Recommended Practice: Perforating Page 1 of 4

Alaska Drilling and Wells

Recommended Practice: CT Conveyed Perforating

Authority: CTD Manager Custodian: Drilling Representative

Document
Drilling and Wells
Drilling and Wells – CTD Control
Scope: Document Control
Operations Administrator
Specialist
:
Issue Date: December 1997 Issuing Dept: Drilling and Wells
Revision Date: June 01, 2002 Control Tier: Tier U
Next Review Date: June 01, 2005

1.0 Purpose/Scope
Cemented CTD liners are perforated using coil conveyed carrier guns. Typically, 2-7/8” liners
will be perforated using 2” diameter hollow carriers, while 2-3/8” liners are perforated with 1-
11/16” carrier guns. The perforating is done in an over balanced condition in clean flo-pro mud
utilizing a pressure activated firing head.

2.0 Definitions
PBTD – plug back depth
CNL/GR – compensated neutron/gr (log)

3.0 General Requirements

N/A

4.0 Key Responsibilities

N/A

5.0 Procedure/Process

SCOPE AND BACKGROUND

Because all rig personnel will be in the vicinity of explosives, a comprehensive safety meeting
should be held prior to any perforating operation and during the operation as personnel or
objectives change. These meetings should include the following items:

1. Identify all people on site, introduce the Perforating Specialist, and discuss pick up, make up,
and lay down procedures.
2. Rough handling of guns could result in poor performance of the gun system. The guns are
fired using percussion detonators, not electrical detonators, and radio silence is not needed.
No welding or open flame is permitted around the guns.
3. Keep non-essential personnel away while assembling guns. Establish personnel assignments.
The cellar is to be kept clear whenever guns are above ground level, both going in and out of
the hole. Rig entrances should be posted with appropriate warning signs during perforating
operations.
4. Gun assembly will be done with the rig crew and with the Perforating Specialist’s assistance
and supervision. Exercise caution when removing thread protectors and installing lifting
subs. Trapped pressure precautions will be used when breaking out guns. Use appropriate

Control Tier: 4 – ADW Revision Date: 06/01/02

Document Number: UPS-US-AK-ADW-CTD-HSE-DOC-00023-4 Print Date: 08/13/02
PAPER COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED. THIS COPY VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF PRINTING. THE
CONTROLLED VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT CAN BE FOUND AT http://alaska.bpweb.bp.com/ems
Recommended Practice: Perforating Page 2 of 4

handling equipment: dog collar, slips, and elevators. The Perforating Specialist will provide
lifting subs.
5. H2S risk from the well and from the guns.
6. Well control issues.
7. Establish safe pump pressures and rates. Identify all hazards going in the hole. Liner tops,
tight spots, windows, dog legs, PBTD, and so forth. Determine connection from firing head
to BHA and the correct ball size and type to be used. Verify that disconnect ball sizes are
compatible with firing head ball size.

PRE-JOB PLANNING AND GUIDELINES

At the start of each well, contact the perforating service company with an estimate of interval,
gun and charge type. Once the well is at TD, determine final perf picks, and give the service
company the latitude of meeting the picks plus or minus a few feet. If cased hole logs show
significant depth discrepancies, or the liner does not reach TD, be prepared to remove guns from
the “bottom” end to eliminate incurring substantial gun reconfiguration down time. For
deviations from normal operations, planning may be required weeks or even months before the
operation commences. Discuss contingencies as early as possible. Also:
1. The service company will provide a detailed tool string diagram. All equipment will be
strapped and calipered.
2. Drifting the work string is recommended to ensure the passage of the largest disconnect ball.
3. Clean fluids are a must. 1% or 2% KCL should be used. The pits should be cleaned while
displacing to KCL water prior to cementing. Cement or other debris could cause the firing
ball to remain off seat. It is possible that junk or debris landing on seat, combined with high
pump rates could accidentally fire the guns.

BHA
 Bullnose
 Hollow carrier guns (loaded and blank)
 Safety spacer (to keep live guns below floor when installing firing head)
 Firing head
 Lower hyd disconnect
 Work string as required
 Upper hyd disconnect
 Check valve
 Non-rotating joint
 CTC
Be certain to pick up enough work string to prevent tagging the liner top with the work string
before the guns contact PBTD. An extra 100’ or so is recommended.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCEDURE
1. Load pipe shed with guns after initial safety meeting . Compare the gun layout to original
picks and to the guns themselves. Have a safety joint prepared with a TIW valve and blank
firing head for rapid deployment for possible well control contingencies.
2. Hold another safety meeting with crew prior to discuss gun make up. Post the cellar off
limits. Pick up guns. Use correct dog collar, slips, elevators, and lift subs. Use fishable
lifting subs with “GS’ profiles while making up guns.
Make up the firing head.

