CASE STUDY

Perforating Design Using Sonic Scanner Platform’s

Acoustic Data Reduces Skin by >60%, Colombia
Successful perforating program based on radial profiles of the alteration zone
and geomechanical parameters, Llanos basin
CHALLENGE
Improve perforating design to penetrate
beyond near-wellbore formation alteration
and reduce skin effect.
SOLUTION
Incorporate radial profiles of petrophysical
and geomechanical parameters measured
by the Sonic Scanner* acoustic scanning
platform to fully characterize the formation
for modeling perforation performance
downhole using SPAN Rock* stressed-
rock perforating analysis.
RESULTS
Penetrated beyond the alteration zone
while reducing skin by more than 60% by
perforating with PowerJet Nova* extradeep
penetrating shaped charges identified using
inputs from the Sonic Scanner platform.
Understanding formation geomechanics
An operator in the Llanos basin, Colombia, wanted to include geomechanics data in designing
the perforating program for an exploration well. The unconfined compressive strength (UCS)
and stress regime of the reservoir significantly influence the success of perforating operations.
An analysis based solely on conventional petrophysical data would not be able to fully assess
near-wellbore alteration for specifying a gun system configuration and shaped charges to reliably
penetrate into unaltered formation and minimize skin.
Acoustically characterizing the reservoir in three dimensions
The Sonic Scanner acoustic scanning platform measures the formation axially, azimuthally,
and radially to deliver a fully 3D acoustic characterization that addresses both intrinsic and
drilling-induced anisotropy. The platform’s multiple monopole and dipole transmitters produce
compressional, shear, and Stoneley waveforms of unprecedented quality for advanced processing
of slowness values that delivers the most comprehensive geomechanical understanding.
The shear radial profile indicated a 6-in depth of alteration whereas the monopole radial profile
showed 8 to 10 in. The more extensive monopole-based depth of alteration was conservatively
employed for conducting SPAN Rock stressed-rock perforating analysis to specify the perforating
gun system and select shaped charges that would penetrate beyond the alteration zone while
minimizing skin.
Well Sonic Scanner PowerJet Nova Extradeep Well Integrity from USI*
Petrophysical Sonic Scanner
Triple-Combo Geometry and Monopole Penetrating Shaped Charges Ultrasonic Imager
Evaluation Shear Radial Profile
Schematic Radial Profile Selected by SPAN Rock Analysis Cement Bond Log (CBL) and
Variable Density* Log (VDL)
Resistivity-R5
Oil Saturation

0.2 ohm.m 2,000

Resistivity-R4 Δt Δt
0.2 ohm.m 2,000 ELANPlus* Compressional Compressional
Difference Difference
Resistivity-R3 0 ft3/ft3 1 Shear Shear
Sand Shale Difference Difference 0 % 30 0 % 30
Water Saturation

0.2 ohm.m 2,000 Bond

Gamma Ray Resistivity-R2 Density -30 % 30 -30 % 30 Δt Δt VDL-CBL Microdebonding

Shear Shear Compressional Compressional CBL
Water Volume

0 gAPI 250 0.2 ohm.m 2,000 0.95 g/cm3 2.95 –2.00 8.00
Bound Water

Radial Profile Radial Profile Radial Profile, Radial Profile,

Oil Volume

Poisson’s Ratio Depth, Resistivity-R1 Neutron Borehole Fast, R1 Slow, R1 R1 R1 CBL CBL-VDL, R1
Well Extradeep Conventional Charges Acoustic Impedance
Quartz

Shape Schematic Microdebonding

ft
Illite

0 0.05 0.2 ohm.m 2,000 0.45 ft3/ft3 –0.15 1 ft3/ft3 0 35 in 0 0 in 35 35 in 00 in 35 Charges Model at 12 spf Mode 0 mV 10 0 119
9,400

9,425
Estimated Skin: 0 Estimated Skin: 2
0 deg 0 deg

9,450

9,475

Parameters: Parameters:
UCS: 13,000 psi UCS: 13,000 psi
Vertical Stress: 9,456 psi Vertical Stress: 9,456 psi
9,500
Pore Pressure: 3,950 psi Pore Pressure: 3,950 psi
Alteration: 10 in Alteration: 10 in

9,525 . .

SPAN Rock analysis incorporated high-quality acoustic measurements by the Sonic Scanner platform to fully
account for the depth of alteration and geomechanics of the formation. The recommended PowerJet Nova
extradeep penetrating charges successfully penetrated beyond the alteration zone.

Formation Evaluation
 CASE STUDY: Perforating skin reduced >60% using Sonic Scanner platform data, Colombia

Reducing skin by more than 60%

Petrophysical evaluation determined that the sand body had 10% to 15% porosity and 5% to 10%
clay volume. The predicted UCS was 13,000 psi. These data and the geomechanics information from
the Sonic Scanner platform were used to evaluate PowerJet Nova extradeep penetrating charges
in comparison with conventional charges at 12 shots per foot (spf). The predicted skin factor for the
conventional charges was 2.

Following the perforating operation using the specified PowerJet Nova charges, the perforated
zone was tested with the drillstring still in the well. The log-log plot of the first derivative matched
to the test parameters determined that the resulting skin was only 0.766, which is a more than
60% reduction from the modeled conventional perforations to a value with practically no adverse
effect on flow performance. Perforation penetration beyond the alteration zone and the reduced
skin confirmed the benefits of including Sonic Scanner platform’s geomechanical data in the
perforating design.

1,000
pressure derivative, psi

100
Pressure and

10 Principal Matching Parameters

Tmatch = 36,200 h Total skin = 0.766
pmatch = 0.0299 psi Total kh = 4,630 mD.ft
C = 2.68E–05 bbl/psi Average k = 386 mD

1E–5 1E–4 1E–3 0.01 0.1 1 10 100

Elapsed time, h
Analysis of the drillstem test conducted after perforating indicated a total skin of only 0.766, which is a more than
60% reduction from the skin estimated for conventional perforating. T = time, p = pressure, C = wellbore storage
constant, k = permeability, h = height.

slb.com/scanner

*­ Mark of Schlumberger
Copyright © 2014 Schlumberger. All rights reserved. 14-FE-0075