A Study of Some Factors Affecting Gun Perforating

By S. C. OLIPHANT,· JUNIOR MEMBER AIME, AND R. FLOYD FARRIS·

(Galveston Meeting. October 1946)

ABSTRACT factors that affect penetration of the bullet,

PRESENTED in this paper is a summary of
the results of experiments conducted in both
the laboratory and the field during the past
three years in connection with casing-perfora-
tion problems. Included are studies of gun
features that influence bullet performance and
penetration, and stud1es of the effect of
perforator bullets on casing and the neat
cement in the annulus. Discussion and data
are also presented relative to the accuracy of
depth measurements in deep wells.
INTRODVCTION
burring of the casing, accuracy of depth
measurements, and other items. It is hoped
that by presenting the results of these in-
vestigations a better understanding may be
obtained of certain of the factors involved
in gun perforating and further investigation
of the subject will be prompted.
SUBSURFACE TESTS
A well approximately 9000 ft deep,
whiCh was being prepared for abandon-
ment was selected for subsurface tests of
gun-~erforating experiments, In preparing

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It is a common practice in the oil in-
the well for the experiment, 572'-in. casing
dustry to effect the completion of oil wells
in the hole was pulled and racked in the
by setting and cemeI)ting casing through
derrick. A test section of pipe, which con-
the producing liorizons and perforating the
sisted of 65 ft of s-in. I8-lb J-55 casing
section of casing opposite the desired in-
centered inside 7-in. 28-lb N-8o casing, was
terval by means of a gun lowered into the
placed in the derrick corner and the annulus
well on a cable or on the tubing. This prac-
between the two pipes was cemented from
tice has been followed for some time, and
the bottom up with 1672' lb per gal neat
this method of- completion has been given
cement, which was mixed and displaced
considerable study by the companies that
with a cementing truck in the usual man-
render perforating service as well as by the
ner. After the cement had been allowed to
oil companies that utilize their services.
harden for about a week, the test section
Through continued research on this sub-
was lowered into the hole on the 5H-in.
ject, it has been possible to develop guns,
casing to a depth of 6600 ft by casi~g
bullets, and powd,et that will permit con-
measurements. The hole was filled with
trolled firing at great depths, and penetra-
drilling fluid weighing 10 lb per gallon. .
tion of as many as two strings of casing.
A perforating company was called to
It is the object of this paper to present
perforate the pipe, but was not advised
the results of studies made of gun perforat-
that an experiment was being conducted.
ing in both the field and the laboratory.
The company was asked to check the total
These studies were made to determine the
depth (to cross pins in the bottom of the
test section), then to raise the gun a given
Manuscript received at the office of tJ:1e
Irtstitute Aug. 9. 1946. Issued as TP 2II5 In distance and fire a given number of shots
PETROLEUM TECHNOLOGY, January 1947. with 72'-in. bullets, pick up another dis-
• Stanolind Oil and Gas Co., Tulsa, Okla-
homa. tance and fire a given number of ~8-in
225
226 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATlNG

bullets, and pick up another distance and Table I. Table 2 shows the possibility of
fire a given number of ~~-in. bullets. errors.
Mter this had been done and the com-
pany had left the well, another company
was called and the same procedure was re-
peated. This was continued until each
company servicing the area'had perforated
the test section.
The test section was pulled out of the
well and inspected. Fig I illustrates the
method followed in cutting the pipe to ob-
serve the results. Since it was found that
very few bullets penetrated both strings of
pipe, and since information was desired on
the effect of perforator bullets on cement in
the annulus at various stages of hardness
(strengths), it was decided to repeat the

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first experiment, except that the test sec-
tion would be run into the hole immediately
after cement had been pumped into the
annulus, and the perforating companies
would then be advised of the nature of the
test and specifically requested to perforate
for maximum penetration.
A summary of the data relative to pene-
tration of bullets as obtained from the first
and second subsurface test is shown in

TABLE I.-Bottom-kole Perforating

Experiment
5-in. IS-lb. J-55 Inside 7-in. 2S-lb. N-So

Experi- Experi-
ment ment
Bullets No. I. No.2.
Standard Best
Shots Shots

~-inch:
Number of shots fired ..... .31 21
Number went 011 ......... 25 21
Number com~letelY pene-
trating bot strings ..... 2 IS
NU.mber ~artlY penetrat-
ing bot strings ........ 23 6
~-inch: .
Number of shots fired ..... 33 6
Number went 011 ......... 27 6
Number com~letelY pene-
trating bot strings ..... 5 6
Number ~artly penetrat-
ing bot stnngs ........ 22
~-incp:

