1
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection
for Flow Diagnostics
Tim LaGrange
Regional Engineering Advisor
Owen Oil Tools
2
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
How ProTechnics Tracers Work | Surface Injection Methodology
• Tracers injected into each stage at a controlled rate during
hydraulic fracturing
• Allows for uniform dispersion of tracers throughout the frac network
(water, oil or gas tracers)
• SpectraChem (water tracers)
• Pumped at a set concentration (relative to fluid volumes)
• From beginning of Pad until end of Sand
• NOT pumped in spacers or flush
• FlowProfiler (oil tracer, gas tracer)
• Injected at a set mass per stage
• Oil tracer - liquid infused into resin beads (engineered delivery system)
• Pumped in solid form with the proppant
• Oil tracer dissolves in contact with oil
• Gas tracer is a liquid added to the frac fluid
• Vaporizes under reservoir conditions
3
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Water, Oil and Gas Soluble Oilfield Tracers
 Placement of tracers injected per stage depends on which clusters take frac
 Over 50 unique tracers for each phase (50+ water, 50+ oil, 50+ gas soluble tracers)
 Produced water or hydrocarbons are analyzed for tracers using Gas Chromatograph Mass
Spectrometry GC-MS to give a flowback profile
 Tracers monitor the water, oil and gas returns of the well over time
How ProTechnics Tracers Work | Surface Injection Methodology
4
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Tracer
Propellant
Puck
Shaped
Charge
Perforating Gun with Tracer – Patent Pending System
• Combines CoreLab Technologies
• ProTechnics Tracers
• Oil & Gas Tracers
• Water Tracers
• Owen Perforating Guns
• Disposable Pump Down Gun
• Tubing Conveyed Gun
• Owen Equal Entry Hole Shaped Charges
• HERO PerFRAC (perforate single casing)
• HERO ReFRAC (perforate liner inside casing)
• Owen Energetic Well Stimulation
• KODIAK Propellant – internal
5
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Owen GoGun Perforating Gun System
• Wireline conveyed addressable select fire gun
• Disposable Pump Down Gun (fully disposable) – optimized for wireline
• Patent pending pin by box gun, high-pressure bulkhead - redundant seals (eliminate subs)
• Field installed GoFire IDS (Integrated Detonator Switch)
• Owen Instrumentation “Sentinel” software - safe and reliable select firing “shoot on the fly”
• GoGun + KODIAK Propellant + PerFRAC/ReFRAC Charges + ProTechnics Tracer(s) = GoTrace
Energetic Assisted Diagnostics
6
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Owen High Efficiency Reservoir Optimized – HERO Shaped Charges
• Equal Casing Entry Hole (over range of gun to casing clearance)
Equal entry hole provides equivalent pressure drop across each perforation – distribute tracer equally
Minimizes effects of tortuosity, maximizes cluster efficiency, increases SRV (Stimulated Reservoir Volume)
• PerFRAC charges (single casing string)
• ReFRAC charges (two strings, liner cemented inside casing)
Example: PFC-3121-336 PerFRAC Charge,
3.125 Gun, 5.5” 23 lb/ft casing
7
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Energetic Propellant – Perforating & Well Stimulation
• Propellant has rapid burn after shaped charge
detonation
• Charge Detonation time – microseconds
• Propellant Burn time - milliseconds
• High pressure gas ejects the tracer from perforating gun
• Wellbore fluid forces gas & tracer into the formation
• Propellant generated gas
• Breaks down perf tunnel & extends the fractures
• Inject tracer into the formation
• Gas flows back into wellbore & cleans perf tunnels
• KODIAK Internal propellant developed for applications with
high frac breakdown pressures (ex; toe of horizontal wells)
Standard Gun Energetic Gun
Owen KODIAK – Internal Propellant - Enhanced Perforating
8
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Owen KODIAK – Internal Propellant - Enhanced Perforating
• Typical Perf Tunnel
• Formation damage – crush along tunnel
• Possible slug in perforation tunnel
• Crush reduces permeability
• K (crush) ~ 30% K (formation)
• Propellant Enhanced Perf Tunnel
• Fractures extended by gas pressure
• Tracers injected into the formation
• Gas flows back into wellbore
• Tracers remain in fractures
• Debris flushed out of perf tunnels
• Increased permeability
• Reduces required frac pressures
Formation
Drilling
Damage
Casing
Cement
Crush
Extended
Fractures
Clean Perf Tunnel
Propellant Enhanced Perforating
10
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
• Monitor flow produced from each cluster
• Each cluster in stage can be traced - each gun can use different tracer(s)
• Water & Oil & Gas tracers may be run simultaneously (same perf gun)
• Gun system assessed; charge type, density, phasing, shots, guns per stage, etc.
