Transverse well perforating
AssigneeHalliburton Energy Services, Inc.
InventorJim B. Surjaatmadja
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In stimulating a subterranean zone surrounding a well bore, a perforation trajectory is identified that is transverse to a predicted direction of primary fracture propagation in the subterranean zone. A perforating gun in the well bore is aimed to perforate in the perforation trajectory, and then operated to perforate the well bore in the perforation trajectory. Thereafter, a fracture treatment is performed on the subterranean zone through the perforations.
Claims24
A method of stimulating a subterranean zone surrounding a well bore, the method comprising:
- identifying a perforation trajectory that is transverse to a predicted direction of primary fracture propagation in the subterranean zone;
- aiming a perforating gun in the well bore to perforate in the perforation trajectory;
- initially perforating the well bore in the perforation trajectory to form a first perforation;
- and
- initiating a first fracture from the first perforation that propagates in the predicted direction of primary fracture propagation.
A well bore system in a subterranean zone, comprising:
- a first perforation in a wall of the well bore and within the subterranean zone, the trajectory of the first perforation being transverse to a direction of primary fracture propagation;
- the wall of the well bore within the subterranean zone being un-perforated in a region coinciding with the direction of primary fracture propagation in the subterranean zone;
- and
- a fracture in the subterranean formation formed by fracture treatment through the first perforation and extending in the direction of primary fracture propagation.
A method, comprising:
- targeting a perforating device to initially perforate a subterranean well bore in a direction substantially perpendicular to an expected fracture direction and operating the perforating device to form the initial perforation;
- and
- fracturing a subterranean zone around the well bore through the initial perforation to form a fracture that extends in the expected fracture direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.