- NNumber
umber shots fired .......
Number
went 011 ....•....
com~letrlY pene-
17
12

trating bot strings ..... 2

Number r:rtly penetrat-
ing bot strings ........ 10 l"IG. I.-SECTlON OF J-55 AND NoSo CASING
WITH NEAT CEMENT IN ANNULUS.
 S. C. OLIPHANT AND R. FLOYD FARRIS
TABLE 2.-Possibility of Error
Difference between Line Measurement
and Casing Tally
METHOD OF
MEASUREMENT TOTAL DEPTH,
Stanolind casing tally. , . . . . ..
Perforating Concern A .......
Perforating Concern B. . . . . ..
Perforating Concern C. . . . . ..
Perforating Concern D .......
Errors Made in Placing Shots after Tagging
Bottom and Picking up a Given Interval
Perforating Amount of
Concern Pickup, Ft
A
B
13
25
C 37
D 50
These data show that considerable error
is possible, even when the hole is perfectly
clean and free of cuttings, and that when
selecting an interval to be perforated allow-
ances should be made for a possible error
in measurement,
After the examination of both test sec-
tions of pipe removed from the hole had
been completed, the blank sections in the
pipe were cut out with a welding torch and
each perforating concern was asked to
perforate this section of pipe on the surface
with the same powder charges, bullet sizes,
etc" that were used in the subsurface tests.
From these tests it was concluded that
results from bottom-hole tests and surface
tests are comparable insofar as bullet pene-
tration and the effects of bullets on cracking
and shattering of cement in an annulus are
concerned. The subject of cracking of
cement by perforator bullets will be dis-
cussed later in this report.
LABORATORY TESTS
After it had been concluded that gun-
perforating tests conducted on the surface
are representative of gun performance in
deep wells, a series of tests was conducted
at the laboratory to evaluate more fully
some of the factors that influence the per-
227
formances of perforating guns. The setup
used in these tests is shown in Fig 2, It
consisted of short sections of 5~-in. 17-lb
FT
J-ss casing cemented inside a thin sheet-
6,600 metal form, which simulated the wall of
6,594
6,593.5 the hole. This was placed in a ss-gal drum,
6,597.5
6,599 which for some tests was filled with con-
crete, to simulate a hard formation, and
for others was filled with unconsolidated
sand, to simulate a very soft formation.
Both the neat cement and the concrete
Error
were allowed to set until they approached
maximum strength, except when a study
1 ft high was made of the optimum time (cement
2.5 f·t high
0.5 ft high strength) required to perforate to avoid
2 ft high
cracking the neat cement. In the latter
case, the neat cement outside the S~-in.
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casing was poured after the concrete ap-
proached its maximum strength and was
perforated at various times after the neat
cement attained its final set. Perforating
was done with the barrel lying on the
ground and the gun blocked up to center it
inside the pipe. After four to six shots had
been fired in the center third of the barrel,
the metal barrel was cut with a torch and
removed and the concrete was broken, to
show the penetration and other behavior
of the bullets. This is illustrated in Fig 3.
STUDY OF PENETRATION
The degree of penetration of the per-
forating bullet is dependent upon many
factors. For example:
Powder Charge.-For any given gun de-
sign on the market, an increase in powder
charge will produce increased penetration.
However, quantity of powder is much more
important to some gun designs than it is
to others, and for that reason the perfor-
mance of one type of gun should not be
compared with that of another gun on the
basis of powder charge alone.
Wet Powder.-If the powder in a gun
becomes wet with well fluids, penetration
of the bullet ahead of it is very apt to be
seriously affected, regardless of the size of
228 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
the powder charge. Wet powder usually is
caused by faulty fluid seals.
Gun Size.-Gun size is important, for
two reasons:
FIG. 2.-LABOB.ATOB.Y SETUF FOB. SURFACE TESTS.
t. As a general rule, the larger guns have
