System and Method for Perforating and Tunneling Cased Wells

Abstract

A system and method for forming tunnels in formation radially surrounding a wellbore.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of forming tunnels within a formation radially surrounding a subterranean wellbore, the method comprising the steps of:
 forming an opening within casing of the wellbore with a perforating tool;   disposing a portion of a tunneling tool through the opening; and   injecting acid into the formation through the tunneling tool to form tunnels within the formation.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of:
 sensing one or more wellbore parameters with a perforating tool sensor operably associated with the perforating tool to identify a location or attributes of the opening. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein the step of sensing one or more wellbore parameters further comprises sensing at least one of the wellbore parameters in the group consisting of deviation, azimuth, pressure, temperature and gamma ray. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising the step of transmitting sensed wellbore parameters to a surface controller. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising the step of at least partially controlling the forming of tunnels based upon the sensed wellbore parameters. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising the step of sensing one or more wellbore parameters with a tunneling tool sensor operably associated with the tunneling tool to identify a location or attributes of the opening. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4  wherein the sensed wellbore parameters are transmitted to the controller via a data communications conduit. 
     
     
         8 . A system for forming tunnels within a formation surrounding a subterranean wellbore lined with casing, the system comprising:
 a perforating tool arrangement having a perforating tool for forming an opening within the casing and a perforating tool sensor disposed upon the perforating tool to detect at least one wellbore parameter useful to identify a location or attributes of the opening;   a tunneling tool arrangement having a tunneling tool for forming a tunnel within the formation through the opening; and   a controller to receive data from the perforating tool sensor indicative of the wellbore parameter and to at least partially control operation of the tunneling tool based upon the at least one wellbore parameter sensed by the perforating tool sensor.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising a tunneling tool sensor disposed upon the tunneling tool to detect at least one wellbore parameter useful for controlling operation of the tunneling tool to create a tunnel. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 8  wherein the tunneling tool further comprises an acid tunneling tool which forms tunnels by injection of acid into the formation. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8  further comprising a data communications conduit to transmit the data from the perforating tool sensor to the controller. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11  wherein the data communications conduit comprises tube-wire. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 9  wherein data is communicated from the tunneling tool to the controller. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 9  wherein the at least one wellbore parameter useful for controlling operation of the tunneling tool to create a tunnel is a wellbore parameter of the group consisting of: deviation, azimuth, pressure, temperature and gamma ray.