• Energetic propellant assisted perforating
• High pressure gas extends fractures in perf tunnels to stimulate reservoir
• Injects tracer into the formation
• Gas flowing back into wellbore cleans perf tunnels
• Perforating gun tracer injection is ideal for wells:
• Perforated but not hydraulically fractured
• Require bullhead refracturing of long intervals with open perforations
• Not sufficiently isolated between stages from poor cementing or leaking plugs
Advantages - Injecting Tracers with Perforating Gun
11
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Field Testing Results:
• All perf clusters in the stage traced
with the same water tracer
• Each stage traced with different tracer
• During the frac, surface injected water
tracers used for control
• Surface injected tracers show very
similar flow diagnostics to PGT
• Confirmed perforating gun tracing
monitor returns from each stage
Tracer in Gun - Development & Field Testing
12
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Flow Assurance Details: Marcellus Shale
Case Study 1
• Two long Marcellus laterals (~ 2 miles / 3.2 km
long)
• Operator wanted flow assurance from toe of each
well - from initial flowback & through fracturing
adjacent well
• Two stages in each toe traced with PGT
• Multiple guns per stage, each stage unique tracer
• Monitoring confirmed flow from toe of each well
• From flowback & through fracturing adjacent well
• Disc colour - tracer, disc size - tracer returns
• Monitoring showed communication well-to-well
• Arrow size & colour - tracer flow between wells
1H
2H
13
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Fracture Driven Interaction Details:
(Marcellus Shale)
Case Study 1
• Offset well was hydraulically fractured
after 1H and 2H flowback
• Fracture Driven Interactions (FDI) from
offset pad temporarily diluted returns
• Well 1H showed greater tracer dilution –
tracer concentration not detectable
• After offset well stimulation 1H and 2H
continued to provide flow assurance
• PGT provided flow assurance during
fracturing offset well
1H
2H
14
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Horizontal ReFrac: Barnett Shale
Case Study 2
• Operator wanted to determine distribution
of fluids and proppant in refractured well
• Cement squeeze original perforations
• New clusters perforated
• Different tracer in each gun
• Proppant tracers (radioactive) injected
during hydraulic fracturing
• Logging confirmed proppant only near heel
• Perf gun tracing confirmed
• Flow contribution from each cluster
• Lower stages were open to flow but
received no proppant
Disc size & colour represent PGT monitoring
No Proppant
Spikes - Proppant tracers
confirmed by Tracer Log
15
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Vertical ReFrac 1V: Oklahoma
Case Study 3
• Operator wanted; flow diagnostics of
water & oil, placement of proppant
• Two intervals traced (oil & water tracers)
• Proppant tracers (radioactive) injected
during hydraulic fracturing
• Tracer log shows intervals successfully
propped
• PGT confirmed oil and water returns from
each interval
• Shallow interval produced most water
• Temperature survey post-frac
• Cooling effect – confirm hydraulic isolation Water Oil
16
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Acid Stimulation after Perforating: Permian Basin
Case Study 4
• Operator wanted flow diagnostics from 3 intervals to
determine highest oil & water returns
• All intervals perforated with PGT
• water & oil tracers in each gun
• All intervals open to same acid treatment
• Monitoring returns showed
• Shallow interval produced most oil & water
• Mid & deepest intervals least oil production
• Tracers in acid would not identify oil & water from each
interval
• Perf gun tracing provided the flow diagnostics the
operator had requested
17
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
• Flowback profiles of each
perforated cluster - high resolution
• Perforated cluster performance
correlates to gun configuration
• Industry proven ProTechnics tracers
for flow diagnostics
• Shelf-stable water, oil & gas tracers
• Propellant provides near-wellbore
stimulation
• Injects tracer, cleans perf tunnel,
can reduce frac pressure
Summary - Perforating Gun Tracing Advantages
18
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
• Perforating gun tracer injection is ideal for wells:
• Require bullhead refracturing (long intervals open perfs)
• Poor isolation between stages (poor cement / leaking plugs)
• Perforated unstimulated natural producers
• Acid treated wells
• Wells requiring high resolution flow diagnostics
• Assess perforating, hydraulic fracturing, etc
Summary - Perforating Gun Tracing Applications
19
Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics
Questions?
