Perforating high temperature well

Challenge
Conveyance
JUSLA11696 Perforating high temperature well - Well Intervention - Welltec
  • Well type Horizontal shale gas well
  • Max. deviation 93°
  • TDMD 16,592 ft
  • TVD 12,220 ft
  • BHP 5,425 psi
  • BHT 315°F

Background

A North American operator working in North Louisiana was looking for an alternative method of performing toe perforation in horizontal high temperature shale gas wells. Earlier attempts using coiled tubing conveyed guns had provided mixed results due to the guns firing off depth. In some cases, this had caused significant damage to the wells, hence the possibility of switching to e-line and tractor based conveyance was examined.

Operation

A Well Tractor® was configured for high temperature work with an electronics cartridge rated for 400°F, an AC motor designed to perform in such environments and the newest generation Welltec® safety sub. This safety sub allows for real-time control of the downhole switch system for improved functionality and greater reliability than previous versions.

The entire toolstring with perforating guns was run into the lateral section of the wellbore for the initial perforation stage of the multi stage plug, perforation and fracture completion. The entire operation took five hours from rig up to rig down. The distance driven by the Well Tractor to place the guns was 4,007 ft.

Achievements

The operation proved that the use of Well Tractors for deploying and placing guns accurately is a highly efficient approach and provides a more reliable and cost effective solution with increased depth correlation compared to coil tubing conveyed guns.