longer barrels or chambers than the smaller
guns, and, all other factors remaining the
same in a given type of gun, the longer the
gun barrel the greater the penetration. For
example, an increase in the barrel length
of some guns of only ~ in. will.produce a
greater increase in penetration than a large
increase in powder charge. However, one
should not compare gun-barrel length of
one gun design with that of another gun
design because there are other factors that
must be considered.
2. Gun size is also important because
both the subsurface and laboratory tests
have shown that the closer the gun muzzle
is to the casing the greater the bullet pene-
tration. When relatively small guns are
used inside 5~-in. or 7-in. casing the bul.
lets fired from the side of the gun against
the pipe may successfully penetrate the
pipe and the surrounding cement sheath,
but, according to laboratory tests, bullets
fired from the opposite side of the gun may
or may not effectively perforate the casing.
Also, the penetration of bullets that strike
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the casing at an angle is invariably poor.
These considerations indicate that best re-
sults will. be obtained with the l!!.rgest gun
that can safely be run inside the pipe to be
perforated.
Shear Disks.-The shear disk in per-
forating equipment is a thin metal plate
placed directly behind the bullet to create
the effect of a closed combustion chamber.
It allows a predetermined pressure to be
developed before the disk ruptures and the
bullet starts to move. A shear disk serves a
purpose very similar to that of a tamp
above dynamite in a shot hole. However,
it should not be said that guns that utilize
shear disks are more effective than those
without a shear disk, because less powder
is used in the former type than in the latter,
to avoid exceeding the bursting pressure of
the gun chambers. The shear disk probably
is responsible for more difference in gun
 S. C. OLIPHANT AND R. FLOYD FARRIS
design than any other particular feature or
factor.
Bullet Shape.-The shape of the bullet
nose has a great deal to do with penetra-
FIG. 3.-MEASUREMENT 0]' BULLET PENETRATION.
tion. Flat-nosed or perfect cylinder-shaped
bullets produced very low penetration.
Other odd-shaped bullets were fired during
the laboratory tests, but none equaled the
penetration of standard conical and ogival
bullets. If there is a difference in penetra-
tion or performance between the two latter,
it is believed to be of minor importance.
Bullet Size.-The size of perforator bul-
lets for best penetration is not the same for
all types of guns. Also, the test data con-
tained a sugges1:ion that the optimum size
of the bullet determined by firing into very
hard "formations" may not be the same
size of bullet that will produce best pene-
tration in soft, unconsolidated "forma-
tions." In general, however, it has been
found that the optimum size of bullet
usually falls within the range of 0.3 to 0.5
in. in diameter.
Slef:l)es or Bushings on Bullets.-Alumi-
num or plastic sleeves sometimes are
slipped around ~~-in. and %-in. bullets so
that they may be fired through larger
barrels. Tests show that cylindrical bush-
ings used on bullets designed to be used
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with a shear disk greatly reduce bullet
penetration. On the other hand, cup bush-
ings-i.e., cylinders with only one open end,
which slip over the back of bullets designed
for use in guns that employ no shear disk
-cause the smaller bullets to attain greater
penetration than the larger bullets that
require no bushing.
Worn Gun Barrels.-Gun barrels that
had been discarded as junk were tested for
comparison with new gun barrels. Gun
barrels worn to a few thousandths of an
inch oversize produced less penetration
than new gun barrels. It was found in these
tests with one type of gun that the pene-
tration was reduced approximately 27 per
cent with gun barrels that were worn on an
average of 0.015 in. oversize. However,
with guns of other designs this might not
hold true, and other worn gun parts might
have more effect on penetration than en-