Energetic Assisted Diagnostics

PERFORATING GUN TRACER INJECTION FOR FLOW DIAGNOSTICS

  • 1.
    1 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Perforating Gun Tracer Injection for Flow Diagnostics Tim LaGrange Regional Engineering Advisor Owen Oil Tools
  • 2.
    2 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics How ProTechnics Tracers Work | Surface Injection Methodology • Tracers injected into each stage at a controlled rate during hydraulic fracturing • Allows for uniform dispersion of tracers throughout the frac network (water, oil or gas tracers) • SpectraChem (water tracers) • Pumped at a set concentration (relative to fluid volumes) • From beginning of Pad until end of Sand • NOT pumped in spacers or flush • FlowProfiler (oil tracer, gas tracer) • Injected at a set mass per stage • Oil tracer - liquid infused into resin beads (engineered delivery system) • Pumped in solid form with the proppant • Oil tracer dissolves in contact with oil • Gas tracer is a liquid added to the frac fluid • Vaporizes under reservoir conditions
  • 3.
    3 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Water, Oil and Gas Soluble Oilfield Tracers  Placement of tracers injected per stage depends on which clusters take frac  Over 50 unique tracers for each phase (50+ water, 50+ oil, 50+ gas soluble tracers)  Produced water or hydrocarbons are analyzed for tracers using Gas Chromatograph Mass Spectrometry GC-MS to give a flowback profile  Tracers monitor the water, oil and gas returns of the well over time How ProTechnics Tracers Work | Surface Injection Methodology
  • 4.
    4 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Tracer Propellant Puck Shaped Charge Perforating Gun with Tracer – Patent Pending System • Combines CoreLab Technologies • ProTechnics Tracers • Oil & Gas Tracers • Water Tracers • Owen Perforating Guns • Disposable Pump Down Gun • Tubing Conveyed Gun • Owen Equal Entry Hole Shaped Charges • HERO PerFRAC (perforate single casing) • HERO ReFRAC (perforate liner inside casing) • Owen Energetic Well Stimulation • KODIAK Propellant – internal
  • 5.
    5 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Owen GoGun Perforating Gun System • Wireline conveyed addressable select fire gun • Disposable Pump Down Gun (fully disposable) – optimized for wireline • Patent pending pin by box gun, high-pressure bulkhead - redundant seals (eliminate subs) • Field installed GoFire IDS (Integrated Detonator Switch) • Owen Instrumentation “Sentinel” software - safe and reliable select firing “shoot on the fly” • GoGun + KODIAK Propellant + PerFRAC/ReFRAC Charges + ProTechnics Tracer(s) = GoTrace Energetic Assisted Diagnostics
  • 6.
    6 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Owen High Efficiency Reservoir Optimized – HERO Shaped Charges • Equal Casing Entry Hole (over range of gun to casing clearance) Equal entry hole provides equivalent pressure drop across each perforation – distribute tracer equally Minimizes effects of tortuosity, maximizes cluster efficiency, increases SRV (Stimulated Reservoir Volume) • PerFRAC charges (single casing string) • ReFRAC charges (two strings, liner cemented inside casing) Example: PFC-3121-336 PerFRAC Charge, 3.125 Gun, 5.5” 23 lb/ft casing
  • 7.
    7 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Energetic Propellant – Perforating & Well Stimulation • Propellant has rapid burn after shaped charge detonation • Charge Detonation time – microseconds • Propellant Burn time - milliseconds • High pressure gas ejects the tracer from perforating gun • Wellbore fluid forces gas & tracer into the formation • Propellant generated gas • Breaks down perf tunnel & extends the fractures • Inject tracer into the formation • Gas flows back into wellbore & cleans perf tunnels • KODIAK Internal propellant developed for applications with high frac breakdown pressures (ex; toe of horizontal wells) Standard Gun Energetic Gun Owen KODIAK – Internal Propellant - Enhanced Perforating
  • 8.
    8 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Owen KODIAK – Internal Propellant - Enhanced Perforating • Typical Perf Tunnel • Formation damage – crush along tunnel • Possible slug in perforation tunnel • Crush reduces permeability • K (crush) ~ 30% K (formation) • Propellant Enhanced Perf Tunnel • Fractures extended by gas pressure • Tracers injected into the formation • Gas flows back into wellbore • Tracers remain in fractures • Debris flushed out of perf tunnels • Increased permeability • Reduces required frac pressures Formation Drilling Damage Casing Cement Crush Extended Fractures Clean Perf Tunnel
  • 9.
