Drilling and Reservoir EngineeringPerforating Systems and Gun Selection
A perforating job connects a well to its reservoir in a fraction of a second, and a poor choice of charge, phasing or underbalance can leave a skin that no later stimulation fully removes. Delegates study shaped charge physics, the trade off between penetration and entrance hole size, and how test data under API RP 19B translate to downhole performance at stress. Gun systems are compared: through tubing, casing guns, tubing conveyed and wireline conveyed, with shot density and phasing chosen for natural flow, fracturing or sand control. Static and dynamic underbalance, perforation cleanup and crushed zone damage follow. Explosive safety, firing heads, depth correlation and gun shock loads on tubing and packers are covered in detail. Delegates leave able to select a perforating system and plan a safe job.
Course objectives
- Explain how shaped charges create perforation tunnels
- Interpret API RP 19B test data and correct for downhole conditions
- Select gun size, shot density and phasing for the completion objective
- Compare wireline conveyed and tubing conveyed perforating
- Design static or dynamic underbalance to clean perforations
- Apply explosive handling, storage and radio silence controls
- Correlate depth accurately before firing
- Assess gun shock loads on tubing, packers and equipment
Who should attend
- Completion and perforating engineers
- Wireline and TCP service engineers
- Production engineers optimising well inflow
- Explosives supervisors and wellsite safety staff
- Drilling and completion supervisors
Course outline
- 01Perforating objectives and shaped charge physics
- 02Charge performance testing and downhole correction
- 03Gun systems and conveyance methods
- 04Shot density, phasing and orientation
- 05Underbalance and perforation cleanup
- 06Perforating for fracturing and sand control
- 07Explosive safety and firing systems
- 08Depth control and gun shock
Scheduled sessions
| Dates | Venue | Format | Price | Register |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 to 16 October 2026 | Cape Town, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 23 to 27 November 2026 | Lagos, Nigeria | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 18 to 22 January 2027 | Online | Online | R8,500 per delegate | |
| 1 to 5 February 2027 | Nairobi, Kenya | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate | |
| 8 to 12 February 2027 | Johannesburg, South Africa | Classroom | R19,950 per delegate | |
| 15 to 19 February 2027 | Harare, Zimbabwe | Classroom | USD 1,325 per delegate |
Perforating Systems and Gun Selection
From R8,500