largement of the gun-barrel diameter.
230 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
Action of Bullets in Flight.-Observation
of the position of bullets fired through
casing, a sheath of cement, and into various
"formations," together with an observa-
tion of the shape of the hole made by the
bullet, afforded an opportuni ty to pos tula te
the action of perforator bullets in flight.
Bullets tend to follow a straight path with
the point of the bullet forward while passing
through the casing and neat cement, if the
bullet path is normal to the pipe. The path
of the bullet is normal to the pipe when it
is perpendicular to a tangent to the pipe at
the point where the bullet pierces the pipe.
If the bullet path is not normal to the pipe,
the bullet may start to turn while passing
through the pipe and often will tumble or
move sidewise during the remainder of its
flight. Penetration in these cases invariably
is poor. Bullets fired normal to the pipe wall
continue to follow a fairly straight path out
into the formation if the formation is hard.
The bullets fired· into homogeneous con-
crete "formations" were found usually
with the point forward and resting at the
greatest projection. Bullets fired normai to
the pipe and into unconsolidated sand start
to tumble after they clear the cement
sheath. These bullets were found in every
kind of position but generally with the back
of the bullet forward. Also, these bullets
would not always be found at the greatest
projection. In a few instances bullets were
found to have made as much as 2 or 3 in.
penetration into the sand and then bounced
back to the neat cement sheath.
Limits of Bullet Penetration.-Penetra-
tion of perforator bullets was measured as
the distance from the back of the bullet
(or point of the bullet in case the back of
the bullet was found in the forward posi-'
tion) to the inside wall of the well bore.
The length of the bullet was not considered
in penetration measurements. because the
lengths of all perforator bullets are not
the same, and because it is the amount of
open hole behind the bullet that will de-
termine whether or not the formation has
been effectively opened to the well bore.
In this series of experiments, penetrations
were obtained ranging from approximately
2H in. to no penetration at all. Thus, it is
evident that not all of the bullets fired by
presently offered perforating services will
effect complete penetration of even one
string of casing and the surrounding cement
sheath.
SIGNIFICANCE OF BULLET STRIATIONS
Bullets often are found at the bottoms of
wells inside the casing after perforating.
When a considerable number of bullets are
recovered the questions arise as to whether
or not the objective formation has been
exposed to the well bore, particularly if a
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production test has been unsatisfactory.
Therefore, tests were conducted to de-
termine whether bullets would be striated
in a characteristic manner, depending on
the type of material they had penetrated.
As demonstrated in Fig 4, this work
showed that bullets fired through pipe and
caught in wood would not be greatly
marked. Only a slight smoothing down of
the tool marks on the nose of the bullet was
observed. Bullets fired through casing, neat
cement, and into various formations showed
deep striations on both the nose and the
base of the bullet. These bullets can be used
as a reference in making determinations of
whether or not bullets that are bailed from
wells are likely to have made contact with
the formation.
Many of the bullets recovered from wells
are broken in two or more pieces. Aside
from the fact that some bullet breakage is
caused by improper hardening, many of the
bullets recovered from wells are believed
to be broken by the casing mill, which is
run into the hole to knock out bullets that
are protruding inside the casing and to
remove inside casing burrs. Bullet breakage
is also believed to be caused by the fact
that all bullets do not strike the pipe
straight when the gun is off center in the
hole. During laboratory tests where the gun
 S. C. OLIPHANT AND R. FLOYD FARRIS

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Casing, Cement
and Sandstone

Cas
and Chert
FIG. 4.-ApPEARANCE OF BULLET AFTER PENETRATION.
232 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING

was always centered very few bullets were it hazardous, if not impossible, to run tools,
found to be broken, perhaps no more than especially packers, through the perforated
one in one hundred. Breakage of bullets interval. For this reason a casing mill
during the subsurface test where the gun usually is run into the hole to knock off

FIG. 5.-A~PEARANCE OF CEMENT IN ANNULl:'S WHEN PERFORATED AFTER A WOC PERIOD OF 19

HOURS (145 psi tensile strength).

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FIG. 6.-CEMENT-PERFORATED AFTER WOC PERIOD OF 50 HOURS (307 psi tensile strength).

was probably resting against the pipe, how-
ever, was much more extensive.
EFFECT OF PERFORATING ON CASING
As the perforating bullet penetrates the
casing while traveling at a high velocity,
there is a flow of metal first to the inside
of the casing and then to the outside. The
flow of metal to the inside of the casing
produces a sharp, ragged burr, which makes
the sharp metal burrs before any attempt
is made to run a packer past the perforated
interval. Milling out burrs is expensive and
often hazardous, as the casing sometimes is
split or "egg-shaped" by the perforating
gun, causing the mill to stick or hang up.
Several of the perforating services re-
cently have placed on the market bullets
that are said to leave no burr on the inside
of casing. Laboratory tests show that while
 S. C. OLIPHANT AND R. FLOYD FARRIS
certain special bullet designs will eliminate
or reduce inside burring of casing, as a gen-
eral rule penetration is sacrificed. Service
companies should be encouraged to improve
FIG. 7.-FRESHLY BROKEN SURFACE OF OKLAHOMA WILCOX SAND.
upon this development, at least to the point
where casing burrs can be eliminated with-
out sacrificing penetration under that
presently produced with standard bullets
at the maximum powder charge.
Perforator bullets can and do sometimes
split casing. Although all of the factors that
contribute to splitting of casing have not
been studied by the writers, it is believed
that the strength or rigidity of the material
that surro\lnds casing when it is perforated
has more to do with splitting of casing than
any other single factor. H-40 pipe per-
forated on the surface, with no fluid inside
233
the pipe and with no reinforcement outside
the pipe, will usually split. The same test
conducted on J-55 or N-80 pipe, as a gen-
eral rule, will not split. However, J-55 pipe
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perforated with fluid inside the pipe and
with no back-up outside the pipe will
usually split. In no case during the course
of the experimental work on gun perforating
has J-ss casing been split by perforating
when the casing was firmly backed up by
strong·cement or concrete. Thus, it appears
that most casing splitting during perforat-
ing jobs may be attributed to the combined
effects of poor cement jobs and perforating
casing under fluid. It is possible that the
effect of perforating casing under fluid is
to concentrate the force of the powder blast
to a smaller area on the wall of the casing.
234 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
Another factor having to do with split-
ting of casing is the size of the bullet used.
Large bullets must displace more metal
than smaller bullets, hence the tendency
to split casing is magnified.
FIG. S.-VIEW OF BULLET BURIED IN WILCOX SAND.
Tension in pipe in a well has been sug-
gested as a possible cause of splitting of
pipe by perforator bullets. A section of
unsupported J-55 I7-lb casing perforated
in air under a tension of 40,000 lb did not
split. It was perforated once in the collar
and once below the collar.
Both the surface and the subsurface tests
indicate that casing splitting by perforator
bUllets may be reduced or minimized by:
(I) good cement jobs behind the pipe,
(2) not perforating the pipe while the
cement is too" green," (3) use of J-55 or
N-So grades of casing, and (4) use ofthe
smallest practicable bullet.
EFFECT ON CEMENT IN THE ANNULUS
In order to study the effect of perforating
on the cement sheath in the annulus, sub-
surface tests were made in the 66oo-ft well
with cement that had been allowed to set
different periods of time. After the test
section had been pulled from the hole and
the outside casing removed, to expose the
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cement in the annulus between the 5-in.
and 7-in. casing, it was found that cement
perforated too soon resulted in an enlarged
hole and that cement perforated after pro-
longed aging resulted in considerable
shattering and cracking. Fig 5 shows the
appearance of the cement when perforated
after 19 hr. or at an estimated tensile
strength of 145 psi. Neat round holes with
no cracking or shattering of cement were
obtained at this time. Fig 6 shows there-
suIts of perforating cement at 50 hr which
had developed a tensile strength of approxi-
mately 307 psi. In this case considerable
cracking and shattering of the cement was
noted. From these data it is evident that
cement may be perforated satisfactorily
when it has reached a tensile strength of
approximately ISO psi, whereas a tensile
 S. C. OLIPHANT AND R. FLOYD FARRIS 235

strength of about 300 psi results in cracking EFFECT OF PERFORATING ON PRODUCING

and shattering. The woe time to a cement FORMATIONS
tensile strength of 150 psi will vary with As stated before, it was observed while
depth, but in the subject 6000-ft test well making the study of the effect perforator
the time was approximately 20 hr. It was bullets on cement in the annulus that when

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FIG. 9.-~ECUOl\AL VIEW ILLUSTl<ATlNG SAND COMPACTlON All]ACENT TO PATH O~' BULI,ET.

