Pressure-actuated perforation with automatic fluid circulation for immediate production and removal of debris

1. A process for creating openings between a wellbore and a formation comprising:

running-in a tubing string into the wellbore to position a perforating gun adjacent a perforating zone;

pressurizing the tubing string to a specific pressure

to actuate the perforating gun and produce openings between the wellbore and the formation, and

to actuate a downhole injection port adjacent the perforating gun; and

injecting fluid through the downhole injection port for recovery out of the wellbore, so that a rate of fluid up the wellbore is sufficient to convey debris therewith.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein prior to actuating the perforating gun further comprising:

opening an uphole injection port located on the tubing string uphole of the downhole injection port; and

adjusting the hydrostatic head above the perforating gun.

3. The process of claim 2 wherein the adjusting of the hydrostatic head above the perforating gun further comprises circulating low density fluid through the uphole injection port for displacing wellbore fluid.

4. The process of claim 2 wherein the adjusting of the hydrostatic head above the perforating gun further comprises injecting produced fluid through the uphole injection port.

5. The process of claim 2 further comprising closing the uphole injection port after the hydrostatic head above the perforating gun has been adjusted.

6. The process of claim 1 wherein after actuating the downhole injection port further comprising lowering the downhole injection port from uphole of the openings to a location downhole of the openings.

7. The process of claim 6 wherein the injecting of fluid is performed while lowering the downhole injection port from uphole of the openings to a location downhole of the openings.

8. The process of claim 1 wherein the injected fluid is a low density foam.

9. The process of claim 1 further comprising stroking the tubing string to periodically alternate the downhole injection port between a location downhole of the openings to a location uphole of the openings.

10. The process of claim 1 wherein after the debris has been conveyed up the wellbore further comprising killing the wellbore and removing the tubing string from the killed wellbore.

11. An apparatus for creating openings through casing between a wellbore and a formation comprising:

a tubing string extending downhole in the casing to the formation and forming an annulus therebetween;

a perforating gun at the downhole end of the tubing string and actuable at a specific pressure; and

a downhole injection port located on the tubing string adjacent the perforating gun and being pressure-actuable at the specific pressure,

wherein, when the tubing is pressurized to the specific pressure:

the perforating gun is actuated for forming openings in the casing, and

the downhole injection port is opened to enable circulation fluid from the tubing, into and up the annulus so as to continuously remove perforation debris from the wellbore.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein the circulation fluid is a low density foam.

13. The apparatus of claim 11 where the downhole injection port is located uphole of the perforating gun.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 where the downhole injection port is a tubing drain actuable simultaneously with the perforating gun.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising a pump at surface for pressurizing the tubing string to the specific pressure.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising means for applying a compressed or pressurized gas for pressurizing the tubing string to the specific pressure.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 further comprising an uphole injection port for adjusting hydrostatic head above the perforating gun.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 where the uphole injection port is located uphole of the downhole injection port.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 where the uphole injection port is a rotational valve.