Combined gravel packing and perforating method and apparatus for use in well bores

An apparatus attached to a string of oil well tubing for perforating casing in an earth borehole and for producing fluids through said tubing on the same trip, comprising:

• an elongated instrument adapted to traverse said borehole;
• a perforating section carried by, and being a portion of, said instrument, said perforating section having at least one perforating element therein;
• an enclosure having a gravel pack medium therein carried by said instrument;
• and
• channel means including said gravel pack medium and the interior of said tubing string and which is in fluid communication with fluids in the borehole following the activation of said at least one perforating element.

An apparatus for perforating casing in an earth borehole, comprising:

• an elongated instrument adapted to traverse said borehole;
• a reservoir within said instrument;
• a piston within said reservoir dividing said reservoir into an upper section and a lower section, said upper section having at least one intake port for receiving borehole fluids, and said lower section having at least one outlet port for releasing any fluid in said lower section;
• a cylindrical perforating section connected to the lower end of said instrument having a plurality of perforating elements therein;
• a cylindrical, expendable shield encircling said perforating section to form an annulus between said shield and said perforating section, said formed annulus containing a sand control medium, said lower section outlet port being in communication with said formed annulus, said shield having at least one outlet port at a location at least to the lower extremity of said perforating elements for releasing fluid from said formed annulus into the annulus between said shield and said casing;
• and
• means for activating said piston.