Dynamic Underbalance Optimization

(DUOSM)

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Perforation Damaged
Zone

Crushed Zone

Undisturbed Zone

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

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Dynamic Underbalanced Perforating
 A perforating technique to deliver near-zero skin
perforations
 Utilizes the wellbore dynamics of the perforating event
to temporarily create a (dynamic) underbalanced
condition
 Design of dynamic UB perforation clean-up job requires
removal of the debris and the damaged zone, without
affecting the intact rock. Drawdown required for
cleanup should:
– not fail the intact rock, but just be sufficient enough
to dislodge the damaged zone ( mechanical)
– remove the damaged/crushed material and debris
out of the tunnel (flow)

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Step One: Crushed Zone Failure
Pressure Idealized Underbalance Curve

Wellbore
Formation
Underbalance
(Failure of
Crushed Zone)

Time

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

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Step Two: Clean-out Surge
Pressure Idealized Underbalance Curve

Wellbore
Formation

Surge Flow

Time

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Baker Hughes’ Offering
 An analysis process to customize
the underbalance profile and
duration
 Two-stage clean-up:
– Separate the perforation damage
from the undisturbed matrix
– Flush the debris from the tunnel
 Accomplished by pre-job
engineering, and BHA design
– Inter-Gun Pressure Valves (IGPV)
– Un-perforated chambers
– Effective job design verification
with high-speed pressure data

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Applications

 Wireline, Slickline, Tractor, and Tubing

Conveyed Perforating
 Vertical, High-angle, and Horizontal Wells
 Long Intervals
 Oriented Perforating

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Benefits of Dynamic Underbalance
 Maximize flow from production perforations
 Improved well injectivity
 Reduces perforating damage and debris
 Minimizes restrictions impairing flow
 Prevents gun sanding
 Simplifies well preparation by removing the need for large static
underbalance pressures

Benefits of Surge DUB

 Modeled BHA for optimal performance
 Custom designed programs for each interval
 High-speed pressure data verification of perforating performance

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Actual Dynamic Event

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

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Wellbore Modeling

“How to engineer the magnitude and duration of

Underbalance”

 Physics-based predictive modeling to determine

wellbore dynamics
 Results used to establish gun string configuration
and firing pressures
 Can be verified using high speed Oil Well Recorders
to “close the loop”

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Repeatability (N Texas Field Trial)
N o r th T e x a s F ie ld T r ia l
S h e ll A d a m s 1 H
J u ly , 2 0 0 6
5000 L e g e n d
P r e d ic te d , o u ts id e g a u g e
O W R , o u t s id e g a u g e
P r e d ic te d , in s id e g a u g e
O W R , in s id e g a u g e

4000

3000
P re s s u re , p s i

2000

1000

0 0 .4 0 .8 1 .2
T im e , s e c o n d s

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.
Controlling the Pressure Curves
P r e d ic te d P r e s s u r e C u r v e s f o r M u lti- O r ific e
B a s e d o n N o r t h T e x a s F ie ld T e s t # 1 G ra p h 1
5000 I n s id e
o u ts id e
p r e s s u r e , o n e o r fic e ( p r e d ic t e d )
p r e s s u r e , o n e o r ific e ( p r e d ic te d )
in s id e p r e s s u r e , tw o o r if ic e s ( p r e d ic te d )
o u ts id e p r e s s u r e , t w o o r if ic e s ( p r e d ic te d )
in s id e p r e s s u r e , fo u r o r ific e s ( a c t u a l)
o u ts id e p r e s s u r e , f o u r o r if ic e s ( a c t u a l)

4000

3000
P re s s u re , p s i

2000

1000

0 0 .4 0 .8 1 .2
T im e , s e c o n d s

© 2006 Baker Hughes Incorporated

All rights reserved.