  • 10.
    10 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics • Monitor flow produced from each cluster • Each cluster in stage can be traced - each gun can use different tracer(s) • Water & Oil & Gas tracers may be run simultaneously (same perf gun) • Gun system assessed; charge type, density, phasing, shots, guns per stage, etc. • Energetic propellant assisted perforating • High pressure gas extends fractures in perf tunnels to stimulate reservoir • Injects tracer into the formation • Gas flowing back into wellbore cleans perf tunnels • Perforating gun tracer injection is ideal for wells: • Perforated but not hydraulically fractured • Require bullhead refracturing of long intervals with open perforations • Not sufficiently isolated between stages from poor cementing or leaking plugs Advantages - Injecting Tracers with Perforating Gun
  • 11.
    11 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Field Testing Results: • All perf clusters in the stage traced with the same water tracer • Each stage traced with different tracer • During the frac, surface injected water tracers used for control • Surface injected tracers show very similar flow diagnostics to PGT • Confirmed perforating gun tracing monitor returns from each stage Tracer in Gun - Development & Field Testing
  • 12.
    12 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Flow Assurance Details: Marcellus Shale Case Study 1 • Two long Marcellus laterals (~ 2 miles / 3.2 km long) • Operator wanted flow assurance from toe of each well - from initial flowback & through fracturing adjacent well • Two stages in each toe traced with PGT • Multiple guns per stage, each stage unique tracer • Monitoring confirmed flow from toe of each well • From flowback & through fracturing adjacent well • Disc colour - tracer, disc size - tracer returns • Monitoring showed communication well-to-well • Arrow size & colour - tracer flow between wells 1H 2H
  • 13.
    13 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Fracture Driven Interaction Details: (Marcellus Shale) Case Study 1 • Offset well was hydraulically fractured after 1H and 2H flowback • Fracture Driven Interactions (FDI) from offset pad temporarily diluted returns • Well 1H showed greater tracer dilution – tracer concentration not detectable • After offset well stimulation 1H and 2H continued to provide flow assurance • PGT provided flow assurance during fracturing offset well 1H 2H
  • 14.
    14 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Horizontal ReFrac: Barnett Shale Case Study 2 • Operator wanted to determine distribution of fluids and proppant in refractured well • Cement squeeze original perforations • New clusters perforated • Different tracer in each gun • Proppant tracers (radioactive) injected during hydraulic fracturing • Logging confirmed proppant only near heel • Perf gun tracing confirmed • Flow contribution from each cluster • Lower stages were open to flow but received no proppant Disc size & colour represent PGT monitoring No Proppant Spikes - Proppant tracers confirmed by Tracer Log
  • 15.
    15 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Vertical ReFrac 1V: Oklahoma Case Study 3 • Operator wanted; flow diagnostics of water & oil, placement of proppant • Two intervals traced (oil & water tracers) • Proppant tracers (radioactive) injected during hydraulic fracturing • Tracer log shows intervals successfully propped • PGT confirmed oil and water returns from each interval • Shallow interval produced most water • Temperature survey post-frac • Cooling effect – confirm hydraulic isolation Water Oil
  • 16.
    16 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Acid Stimulation after Perforating: Permian Basin Case Study 4 • Operator wanted flow diagnostics from 3 intervals to determine highest oil & water returns • All intervals perforated with PGT • water & oil tracers in each gun • All intervals open to same acid treatment • Monitoring returns showed • Shallow interval produced most oil & water • Mid & deepest intervals least oil production • Tracers in acid would not identify oil & water from each interval • Perf gun tracing provided the flow diagnostics the operator had requested
  • 17.
    17 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics • Flowback profiles of each perforated cluster - high resolution • Perforated cluster performance correlates to gun configuration • Industry proven ProTechnics tracers for flow diagnostics • Shelf-stable water, oil & gas tracers • Propellant provides near-wellbore stimulation • Injects tracer, cleans perf tunnel, can reduce frac pressure Summary - Perforating Gun Tracing Advantages
  • 18.
    18 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics • Perforating gun tracer injection is ideal for wells: • Require bullhead refracturing (long intervals open perfs) • Poor isolation between stages (poor cement / leaking plugs) • Perforated unstimulated natural producers • Acid treated wells • Wells requiring high resolution flow diagnostics • Assess perforating, hydraulic fracturing, etc Summary - Perforating Gun Tracing Applications
  • 19.
    19 Perforating Gun TracerInjection for Flow Diagnostics Questions? Energetic Assisted Diagnostics