also proved by laboratory tests that cement
backed up by soft formations shattered
more in perforating than did cement backed
up by hard formations. These data indicate
the necessity for perforating cement at the
proper ages or strength, in order to elimi-
nate cracking that might allow entrance of
water or gas from below or above the
perforated interval.
cement is perforated while it is relatively
"green,"-say, at a tensile strength of less
than 100 psi-relatively larger holes are
blown in the cement by the blast of the
powder. These holes often are as large as
2 to 3 in. in diameter., This observation
raised the question of what happens to the
cement that is displaced bY,the blast of the
powder. Where does it go? Visual examina-
236 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
tion of the relatively large holes made in
"green" cement showed very clearly that
most of the cement displaced from the hole
is forced back into the pore space of the
FIG. lO.-VIEW OF SAND FACE IN THE HOLE MADE BY THE BULLET.
surrounding cement by compaction. The
zone of compaction in many cases was
clearly defined. This, in turn, raised the
question of what happens to formation
materials displaced by perforator bullets.
Does it force the displaced material back
into the pore space of the pay zone and
reduce its permeability?
This point was investigated by per-
forating a large Oklahoma Wilcox-sand
core mounted in a cement block, for good
backing. Micrographs were taken of the
sand before and after perforating. Fig
7 illustrates the appearance of a freshly
broken surface of the sand before it was
perforated. Fig 8 shows a section of the
~-in. perforator bullet buried in the sand
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as exposed by cutting the core in half in the
direction of the path of the bullet. Fig 9
is another sectional view illustrating sand
compaction. The ledge to the left is a part
of the hole made by the bullet. Sand grains
adjacent to the bullet path are crushed and
compacted as compared to the sand grains
some distance back from the bullet path.
Fig 10 is a view of the sand face in the hole
made by the bullet.
Other tests were made where the relative
reduction in permeability due to perforator
bullets was measured. Included in these
 DISCUSSION
tests were limestones and dolomites as well
as sandstones. These tests confirmed the
suggestions indicated in the micrographs.
They indicated also that the lower the
permeability. the greater the proportion of
reduction in permeability. The reduction in
permeability found during these tests varied
from 40 to 80 per cent, depending upon
the original permeability of the formation.
This factor may serve to explain at least
partly, why it is often quite difficult to
bring a well in or to get a satisfactory well
test through perforations in some tight
formations. It may also shed an interesting
light on the question of why it is often
necessary to acidize perforated completions
to obtain a satisfactory well test.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The writers wish to express their ap-
preciation to the management of the
Stanolind Oil and Gas Co. for permission
to prepare and publish the results of these
experiments and to the perforating con-
cerns for their excellent assistance and
cooperation in the execution of many of
these tests.
DISCUSSION
E. B. MILLER*-The paper presented by
Mr. Farris has been most enlightening and the
authors and Stanolind Oil and Gas Co. are to
be commended for making the results of
their experiments available to the industry.
With the findings of these experiments I
am sure that operators can more intelligently
explain some of the troubles they have en-
countered and can also use, to real advantage,
the facts that have so clearly been illustrated.
I am not in a position to take issue or con-
firm the data presented; the results of the
experiments have been very clearly and
accurately reported. There are, however,
some points that should be emphasized in
applying these findings to actual field problems.
The findings indicate that it is not as simple
a matter to perforate two strings of casing as
many of us have been led to believe, but there
are so many successful jobs that we know it
• 'Tide Water Associated Oil Co., Houston,
Texas.
237
can be done. The most important point in
ensuring a successful job is to fully acquaint
the perforating company with the facts prior
to the time they are ordered out and not
after they have arrived on location. To plan
a successful job and select the proper equip-
ment consideration should be given to the
relative sizes of the casing strings to be per-
forated, the grade casing, the size hole drilled,
temperature and depth, as all of these factors
have a direct bearing on the job. It must be
kept in mind that the perforating companies
have a varied assortment of tools and each
is designed to do a better job under certain
conditions. I feel sure that a real saving can
be made to the operator in avoiding unneces-
sary delay, misunderstandings, and in some
cases job failures if he will be as diligent in
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acquainting the service companies with all
the facts as he expects them to be in the
performance of their job.
Every branch of the industry is anticipating
the requirements and problems that will be
encountered as we drill deeper and deeper
in the search for oil. As wells are drilled deeper,
higher temperatures will be encountered, and
high temperatures present a real problem and
one of the most important factors affecting
