scallop Guns (1 11/ 16 & 2 1/8 –in.)
• HEGS 3 1/8 & 4-in
• Port Plug Guns 4-in
• HSD (1.56 to 7-in.)
Types of Perforating Guns

❑ Hollow steel carrier gun

❑ Expandable strip gun

❑ Pivot gun

❑ Tubing conveyed
OD running in OD deployed
111/16-in 3.79-in

Pivot Gun Expendable Enerjet Strip Hollow Steel

Gun Carrier Gun
Tubing Conveyed
Perf. Gun
Perforating Gun Selection
 Perforating Gun Selection (2)

❑ Clearance & Stand-off

❑ Casing Strength
❑ Effective Formation
Strength
❑ Wellbore Fluid
❑ Temperature
 Perforating Techniques
Through-Tubing Perforating
Completion tested, Underbalance, Rigless
Limited Interval – (30 ft)

Casing Gun/ High Shot Density Guns

Gun size limited by casing size
Wireline conveyed in overbalance: larger interval - (60 ft)
Low Debris Guns
 Perforating Techniques (2)
Tubing Conveyed Perforation (TCP):
Long and multi-zone intervals

Underbalance Perforation

Wide variety of firing systems

Expendable guns can be drop allowing through tubing operations

API 19B Section 1
We Don’t Perforate Cement
 Well Completions and Conditions

Types Well Conditions Conveyance

Cased Hole Overbalance Wireline
Open Hole Underbalance Tubing
Gravel Pack Extreme Overbalance Coil Tubing
 Cased Hole Completion

•Usually, unconsolidated rock needs

a casing and cement to keep well
stability.

• Well is then perforated (casing-

cement-formation) in order to
produce hydrocarbons
 Open Hole Completion

“Bare Foot” Completion

•In very consolidated rocks such as
limestone and dolomite, the
hydrocarbon pay zone may not need
casing and can be left to produce
from the open hole

•Normally used in fractured reservoirs

 Gravel Pack Completion

Gravel Packed Liner

•Used as a screen to keep

unconsolidated formation out of the
wellbore
•Fluids can flow through the
GRAVEL and SCREEN

•Most commonly used in

unconsolidated sandstones
Wellbore Conditions While Perforating

➢ Overbalanced

➢ Underbalanced

➢ Extreme Overbalanced
Overbalanced Perforating
Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement

Phyd
Perforating gun

Oil or gas
Pres
reservoir

Overbalanced perforating
Phyd > Pres
Wireline Through-Tubing - Underbalanced

•Wellbore pressure is less than

Formation pressure

•Pressure equipment required

•Optimum perforation and Maximize

productivity
Underbalanced Perforating
Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement

Phyd
Perforating gun

Oil or gas Pres

reservoir

Underbalanced perforating
Phyd < Pres
Tubing Conveyed - Underbalanced
Tubing Conveyed - Extreme Overbalance
Nitrogen Pumping Wellhead

Tubing

Packer

Production Zone
Large Shaped-
charge Gun

Mud, Oil, and

Salt Water

Extreme Overbalance Completion

Pw >> Pf
Extreme Overbalanced Perforating
Pressurized gas
Completion fluid
in wellbore
Casing

Cement

Phyd
Perforating gun

Oil or gas
Pres
reservoir

Extreme overbalanced perforating

Phyd >>> Pres
 Intelligent Perforating Process

Reservoir
Description

Seismic Completion
Logs... Design

Simulators Job
Nodal.. Design
Monobore
Multiple..
Execution
(Optimize)

Gun
Hardware Treatment
Deployment
 Design Parameter Requirements
• Performance
• Penetration Depth, Casing Entrance Hole Diameter
(API Tables)
• Flow effectiveness or productivity
• Consistency
• Manufacturability
• Ease and Consistency
• Low Cost
• Effective
• Competitive
 Design Factors
To Increase:
Penetration: Reduce α; Increase b, a, d, t, and Dv.
Entrance Hole Diameter: Reduce b, t, and Dv at Apex; Increase a and d.
Hole Volume: Reduce b and Adjust Dv and L within charge; Increase a, d, and t.

Target
Shaped Charge Entrance
Hole

D v
d
t

a Liner
Length
L Standoff Penetration
b
Perforating System Considerations?

