Wells – Processes – Perforating – weakening – bending or separating pipe at an...
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-20
2003-07-15
Bagnell, David (Department: 3672)
Wells
Processes
Perforating, weakening, bending or separating pipe at an...
C166S055200, C175S004570, C089S001150, C102S312000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06591911
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The invention relates to multi-directional gun carriers for use in perforating guns for downhole applications.
BACKGROUND
To complete a well, one or more formation zones adjacent the wellbore are perforated to allow fluid from the formation zones to flow into the well for production to the surface or to allow injection fluids to be applied into the formation zones. A perforating gun string may be lowered into the well and the guns fired to create openings in casing and to extend perforations into the surrounding formation. Charges carried in a perforating gun are often phased to shoot in multiple directions around the circumference of the wellbore. Loading the gun with the charges pointed in multiple directions as opposed to a single direction is favorable since it is likely to improve fluid flow/drainage of the formation. Typically, charges used in a perforating gun include capsule charges or non-capsule charges. