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CASE STUDY

MaxFire® technology meets operator’s perforating challenges in Gulf

Precise, safe, and adaptable electronic firing system initiates more than 222 ft (68 m) of guns in extreme conditions

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Opportunity

Deep Water

Opportunity
Specific Challenge

Perforating solutions could not be used due to high pressure

REGION - GULF OF MEXICO REGION - GULF OF MEXICO

Gulf of Mexico

REGION - GULF OF MEXICO

Challenge

  • Operator needed to perforate its deepwater well at a depth standard perforating solutions could not be used due to high pressure
  • Perforating long interval with large OD guns in extreme downhole conditions

Solution

  • The MaxFire EFS was used and is pressure rated to an industry-leading 40,000 psi (275 MPa), but can be set up to actuate with low pressure
  • This allowed Halliburton to perforate the well without exceeding pressure limitations of other downhole tools and equipment

Result

  • MaxFire EFS performed as designed to initiate the perforation string, while withstanding extreme downhole conditions and shock loads from the 222-ft (68-m) long large OD guns

Overview 

A Gulf of Mexico operator needed to perforate a long interval of large OD guns in a deepwater well at a depth where standard perforating solutions were not feasible due to extreme downhole conditions, including high pressure and corrosive fluid. There were concerns about exceeding the pressure limitations of other downhole tools, equipment, and shock loads from the gun during the perforating event. Through close collaboration with Halliburton, the operator agreed to use the MaxFire® memory-based electronic firing system (EFS) because of its safety, flexibility, and ability to be actuated at low pressure. The MaxFire EFS provided the option to perforate the well, while withstanding extreme downhole conditions and shock loads from the 222-ft (68-m) long, large OD guns (6¾-in. 14 SPF).

Challenge

The operator collaborated with Halliburton for a solution. The MaxFire® memory-based electronic firing system (EFS) was the answer to meet these challenges. The MaxFire EFS is a safe, precise, and adaptable electronic firing system that can initiate a gun system through a predetermined sequence of pressure cycles. Firing can be aborted with reset pressure, at any time, and the tool can last up to 30 days in extreme downhole conditions—the highest in the market. It can either be run on top or bottom of the gun. ShockProTM modeling was used for this job to identify and ensure that MaxFire EFS could survive the shock loads generated from this long interval of guns right after it perforated the well.

Solution

The operator collaborated with Halliburton for a solution. The MaxFire® memory-based electronic firing system (EFS) was the answer to meet these challenges. The MaxFire EFS is a safe, precise, and adaptable electronic firing system that can initiate a gun system through a predetermined sequence of pressure cycles. Firing can be aborted with reset pressure, at any time, and the tool can last up to 30 days in extreme downhole conditions—the highest in the market. It can either be run on top or bottom of the gun. ShockProTM modeling was used for this job to identify and ensure that MaxFire EFS could survive the shock loads generated from this long interval of guns right after it perforated the well.

Result

The perforated interval was at 25,586 ft (7,799 m) true vertical depth (TVD) with a temperature of 270°F (132°C) and pressure of 19,690 psi (1,358 bar). The MaxFire EFS initiated the perforation gun with a low activation pressure of 1,263 psi (87 bar) in a heavy and corrosive calcium bromide wellbore fluid environment. The MaxFire EFS allowed Halliburton to perforate the well under these extreme conditions without exceeding the pressure limitations of other downhole tools, and performed as designed to initiate the perforation string, while surviving extreme downhole conditions and shock loads from the 222-ft (68-m) long, large OD guns (6¾-in. 14 SPF).