Deep Penetrators Big-Hole Charges

High Shot Density Capsule Guns

Underbalance ExoticTechniques Kill

Slim Guns Low Debris Charges

Orientation Deployment Phasing

High Temperature Carrier Guns

Hard-Rock Charges High Pressure

 Perforating for Productivity

• Formation Damage • Long Intervals

– Deep Penetrating Charges – TCP, CT
• Anisotropy – Completing W/O killing
– High Shot Density • Deep/Hot Wells
– Phasing – Hi-temp explosives
• Perforation Skin – Wireline
– Underbalance – Through-Tubing
– TCP • Hard Formations
– Through-Tubing – Deep penetrating
– Completing W/O killing Charges
Perforating for Productivity (2)

Perforation Natural Sand Control Sand Fracture Remedial

Parameter Prevention Stimulation Damage

Effective Shot 1 1 1 3 2
Density

Perforation 4 1 3 2 4
Diameter

Perforating 2* 2* 1 1 3*
Phasing

Perforation 1 4 4 4 1
Length

1= HIGHEST PRIORITY, 4 = LOWEST PRIORITY

Objectives of perforations:
Create optimum contact with the reservoir
Overcome the initial formation damage
caused during drilling.
Deep Penetration
Large hole
No debris
No crushed zone caused by perforations
 Perforating Damage
At perforation impact:
Reduces to small fragments the adjacent rock.
Fractures sand grains.
Fails inter-grain cementation. Debonds clay particles.

Generate additional effects :

Injection of explosive products
Injection of wellbore fluids.

The extent of damage is a function of rock strength

(porosity), lithology, pore fluid compressibility, clay
content, grain size and charge characteristics.
 Perforating Parameters

• Geometry factors
Importance related to
completion type and
formation conditions

• Shot density more

important than shot
penetration
 Perforating Debris

Perforating debris can create problems in highly

deviated or horizontal wellbores and with
completion hardware.

• All perforating guns expel debris into the wellbore

• Attempts have been made to contain the debris in the gun,
collect it after perforating or minimize the quantity expelled
• All perforating generates debris from casing, formation and
guns
 Sources of Perforating Debris

• Case and liner debris from the shaped charge

– Contribute >90% of total debris

• Charge jacket and tube debris from the charge retention

system

• Small steel debris from the exit hole of the gun and the
entrance hole of the casing

• Formation and cement material

This debris has not been a big issue until the advent of highly
deviated and horizontal wellbores.
 Shaped Charge Case Debris

Two strategies:

• Zinc case
– Reduces size of debris

• Steel case
– Pack charges in such a way that the
case breaks into large pieces
– Debris is too big to exit gun
– Case debris stays in gun

Big Shot guns use 2nd strategy

 a b

1 mm

(a)- Section damaged by the perforations

(b)- Section adjacent to (a) not damaged) by the perforation
 (a) - Overbalanced Perforation
before flowing.
a

(b) – Overbalance Perforations after

flow. The flow has managed to
b remove some of the debris from the
gun and the crushed formation

(b) – Underbalance Perforations.

The flow removes all the crushed
zone and gun debris
c
The pressure difference between the
borehole and formation to be
perforated plays a key role in cleanup
and effectiveness of perforations
tunnels
 Overbalanced Perforations

3000 psi underbalanced perforations

Images of rock perforated overbalanced (a) and underbalanced (b). In (a) the flow
removes some of the debris, but not all the debris.
The initial surge of flow generated by using adequate Underbalance during
perforating helps remove debris and erode corrosion zone.
Underbalance Criteria
What is the optimum underbalance pressure?
Experimental examples from two publications.
King et. Al. developed models based on sandstone acidization.
Behmann correlated laboratory data with viscous drag force to remove
particles.
Laboratory tests (images) confirm that higher underbalance pressure, as
observed by Behmann, is needed.
Removal of Perforation Damage

✓ Underbalance perforating

✓ Back surge of perforations

✓ Perforation washing

✓ Acidizing (remove near wellbore damage)

✓ Fracture (bypass damage)

Key Factors that
Control Flow
Efficiency
Shot Density
Phase Angle
Depth of Penetration
Perforation Diameter
Size of Crushed Zone
Perforation Extends
beyond Damaged Zone
Crushed Zone and Debris
Removed
 1,000

Productivity Efficiency as a function of the dimensionless

perforating factor ( b0 ) as defined above
Effect of phasing and perforation depth on productivity ratio:
Assuming no damaged zoned. The damaged zone will have a
larger effect on the 0 phasing because of narrower
channelling effects. .
 Perforating for Sand Control

