WELL COMPLETION &

WORKOVER

Perforation in oil
and gas wells
INTRODUCTION

 Perforation helps create a hole in the casing

through the cement and into the formation to
form a channel for the oil and gas to flow from
the producing formation into the wellbore.
PURPOSES OF PERFORATION

 Creating a channel between the pay

zone and the wellbore.
 Cause oil and gas to flow to the wellbore
easily.
 future stimulation.
example: Hydraulic fracturing
PERFORATING GUNS

 A device used to perforate oil and gas wells in

preparation for production.
 It has different shapes of explosive charges

 Different range of sizes and configurations.

 The diameter of the gun used is determined by

the presence of wellbore restrictions or
limitations imposed by the surface equipment.
PERFORATION GEOMETRY
PERFORATING GUNS

 Casing gun
 Expendable gun

 Retrievable gun

 High-shot density gun

 Casing gun

 Create holes in a casing string .

 Casing guns are typically 3- to 5-in. in diameter
and carry up to four perforating charges per
foot
 Allow perforation through production casing
using larger diameter gun assembly.
 Expendable gun
 A perforating gun assembly that
disintegrates upon firing, creating finer
debris.
 It is used where wellbore restrictions allow
only limited access, as in through-tubing
applications.
 It is relatively light and simple in design with
phased expendable guns.
Expendable gun
 Retrievable gun
 It is retrievable from the wellbore after firing.
 It generate minimal debris

 Minimum distortion of the gun body to help

ensure easy retrieval.
 High-shot density gun
 A perforating gun have more than four shots
per foot.
 Improves the phasing, or distribution of
perforations, around the wellbore.
 Enables improved distribution of the
perforations around the circumference of the
casing or liner.
High-shot density gun
PERFORATION METHODS

 Bullet Perforation
 Jet Perforation

 Hydraulic “Sand-jet” perforation

 Perforation using laser technology

 Horizontal oriented perforating system – HOPS

BULLET PERFORATION
 Bullets lose velocity when gun clearance >0.5
in.
 Often use in a unconsolidated formations
 Cheaper to use, rarely been used today
 Bullets plug the end of the flow channel
JET PERFORATION

 It uses a shaped charges contained in a

perforating gun assembly.
 Gun assembly is placed in wireline, tubing or
coiled tubing, depending on the application and
the wellbore conditions.
 High-pressure jet will penetrates the casing or
liner to shoot into the reservoir formation to
form channels.
Jet Perforation
Jet Perforation
Jet Perforation
Hydraulic “Sand-jet” Perforation

◼ Ituses high-pressure jetting of sand-

laden fluid through an orifice
◼ Short penetration range
PERFORATING WITH LASER

 Conventional explosive charge perforation

method reduces the rock permeability
 Laser perforation increase the rock
permeability, hence, increase the oil or gas
production rate of a well.
Perforating with Laser
Perforating with Laser
HORIZONTAL ORIENTED PERFORATING SYSTEM – HOPS

 Performs oriented perforating

 Incorporating a series of swiveled gun
connectors containing internal, explosive
transfer devices and an internally contained
gun weighting system.
 This system incorporates a series of short
gun sections that rotate to the desired
orientation, providing the optimum shot
pattern and maximizing reservoir production.
Horizontal oriented perforating system – HOPS
PROBLEM WITH PERFORATION

 The main problem is the plugging after

Perforation, these caused by:
 Charge liner residue slugs
 Mud solids & crushed/compacted rock particles
 Solution to the problem: Cleanout of
Plugged Perforations, these include:
 Back surge perforations if consolidated
formations
 Use ‘wash tools’ if unconsolidated formations
 Breakdown with fluid or acid, and ball sealers
CONCLUSION

 Different perforation guns have specific

application. Example: casing gun, retrievable
gun, high-shot density gun, & expandable
gun.
 Method perforation, these include: Bullet,
Jet, hydraulic, & laser.
 Problem using perforation method.
INTELLIGENT COMPLETIONS -
What are they ??

Why Deploy Them ??

“Completion systems which can measure and

selectively control flow into or out from a specific
wellbore or interval.”
Reduce Intervention
• Real-time reservoir monitoring and control
• Reducing remedial workover cost in deepwater
applications.
• Remote wellsites, unmanned platforms
Production Optimization
• Early detection of water migration & gas breakthrough
• Monitoring to continuously update the reservoir model
• Increase recoverable reserves
Injection Optimization
• Controlling flow into a specific zone for improved sweep
efficiency
• Most common type of intelligent completion
- Long reach & highly deviated Monobore wells
- 9-5/8” Casing with 7” liner though reservoir
- 9-5/8” Production and 7” isolation packers
- Remote operated flow control valves
- Control lines to surface
- Intervention capability
- Pressure & temperature monitoring
• Sandface Completion Options
- Cemented and perforated liner
- Sand Screens
- In open hole with open hole zonal isolation
- In cemented liner
- Slotted / pre-drilled liner with open hole zonal isolation
- Expandable sand screens
- Barefoot lateral
- Combination of options
MULTIPLE ZONE FLOW CONTROL
FIELD APPLICATION EXAMPLE
•Production had past plateau and
was in decline
•Required to produce untapped
reserves by looking to the
reservoir flanks
•Not “continuous” reservoirs but
smaller, complex, isolated
pockets of recoverable reserves.
•Required long reach and highly
deviated wells to reach the
targets.
•Required flow control to control
gas coning and water
breakthrough.
WELL PATH EXAMPLE
Depth
m TVD MSL 4000 5000 6000

