API RP 19B Third Edition PDF

This recommended practice describes standard procedures for evaluating the performance of perforating equipment so that representations of this performance may be made to the industry under a standard practice.

Section 4 provides methods for evaluating perforator and/or system performance in four ways:

1. Performance under ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure test conditions into standard casing and concrete targets (4.1);

2. Individual shots into Berea sandstone targets at various defined stressed conditions, with wellbore and pore pressures at nominally ambient conditions (4.2);

3. How performance can be changed after exposure to elevated temperature conditions (4.3);

4. Flow performance of a perforation under specific stressed test conditions (4.4).

Section 4.5 provides a procedure to quantify the amount of debris that comes out of a perforating gun during detonation, and during conveyance out of the well. Section 4.6 provides a procedure to measure the swell of a perforating gun.

The purpose of this recommended practice is to specify the materials and methods used to evaluate objectively the performance of perforating systems or perforators.