Deploying Fluid Tracer Material with a Perforating Gun

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for deploying fluid tracer material with a perforating gun. An example apparatus may include tracer material shaped to facilitate placement within or in association with a perforating gun, wherein detonation of shaped charges of the perforating gun forms perforation tunnels in a subterranean formation and discharges the tracer material from the perforating gun into the perforation tunnels. An example apparatus may include a perforating gun comprising a plurality of shaped charges and containing tracer material, wherein detonation of the shaped charges forms perforation tunnels in the subterranean formation and discharges the tracer material from the perforating gun into the perforation tunnels. An example method may include deploying tracer material into a subterranean formation via a perforating gun.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus comprising:
 tracer material shaped to facilitate placement in association with a perforating gun, wherein detonation of shaped charges of the perforating gun forms perforation tunnels in a subterranean formation and discharges the tracer material from the perforating gun into the perforation tunnels.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tracer material is shaped to facilitate placement within the perforating gun. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tracer material is shaped to facilitate placement in association with each of the shaped charges. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tracer material is shaped to facilitate placement in front of each of the shaped charges. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tracer material is or comprises distinguishable fluid tracers configured to be carried by formation fluid and used to identify a source of the formation fluid. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the tracer material is or comprises at least one of:
 radioactive tracers; 
 chemical tracers; and 
 DNA tracers. 
 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus comprising:
 a perforating gun comprising a plurality of shaped charges and containing tracer material, wherein detonation of the shaped charges:
 forms perforation tunnels in the subterranean formation; and 
 discharges the tracer material from the perforating gun into the perforation tunnels. 
   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the tracer material is disposed within an outer housing of the perforating gun. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the tracer material is disposed in association with each of the shaped charges. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the tracer material is or comprises distinguishable fluid tracers configured to be carried by formation fluid and used to identify a source of the formation fluid. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 7  wherein the tracer material is or comprises at least one of:
 radioactive tracers; 
 chemical tracers; and 
 DNA tracers. 
 
     
     
         12 . A method comprising:
 deploying tracer material into a subterranean formation via a perforating gun.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein deploying the tracer material into the subterranean formation via the perforating gun comprises deploying the tracer material into the subterranean formation via shaped charges of the perforating gun. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12  wherein deploying the tracer material into the subterranean formation via the perforating gun comprises detonating shaped charges of the perforating gun to:
 form perforation tunnels in the subterranean formation; and 
 discharge the tracer material from the perforating gun into the perforation tunnels. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 12  further comprising, before deploying the tracer material into the subterranean formation via the perforating gun, installing the tracer material as part of the perforating gun. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the tracer material is or comprises distinguishable fluid tracers configured to be carried by formation fluid and used to identify a source of the formation fluid. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the tracer material is or comprises at least one of:
 radioactive tracers; 
 chemical tracers; and 
 DNA tracers. 
 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 the tracer material is a first tracer material; 
 the perforating gun is a first perforating gun; 
 the method further comprises deploying second tracer material into the subterranean formation via a second perforating gun; 
 the first tracer materials and the second tracer material are distinguishable; and 
 the first perforating gun and the second perforating gun are part of the same downhole tool string. 
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 12  wherein:
 the tracer material is a first tracer material; 
 the perforating gun is a first perforating gun; 
 deploying the first tracer material into the subterranean formation via the first perforating gun comprises:
 conveying to a first wellbore depth a tool string comprising the first perforating gun containing the first tracer material; and 
 operating the first perforating gun to detonate first shaped charges of the first perforating gun thereby forming a first set of perforating tunnels in the subterranean formation and forcing the first tracer material into the first set of perforating tunnels; 
 
 the method further comprises:
 conveying to a second wellbore depth the tool string comprising a second perforating gun containing second tracer material; and 
 operating the second perforating gun to detonate second shaped charges of the second perforating gun thereby forming a second set of perforating tunnels in the subterranean formation and forcing the second tracer material into the second set of perforating tunnels, wherein the first tracer material and the second tracer material are distinguishable. 
 
 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  further comprising:
 fracturing the subterranean formation via the first and second sets of perforation tunnels; 
 producing formation fluid from the fractured subterranean formation to the wellsite surface; and 
 analyzing the formation fluid at the wellsite surface to determine relative amounts of the first and second tracer material in the formation fluid to determine relative amount of the formation fluid produced via each of the first and second sets of perforation tunnels.