Designing an Efficient

Perforating Program
George E. King, SPE, Amoco Production Co.

When one thinks of perforating a well, it is often "broken down" with acid to form a connection with
only the gun that receives attention. However, the fracture or the stimulated zone.
obtaining the most efficient response from perforating The phasing (Fig. 2), or the angle between the
requires the design and application of an entire vertical planes of the perforations, may also affect the
perforating program. The first decision during production rate from a well. 4 In an unfractured well,
perforating is what type of completion to use. A the fluid flow in the formation converges toward the
natural completion requires a different perforating wellbore in inward radial flow. In openhole
technique than a sand-control completion or a completions, the fluids may flow into the wellbore at
completion of a well that will be hydraulically any point. In the perforated well, however, the fluids
fractured. must flow through the perforations. The 0° [O-rad]
In a natural completion, the primary emphasis is on phasing common in most through-tubing guns alters
perforation length and shot density. Longer this flow because only one side on the casing is
perforations are more important to productivity than perforated. 5 Also, when a well is fractured, both
such other effects as hole size. 1 The number of wings of the fracture must wrap around the pipe,
perforations per foot of pay zone depends on the sometimes as much as 180° [3.1 rad], before
production rate and type of production. In wells reaching the fracture orientation in the formation.
producing at very high rates, 6 or more shots Phasings of 120 and 90° [2 and 1.6 rad], which are
(holes)/ft [20 or more shots/m] are useful, whereas in possible with the larger guns, help resolve these
lower-productivity wells, 2 to 4 shots/ft [7 to 13 problems.
shots/m] are adequate. Higher-viscosity oil production The purpose of perforating is to obtain open, clean
requires more perforations to reduce friction losses holes. This can be done most effectively by
than are needed in gas production. perforating with a large, retrievable casing gun run
In sand-control operations, many large-diameter on tubing and having the pressure differential toward
holes are needed to reduce the velocity and sand- the well bore when the gun fires. 6 If the formation
carrying capacity of the produced fluid. 1 Perforation has a higher pressure than the well bore when the
length is of secondary importance, especially in perforation is made, the fluids from the formation
unconsolidated formations where the perforation will surge through the perforation and clean out much
tunnels may collapse. of the debris left from the making of the perforation.
In wells that are to be hydraulically fractured, 6 to Because this surge is a controlled flow of the well,
8 small-diameter shots/ft [20 to 26 shots/m] or 4 the pressure- and fluid-control mechanisms, such as
large-diameter shots/ft [13 shots/m] are needed to
reduce friction through the perforations during the
high-rate pumping of large volumes of proppant and
high-viscosity fluids. 1,2 The length of the perforation
beyond the cement is unimportant because the relative
value of a 12- vs. an 18-in. [30- vs. 46-cm]
perforation is of no consequence when a fracture will
extend 200 ft [60 m] or more beyond the wellbore.
Other parts of the stimulation may also depend on
the number and type of perforations. The limited-
entry concept for fluid diversion, in which only a few
perforations per zone are used, is an example of the
perforating design assisting in the stimulation. The
limited-entry concept uses a few shots per zone to
allow pumping friction at the perforations to
distribute the fluid to zones of various permeability. 3
After the stimulation or final completion in highly
productive wells, the interval must be shot with the
correct number of shots per foot to end the
perforation friction for produced or injected fluids
(Fig. 1). These new perforations must often be

Copyright 1987 Society of Petroleum Engineers

Journal of Petroleum Technology. May 1987 513

the packer and tubing, must be in place. This
underbalance perforating, in which there can be
pressure differentials of several thousand pounds per
square inch, is common in natural completions. 7
Underbalance perforating with large casing guns is
accomplished when the gun is run on tubing and the
packer is set immediately above the gun. After the
proper depth is located and the packer set, the
amount of underbalance pressure may be set by
adding or swabbing fluid from the tubing. The gun
may then be fired to bring in the well.
Underbalance perforation is also popular with the
smaller through-tubing guns. It may not be possible,
however, to use the very high pressures with wireline
guns because of the lift effect (drag) that rapidly
flowing fluids have on the wireline after perforating.
One of the most critical factors in perforating is
aligning the gun at the proper depth. For proper
depth control, a gamma ray log is run to correlate the
cased-hole location of the target zone with the depth
of the openhole gamma ray log and to tie the collar-
locator system of the gun to the right depth. Most
depth-control problems occur because the perforations
have been positioned one joint off-a complete miss
for most zones.
514
References
I. Locke, S.: "An Advanced Method for Predicting the Productivity
Ratio of a Perforated Well," JPT (Dec. 1981) 2481-88.
2. Harris, M.H.: "The Effect of Perforating on Well Productivity,"
JPT (April 1966) 518-28; Trans., AIME, 237.
3. Jones, LG. and Slusser, M.L: "The Estimation of Productivity Loss
Caused by Perforations, Including Partial Completion and Forma-
tion Damage," paper SPE 4798 presented at the 1974 SPE Midwest
Oil and Gas Symposium, Indianapolis, March 28-29.
4. Hong, K.C.: "Productivity of Perforated Completions in Formations
With or Without Damage," JPT (Aug. 1975) 1027-38; Trans.,
AIME,259.
5. Hilchie, D.W. et al.: "Potential Distribution About a Perforation,"
paper SPE 5145 presented at the 1974 SPE Annual Meeting, Houston,
Oct. 6-9.
6. Bell, W.T.: "Perforating Underbalanced-Evolving Techniques,"
JPT (Oct. 1984) 1653-62.
7. King, G.E., Anderson, A.R., and Bingham, M.D.: "A Field Study
of Underbalance Pressures Necessary To Obtain Clean Perforations
Using Tubing-Conveyed Perforating," JPT (June 1986) 662-64.
51 Metric Conversion Factor
degree x 1.745 329 E-02 rad
JPT
This paper is SPE 16043. Technology Today Series articles provide useful summary
information on both classic and emerging concepts in petroleum engineering. Pur-
pose: To provide the general reader with a basic understanding of a significant con-
cept, technique, or development within a specific area of technology.
Journal of Petroleum Technology, May 1987