An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Perforating Design & Optimization
Connecting the Well to the Reservoir
Secure your spot now!
Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
22 Nov 2027
Perforating Design & Optimization
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Perforating Design & Optimization - DC-PDO-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-PDO-PEA27 | 22 - 26 Nov 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours / Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Perforating Design & Optimization
This course
covers the design and execution of perforating operations. Participants study
shaped charge behaviour, penetration and damage, gun systems and conveyance,
shot density and phasing, underbalance and dynamic underbalance design,
perforating for stimulation and sand control, and the evaluation of perforating
performance from well data.
Description
Perforations are the flow path between the reservoir and the wellbore in every cased and perforated well. Their number, size, depth, phasing and cleanliness set the completion skin and therefore a large part of the well's productivity. Poor perforating can cost more production than most of the other decisions made during well construction, and it is often invisible until a well test shows an unexplained skin.
This course covers the subject in full. It starts with shaped charge physics, penetration, entrance hole size and the crushed zone, and how API test data relates to downhole performance. It then covers gun systems, conveyance methods, depth correlation and firing systems, and the design variables that matter: shot density, phasing, penetration and charge selection. The second half covers underbalance and dynamic underbalance design for clean perforations, extreme overbalance, perforating for hydraulic fracturing and for sand control completions, safety in perforating operations, and evaluating results from productivity data and well tests.
A shaped charge produces a jet that penetrates casing, cement and formation in microseconds, leaving a tunnel surrounded by a crushed zone of reduced permeability and filled with charge and formation debris. What matters for production is not how deep the published penetration is in a concrete target but how much effective flow area is created in the formation and how clean the tunnels are.
That is why underbalance matters. Perforating with the wellbore pressure below the formation pressure allows a surge of flow that carries debris out of the tunnels. Get the underbalance right and skin can be near zero; get it wrong and the well may need acid or even re-perforating. Dynamic underbalance techniques extend this by creating a short, deep pressure drop immediately after detonation.
Design also depends on what the perforations are for. A well to be hydraulically fractured needs perforations aligned and sized for fracture initiation and limited entry, not maximum count. A gravel packed well needs large entrance holes and high shot density. A naturally flowing high-rate well needs deep penetration beyond the damaged zone. Treating perforating as a standard service rather than a design decision is the most common and most expensive mistake.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Explain shaped charge behaviour, penetration and crushed zone formation.
- Interpret API perforating test data and relate it to downhole performance.
- Select gun systems, charges and conveyance methods for given well conditions.
- Determine shot density, phasing and gun orientation for a completion objective.
- Calculate perforation skin and its effect on well productivity.
- Design underbalance and dynamic underbalance conditions for clean perforations.
- Design perforating for hydraulic fracturing, including limited entry and fracture initiation.
- Design perforating for gravel pack and frac pack completions.
- Plan safe perforating operations and depth correlation.
- Evaluate perforating performance from production and well test data.
The course is instructor-led. Charge and gun performance is explained from physical principles and related to field results, with worked examples of perforation skin, underbalance design and limited entry calculations. Field cases cover perforating jobs that delivered and jobs that did not, with the evidence from well tests. Participants are encouraged to bring their own well data for discussion.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Reduce completion skin and increase well productivity.
- Match perforating design to the purpose of the completion.
- Reduce the need for remedial acid jobs and re-perforating.
- Improve fracture initiation and treatment execution in fractured wells.
- Improve safety and quality control in perforating operations.
Participants will:
- Understand how perforating charges and guns actually work.
- Be able to design a perforating job for a given completion objective.
- Be able to calculate perforation skin and its production effect.
- Understand underbalance design and its role in perforation cleanup.
- Be able to evaluate whether a perforating job achieved its purpose.
- Completion engineers
- Production engineers
- Well engineering and drilling engineers
- Stimulation engineers
- Wireline and intervention engineers
- Operations engineers and supervisors
Module 1: Perforating Fundamentals
- Shaped charge construction and detonation
- Jet formation and penetration
- Entrance hole and tunnel geometry
- The crushed zone and perforation damage
Module 2: Charge and Gun Performance Data
- API RP 19B test sections
- Concrete, Berea and stressed rock testing
- Relating test data to downhole conditions
- Deep penetrating and big hole charges
Module 3: Gun Systems and Conveyance
- Casing guns, through-tubing guns and hollow carrier systems
- Wireline, tubing and coiled tubing conveyance
- Tractor and pump-down deployment
- Firing heads and detonation systems
- Depth correlation and gun orientation
Module 4: Perforation Geometry and Skin
- Shot density and phasing
- Penetration beyond the damaged zone
- Perforation skin models
- Effect of geometry on productivity
- Deviated and horizontal well considerations
Module 5: Underbalance and Perforation Cleanup
- Static underbalance design
- Dynamic underbalance techniques
- Surge and debris removal
- Extreme overbalance perforating
- Post-perforation clean-up
Module 6: Perforating for Stimulation
- Fracture initiation and near-wellbore tortuosity
- Limited entry design
- Perforation erosion during treatment
- Orientation and cluster design
Module 7: Perforating for Sand Control
- Big hole charges for gravel packs
- Shot density requirements
- Perforation stability in weak formations
- Pre-pack and post-pack considerations
Module 8: Operations and Safety
- Job planning and procedures
- Explosive handling, transport and storage
- Radio silence and stray current precautions
- Misfires and contingency procedures
- Quality control at the wellsite
Module 9: Evaluation
- Productivity comparison before and after perforating
- Skin from well test analysis
- Production logging evidence
- Learning from underperforming jobs
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
