Abstract
Liquid jet cutting technology has made rapid advancement in industries for manufacturing, industrial cleaning and mining. Commonly, pressures from 5000 psi to 60,000 psi are used. In recent years, a number of downhole assemblies have been developed to utilize this technology for use in the oil industry. This paper will cover the development of two such techniques that are capable of creating tunnels in the formation rock up to ten feet in length by one inch in diameter in cased hole or open hole wells. The original design of the downhole assemblies will be discussed. New data on the lab and field testing of the effectiveness of creating tunnels in a variety of formation rocks, jetting with aqueous and acidic fluids will be mentioned. The results will show substantially improved penetration rate when jetting with HCl in carbonate rocks and improved penetration rate when pumping with polymer additives. These techniques provide new options in completing and stimulating zones in a variety of applications. The techniques discussed will provide completion engineers with selective, controlled options for initial completion, stimulation or workover. The resulting tunnels are superior to perforations in length, and diameter and leave no compaction. This paper will also serve to inform the industry of the significance of liquid jet cutting for a variety of downhole applications.
