The effect of interaction time and saturation of rock on specific energy in ND:YAG laser perforating

• Published in: Optics and laser technology 2011-02, Vol.43 (1), p.226-231
• Main Authors: Ahmadi, M., Erfan, M.R., Torkamany, M.J., Safian, Gh.A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Doped-insulator lasers and other solid state lasers; Drying oils; Energy use; Exact sciences and technology; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Gas wells; Irradiation; Laser perforating; Lasers; Mathematical analysis; Optics; Perforating; Physics; Rock; Saturation; Saturation of rock; Specific energy
• ISSN: 0030-3992; 1879-2545
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optlastec.2010.06.018

Laser perforating in oil and gas wells is a new scientific approach to the generation of uniform holes at a selected pitch to increasing the permeability of rocks. The influence of laser irradiation time and rock saturation by water and heavy oil on the specific energy, the energy required to remove the unit weight of rock, used during Nd:YAG laser perforating. The results show that an increase in the laser irradiation time increases the depth of the rock hole as well as the specific energy used, with a nonlinear relationship. Here, the estimated equation of rate of penetration as a function of the specific energy (SE) is free from saturation effects. The type of saturation influences the specific energy; the amount of SE required for water saturated samples is more than that required for the heavy oil saturated samples, and heavy oil saturated samples needed more SE than the dry samples.