Customer challenges
- A major international operator in the Gulf of Mexico with perforating needs had a minimum inflow area requirement of up to 10in2 per foot, however standard gun systems only enabled 39gram 15 shots per foot creating an inflow area up to a maximum of 8in2 per foot
Expro Excellence
- Responding to the ITT, Expro modelled the customer’s requirements and provided a technical proposal to meet the required inflow area to achieve expected production rates
- Expro were awarded the contract and delivered a new charge and gun system: a prototype of this new system was tested in accordance with API RP 19B with a concrete test piece to simulate the reservoir and a section of 101/8” 79ppf SM-125 casing; a second test was also performed on 95/8” 47ppf L-80 casing for comparison
- The test in the 101/8” casing yielded an inflow area of approx. 14.7in2 per foot
Value to client
- The gun system deployment was successful – the customer was able to draw the well down and achieve expected production rates
- Upon firing, the slight overbalance left in the drill string dropped and the well went static – after monitoring for one hour the well began taking fluid at approx. 10 bbl/hr – confirming the perforations were active