Control Tier: 4 – ADW Revision Date: 06/01/02

Document Number: UPS-US-AK-ADW-CTD-HSE-DOC-00023-4 Print Date: 08/13/02
PAPER COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED. THIS COPY VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF PRINTING. THE
CONTROLLED VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT CAN BE FOUND AT http://alaska.bpweb.bp.com/ems
Recommended Practice: Perforating Page 3 of 4

3. Make up the disconnect. Drop the firing head ball through the disconnect before making it
up to ensure ball passes and will not operate the disconnect.
4. Run the work string. Note that all starts and stops with the pipe be smooth, do not set slips
while moving.
5. Pick up injector and make up disconnect to coil.
6. Make up injector and trip in hole. Circulation must be kept at minimum rate. Set pump
pressure trip to a value below firing head threshold. The perforating Specialist must be
present, and rate/pressure limits must be discussed. Trip in hole at normal speeds. Slow
down when entering and once inside liner, usually to 50 FPM or less.
7. Tag bottom lightly. Compare coil depth PBTD with that obtained from the cased hole
CNL/GR log. The “corrected” tag is used for depth control. Determine bottom at “pick up”
weight while slowly pulling off bottom. Pull up hole to place the guns on depth. Note:
Depth corrections/ bottom shot location can be made with up or down pipe movements, as
long as consistency is maintained.
8. Pump 5-10 bbls clean flo-pro into coil to replace that circulated up hole above firing head.
Drop ball. The reel position may have to be adjusted. Once ball is loaded, pressure up to
200-300 psi minimum and open reel valve to launch ball. Return guns to correct depth
Bring the pumps on line as per recommendation of Perforating Specialist. Listen for ball
inside reel house to verify launch. Note circulation rate and pressure.
9. At eight to ten barrels from calculated volume decrease rate to 0.5 to 0.75 BPM. When ball
goes on seat, RIH a few feet, then begin to POOH slowly. If possible, have the coil moving
very slowly up hole as guns fire to reduce the chance of debris or differential sticking.
Closely monitor coil pressure build up, followed by an abrupt drop off as guns fire. Firing
head is typically set to fire at 3000 pounds differential pressure. If the coil is not already in
motiong, be prepared to POOH immediately after guns fire. Circulation rate and pressure
should be different from that observed prior to shearing the firing head.
10. Trip out of hole at no more than 50 FPM while inside liner. The hole can be filled across the
top or down the coil. Closely monitor hole fill to avoid swabbing in well. Max safe pull
should be determined.
11. Pull injector, break out disconnect and stand back. Stand back work string. Stop with guns
below ground level and hold safety meeting. Flag cellar. Continue out of hole.
12. Break out disconnect. Remove firing head. Assume the guns have not fired until visual
verification is made. Trapped pressure can be encountered in any of the blank guns or
connectors. Only the Perforating Specialists should be present while laying down guns.
Have a safety joint prepared with a TIW valve and blank firing head for rapid deployment for
possible well control contingencies. Continue to monitor the fluid level in the well. Check
guns for misfires and abnormal swelling.
13. Remove the guns from pipe shed.

CONTINGENCIES

The ball may not seat after pumping the calculated displacement volume. It is possible that the
ball is trapped in the coil or that debris is blocking the ball seat. The contingencies for this are
as follows: (1) Pump another CT volume; (2) Pump another ball; (3) Pump at max
pressure/rate to create differential across seat to shear firing head. If guns will not fire, discuss
other contingencies with Anchorage drilling team before POOH. When pumping at max
rate/pressure, it may be very difficult to determine if guns have fired by pressure indications
alone.

Control Tier: 4 – ADW Revision Date: 06/01/02

Document Number: UPS-US-AK-ADW-CTD-HSE-DOC-00023-4 Print Date: 08/13/02
PAPER COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED. THIS COPY VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF PRINTING. THE
CONTROLLED VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT CAN BE FOUND AT http://alaska.bpweb.bp.com/ems
Recommended Practice: Perforating Page 4 of 4

6.0 Key Documents/Tools/References

Revision Log
Revision Date Approving Custodian/ Revision Details
Authority Author
December 1997 Original Issue
March 31, 1999 Drilling Manager John McMullen
June 01, 2002 Mark Stanley Gary Goodrich Updated to reflect current practices

<< Revision date >> << Approving << Author’s << Brief Description of Revision
Authority’s Name >> Name >> >>

(or, see attached e-mail )

Approving Authority signature Date

Control Tier: 4 – ADW Revision Date: 06/01/02

Document Number: UPS-US-AK-ADW-CTD-HSE-DOC-00023-4 Print Date: 08/13/02
PAPER COPIES ARE UNCONTROLLED. THIS COPY VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF PRINTING. THE
CONTROLLED VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT CAN BE FOUND AT http://alaska.bpweb.bp.com/ems