Underbalance Perforating

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 Underbalanced Perforating

Why perforate underbalance?

Remove debris and comminuted material from perforation tunnel

Improves flow efficiency

Prevents completion fluid invasion

Increases effective perforation length and flow area

“For External Distribution. © 2005 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.”

 Underbalanced Perforating

Why perforate underbalance?

Remove debris and comminuted material from perforation tunnel

Improves flow efficiency

Prevents completion fluid invasion

Increases effective perforation length and flow area

“For External Distribution. © 2005 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.”

 Underbalanced Perforating

Why perforate underbalance?

Remove debris and comminuted material from perforation tunnel

Improves flow efficiency

Prevents completion fluid invasion

Increases effective perforation length and flow area

“For External Distribution. © 2005 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.”

 Underbalanced Perforating

Why perforate underbalance?

Remove debris and comminuted material from perforation tunnel

Improves flow efficiency

Prevents completion fluid invasion

Increases effective perforation length and flow area

“For External Distribution. © 2005 Halliburton. All Rights Reserved.”

 Underbalanced Perforating

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 Underbalanced Perforating

Overbalanced

Underbalanced

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 Underbalanced Perforating

OVERBALANCED

BALANCED

UNDERBALANCED
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 Underbalanced Perforating

Perforate past
damaged zone

Productivity
increases

Fig.13-14 Petroleum Well Construction- Economides, Watters, Dunn-Norman

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Oil zones in sandstone
1000
  
 


FORMATION PERMEABILITY MD


100 

  
  

10

 

Legend
0.1 Acid did not improve production
Acid did not improve production
Acid
Acid did did improve
improve production
production

0.01
100 1000 10000
TOTAL UNDERBALANCE PSI

George King, SPE 14321

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Gas zones in sandstone
1000

 
FORMATION PERMEABILITY MD

100 

 Stuck Packer
10
  Casing Collapse

   


1  


Legend
Acid did not improve production
0.1 Acid did not improve production

Acid did improve production
Acid did improve production
Problems
Problems

0.01
100 1000 10000
TOTAL UNDERBALANCE PSI

George King, SPE 14321

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Standard revised calculations
1000
Formation Permeability, md

100

10

K = 10 md
1 Min UB = 1,266 psi
Max UB = 4,329 psi (CSG
Collapse)
0.1
100 1,000 10,000
Underbalance Pressure, psi

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 Underbalanced Perforating

SPE 2648

Originally discussed the

effects of well pressure when
perforating guns fired.

Discussed perforating gun

volume

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 Underbalanced Perforating

Methods for underbalance

Conventional Static Underbalance
– Packer and Vent method
– Swabbing
– Jetting with gas

Dynamic Underbalance
– Engineered solution when conventional static UB
is not an option, or customer prefers method.

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Dynamic Underbalance
Tubing to
surface
Method uses excess gun volume and
additional surge chambers.
Firing
Head
After perforating well and reservoir fluids are
Surge
allowed to fill volume. Vent

SurgePro software used to accurately

Perforating
simulate dynamic fluid and pressure gun
movement
Surge
Chamber

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Static vs. Dynamic

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 Underbalanced Perforating
10000 400
-- activate firing head
temperature 360
9000 l

320
8000
280
7000

Te mper at ur e - F
240
Pr essur e - Psi

l
6000 pressure 200

160
5000
-- under balance surge
120
4000
80
3000
40

2000 0
880 882 884 886 888 890 892 894 896 898 900
Time - minutes

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 Underbalanced Perforating
Which Perforation Do You Want?
82% Difference in Productivity

Effective Formation
Formation Penetration Penetration

Effective Formation
Penetration

Balanced vs 3,000 psi Under-Balanced

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