B-38 A, boret *
30/9-B-39 T3*

SHETLAND GP.
Individual
Well -2500 B-38 B, plan -2500
Programme B-38 AT2, boret*
30/9-B-38 B
Draupne Fm. ? ?
Heather Fm. 2
?
AT
38 Intra Heather sand,
B
TD partly cemented

Tarbert Fm. B38AT2, plan*

Zone 1 Middle Tarbert coal

-2600 A -2600
UN1 38
B
OWC GM UN1 TD

T1
Ness Fm. UN2 coal
T2
LN35
OWC GM
LN35 Zone 2 T5
T3
Top LN35 coal
LN2 T4

Ran./Etive Fm
LN35

-2700 OWC UN1/LN35 GS

-2700
Oseberg Fm @ 2701.5 m TVD MSL

LN1 coal

GAMMA MAIN Zone 3

DUNLIN GP.
GAMMA SOUTH
Legend:
*the wells are projected onto the cross-section
TARGETS: mTVDMSL mTVDRKB mMD
T1 2610.0 2668.0 5616,5
T2 2617.5 2675.5 4000
5836,8 5000 6000
Kilometer
T3 2663.8 2721.8 6180,0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 Vertical displacement from OFC
T4 2670.4 2728.4 6559,7
T5 2655.9 2713.9 6781,8

geo-snitt-B38B Figure 5-4. Schematic interpreted geological cross-section of the Brent Group along the planned well track 30/9-B-38 B
rev1
FIELD EXAMPLE SUCCESSES

• First Installation:
1,000,000 bbls of extra oil in the first 4
months of production

• Third Installation:
Increased oil production from approximately
3,800 bbls/d to 17,600 bbls/d. After 6
months the well was still producing 12,600
bbls/d
MULTIPLE ZONE INSTALLATION SUMMARY

• First installation May 2000

• Currently installed 66 valves in 27 wells
• From 1 to 4 zones
NATURAL GAS LIFT

• Traditional gas lift requirements

- Unload / Kick off the well
- Increase production
- Continue production with increasing
water cut
• Optimize oil recovery with the aid of
gas lift using the natural gas in
place in the gas cap.
• Reduce development costs
- No gas injection infrastructure
NATURAL GAS LIFT – APPLICATION CHALLENGE
• Optimize oil recovery
from a long, laminated
reservoir by gas cap
drive
- 4 producers, 1 gas
injector
• Reduce development
costs in a marginal field
- Subsea solution
- Natural gas lift instead of
traditional gas lift
- Innovative completion
design
• Maximize WHP from all
wells into 20 km flowline
EXISTING COMPLETION - COMMENTS

• 3 runs:- Perforate gas cap, install intermediate

(premium screens) and upper completions: High rig
costs
• Extensive use of completion hardware
• Well control concerns: Gas cap perforations open
for several days
• Kill pill required
- Potential clean up issues
- Environmental disposal concerns
• Goal: Reduce completion costs and minimize safety
and well concerns
BENEFITS
• Operations
 Gas cap flow control and sand control maintained with
6-position choke
 Maximum perforation depth with minimal risk of gas cap
formation damage
• Completion savings: USD 2.8 million (conservative
estimate)
 2 days of rig time per well
 Less completion hardware
 No gas cap kill pill required
• HSE
 Well control: Gas cap perforations open for 1 hr
 Environmental: No kill pill disposal
MULTILATERAL FLOW CONTROL
WITH NATURAL GAS LIFT

• WRFC-H / Sand Screen

Assembly
• Side Mounted Guns
• ML Flow Control
 TRFC-HN-LP main bore
control
 TRFC-HN-AP lateral control
 Single control line
 Innovative choke &
indexer design
• Single upper completion
run
In-line flow
Lateral flow control
control
• Monitoring Considerations
- Monitoring requirements underestimated
- Growing understanding for the necessity
for improved pressure, temperature and
also flow measurement
- Improved telemetry capability facilitates
the implementation for this requirement
MULTILATERAL FLOW CONTROL WITH
NATURAL GAS LIFT & GAS CAP
PRODUCTION
• TRFC-H / Sand
Screen Assembly
 Gas lift operation
to produce oil
 Small choke
sizes
 Gas Production
when oil
depleted
 Choke full open
 CFD flow and
erosion
modelling
• Single upper
completion run
BEST PRACTICES / LESSONS LEARNED
• Close cooperation between supplier and client
• Ownership and responsibility of both supplier and
client
• Continuous and effective communications -
bidirectional
• Long planning and lead times required for complex
completions
• Interface management vital
• Follow up action work closely – be persistent, be on
time
• Detail, detail in every aspect of the project