Gravel Placement & Skin Reduction

Area-Open-to-Flow (AOF)
Shot Density and Big-Hole Charges
Phasing
Reduction of Perforation Skin (Underbalance/Clean-up)
Efficiency
– Single trip
PERFPAC
 Perforating for Sand Prevention

Retain Structural Integrity

Deep Penetrating Charges
High Shot Density
Optimum Phasing (Maximize Perf-to-Perf Spacing)
Limit Drawdown
Oriented perforating

Minimize sand transport

High Shot Density
 Perforating for Fracturing

Pressure Drop
• Perforation Hole Size
• Interval Length
• Number of Shots

Tortuosity & Leakoff

• Phasing 180°, 60° ,120°
• Orientation
• Micro Annulus or Multiple Fractures
• Deviation
Perforating Deviated / Horizontal Wells
Debris
Clean Charges
Big Shot

Skin
Gun Orientation
Special Guns (Top-side Shooting)

Efficiency
Coiled Tubing Perforating
 New Innovations/Technologies
1) High Performance Charges
• Deepest penetrating charge made in the industry
• Increased Productivity
– Shoots deeper in hard formations
– Shoots deeper past formation damage
– Maintains deep penetration at higher shot density
– Increases effective wellbore radius
– Intersects more natural fractures
• Proven track record
• Available in HSD, EnerJet and Pivot Gun systems
 2) PURE Perforating Gun
❑ PURE guns have large flow areas created by PURE shots that
dramatically increase the rate and value of dynamic underbalance
❑ Available sizes: 2-in., 2 ½-in., 2 7/8-in., 3 3/8-in., 4 ½-in. & 7-in.

Which Wells are PURE Candidates?

❑ Reservoir Pressure
➢ 1200 psi (designs have been made for lower pressures)
❑ Wellbore Fluid
➢ Must be liquid around the guns
❑ Conveyor (SL, WL, CT, TCP, PCP)
➢ Initial static underbalance
– Any conveyor
➢ Initial static overbalance
– TCP or PCP below a packer closed chamber
– Long horizontal well
PURE Vs Non-PURE Gun Case Study
Non-PURE

PURE
 3) Big Hole Charges
• Advantages
– Large area open to flow
– No slug liner
– Patented shaped charge packing
minimises debris
4) Wireline Oriented Perforation Tool

• Align perforations with preferred fracture

plane
– To improve hydraulic fracture treatments
– To prevent sand production

Specifications
• 3 3/8-in. OD
• Max. temp - 350 deg F
• Max. pres. - 20k psi
• Allows 5° Indexing
• +/- 10° Orienting Accuracy
5) Wireline Perforating Anchor Tool
Supporting the slim High Shot Density
Gun Systems
Specifications • Enables slim monobore wells to be perforated with
• OD 2-1/8” extreme underbalance pressures on wireline
• Positive Anchor
• Single gun • Wells can be perforated while flowing at high rates
• Operations have been performed resulting in:
– significant reduction in reservoir skins
– increased well productivity
• Wireline anchor for 2 7/8” and 3 1/2” monobore
completions
• Anchor automatically released and retracted after a
preprogrammed time
Perforating Analysis/Simulation
Objectives:
❑ Predicts the size of the entrance hole and the penetration
length of the shaped charge jet into the formation.

❑ Estimates the combined influence of perforations, damage

skin, partial penetration, and well deviation on the
productivity of the well under natural depletion.

❑ Estimates optimum underbalance perforating pressure based

on theoretical / empirical solutions.
 Modelling Perforations:
The various perforation performance can be
modelled, taking into consideration:
➢ Gun Phasing
➢ Gun Type
➢ Damaged Zone Thickness
➢ Kc: Crushed zone permeability
➢ Kd: Damaged Zone Permeability
 References
➢ Bellarby, J. “Well Completion Design”, Volume 56,
SPE, 2009
➢ Schlumberger Well Performance Manual,
Schlumberger
➢ Behrmann,L.A., Khong, C.K., “The Search for Perfect
Perforations”, Middle East & Asia Reservoir Review,
Volume 7, 2006
➢ API Standard 19B Section 1
➢ Halliburton Perforating Solutions Manual, Halliburton
➢ www.GEKEngineering.com : By George E. King,
Professional Engineer, Petroleum Engineering
 Thank You
Mahmoud Farag Radwan