gun perforating. Upon inquiry, I found that
the perforating service companies have tackled
this problem in a realistic manner and a great
deal of research is now in progress to solve
this problem. The experiments reported in
the paper just given did not cover the effects
of temperature on gun perforating, and I
believe it will be of interest to many of you
to pass on to you some of the information I
obtained while making inquiries as to what
is being done about perforating "hot wells."
One of the first things that was called to
my attention was that the combined powder
used by all perforating companies is such a
small quantity when compared with other
uses powder is put to that the major manu-
facturers of powder have no great incentive
to apply their research facilities to the problem.
It is a problem that apparently must be
solved in the laboratories of the service
companies. I use the phrase" must be solved"
purposely because the oil industry and its
allied services has a reputation for solving
difficult pro blems, and this will not be an
exception. When we consider that all powder
made today is specifically designed for some
240 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
excellent investigation of gun-perforator per-
formance. Service companies are limited
through lack of knowledge of many details
such as cement behavior, formation variables,
and the like in conducting similar studies.
It is only through cooperative ventures of
this nature that such extremely important
problems can be satisfactorily solved. We
have enjoyed working with the Stano lind
group and hope to continue furth.er studies
as the need becomes known.
Mr. Oliphant and Mr. Farris have presented
their findings as they might be interpreted
by oil company personnel. This same informa-
tion interpreted from the service company
standpoint may present thoughts of interest
to oil operators and may assist in putting to
work some of the knowledge imparted in the
paper. It is with this sincere desire in mind
that we present comment as follows:
WELL-DEPTH MEASUREMENTS
The service company problem is to lower
a cable, which for practical purposes may be
considered a coil spring, as deep as 3 miles
into the earth; through a corkscrewed hole;
with varying weights and volumes of instru-
me~ts; through fluid of varying density; at
speeds up to 1000 fpm, and still measure at all
depths with unquestionable accuracy.
This problem has been paramount in our
research activity. Great progress has been
made in cable structure. Formulas suited to
determining the stretch characteristics of
individual cables and individual sections of
cable have been developed. Field installation
and calibration procedures incorporating cor-
rections for fluid density and instrument weight
have been set up under the direction of field
engineers. Yet in our estimation, where com-
pletions require accuracy approaching inches
instead of feet, it is necessary to utilize available
methods that establish exact relationships
between formations and casing collars.
ACCURACY IN PICKING Up FROM BOTTOM
In analyzing the table showing errors in
pickup from bottom experienced by the four
service companies, it should be realized that
these errors are not accumulative and are,
in fact, quite different from errors in depth
measurement. They represent varying amounts
of slack in weight indicators and are ap-
proximately the same regardless of the distance
picked up from bottom.
The results of the tests covered by this
paper show that complete penetration was
not accomplished through the two cemented
strings. Although we cannot refute the results
of the penetration tests, we must recall that
the conditions of the test were abnormally
severe and should not be considered as a
measure of efficiency of all two-string per-
forating jobs.
KNOWLEDGE OF WELL CONDITIONS
A thorough knowledge of conditions present
in a well is essential to best treatment of that
well by the service company. Information
concerning the number of strings of casing
present, casing weights and grade, casing
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size, size of drilled hole, and subsurface
temperature, is necessary to properly gun-
perforate the well. Advance notice is a "must,"
particulady if abnormal well conditions,
casing sizes, etc., exist or if an unusual size
or piece of perforator equipment is desired
(bullets, for instance).
Best handling can be assured by making
certain that responsible service companies are
contacted.
PENETRATION
The paper has pointed out the effect of
barrel wear and leakage of well fluid into the
gun upon penetration. A new gun fired at the
surface will easily bury a bullet in a solid
steel bar. As barrel wear occurs, penetration
is reduced. Fluid leakage may allow moisture
to accumulate in the powder recess, where
under subsurface conditions it vaporizes with
resultant slowing of the burning rate of
powder. In addition to these two possible
difficulties, there exist other problems peculiar
to individual gun types.
It is the service company's obligation to
recognize these potential trouble spots and
to take preventive action to assure that
adequate tools and instructions are provided
for a well organized, systematic inspection
system in the field.
The oil operator should realize that in
gun design, as in most things, the tool that
is used is a compromise. Bullets sometimes
return into the well bore after penetrating
casing and formations, therefore sufficient
 DISCUSSION
clearance must be provided to assure that
such "bounce backs" will not interfere with
gun movement. The steel 'used is capable of
standing certain maximum combustion pres-
sures, and this limits powder charge and
thickness of shear disk.
Casing size definitely controls gun diameter
and indirectly reduces barrel length, bullet
weight, powder charge, and similar variables.
With increasing frequency, we are called
upon for emergency treatment of wells upon
which there have been drilling or completion
troubles. These usually result in two-string
penetration requirements with the inner
string a very small diameter casing, for
instance, 4% in., or tubing, or sometimes
3~-in. or 4-in. drill pipe. For these jobs, we
must substitute modified equipment, which
may present certain operational hazards not
found in standard equipment. In planning a
completion program, especially where there
is possibility of deepening for future liner
recompletion, thought should be given to the
gun-perforating problems involved, and the
use of any unusual casing sizes should be dis-
cussed with service company engineers during
the planning period.
BURI<-FREE BULLETS
Our first development work in attempting
to gun-perforate without leaving a burr took
place prior to 1940, the first patents being
issued in 1940. In all the work conducted to
date, satisfactory removal of burrs has been
accomplished only at a loss in effective pene-
tration. Since strenuous efforts have been
directed toward increasing penetration to
meet increasing field requirements, we have
been reluctant to advocate the use of "burr-
free" bullets.
As an outgrowth of this study, the ogival-
nose bullet was developed. Its primary ad-
vantages lie in the fact that the center of
gravity is further forward than in any other
design, with lesser resultant tumbling ten-
dencies; and in the fact that the strong point
structure reduces point breakage with resultant
less tumbling. The over-all result is greater
average penetration and slightly improved
burr characteristics.
BULLET STRIATIONS
The information shown in Fig 4 should be
retained by everyone using the gun-perforator
service. It can serve as a guide for analyzing
troubles that occur in well completion. If a
well, supposedly a producer, gives up no
fluid after gun perforating, there may be lack
of penetration. If bullets are bailed from the
well, they can be studied to determine the
trouble. Perhaps they will indicate casing
penetration but no formation penetration;
the obvious solution is increased shot density
in the critical area. In some instances, recovered
bullets may show formation markings, which
indicate that well-depth measurements may
be the source of trouble. Many similar studies
are possible.
The exact reason for bulle~ return to the
well bore has never been fully explained,
although several theories have been presented.
In some cases, bullets have returned to the
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gun-barrel bore with the point reversed, where
conditions were such that the bullets could
not have been loaded upside down by reason
of a shear disk attached to their base, and
where clearance between gun and casing was
inadequate to permit the bullet being turned
around within the casing.
REDUCTION OF FORMATION PERMEABILITY
The combustive pressures within a gun
sometimes approach 200,000 psi. It is quite
logical that there might be some compaction
of the formation within the immediate vicinity
of the perforated hole as a result of expanding
gas. Although we have not investigated this
matter of permeability reduction fully, it is
believed that increased shot density, fired
in such a way that each following shot will
receive the cracking benefits of preceding shots,
will cause radiating cracks that will result in
satisfactory effective permeability. .
CASING BULGING OR EGG SHAPING
The writers have indicated the possibility
of egg shaping of casing. This might be at-
tributed to: (I) egg shaping created by the
gun; (2) egg shaping caused by the mill iri
removing burrs caused by the gun.
We have often considered the problem of
pipe deformation as a result of gas action from
the gun. In this interest, it is highly desirable
to use a design that utilizes a minimum amount
of powder without sacrificing penetration.
These characteristics are built in to the gun
design and arc the results of much develop-'
242 A STUDY OF SOME FACTORS AFFECTING GUN PERFORATING
ment. Another factor, of course, is the matter
of firing shots one at a time or all at once,
with arguments in favor of each method.
It has been a pleasure to present this dis-
cussion of Mr. Oliphant's and Mr. Farris'
paper. The overall good that has resulted and
will result from this extensive study should
contribute to a better understanding of the
problems involved.
T. S. WEsT*-For the case of gun perfora-
tions through cement that has been aged,
what is the maximum and average distances
• Geologist-Engineer. Blanco Oil Company
and Al Buchanan. San Antonio. Texas.
to which resulting fractures extend from the
point of perforation?
Was any difference noted in the extent of
fracturing of cement between guns that fire
several bullets simultaneously and those
that fire one bullet at a time?
S. C. OLIPHANT (author's reply)-No crack
more than 2 ft long was noticed; the majority
were of I ft and less in length.
We have very few data on the subject of
Mr. West's second question, and do not
believe a conclusive statement could be made,
although I do not recall any marked difference
in fracturing when perforating all shots
simultaneously or one at a time.
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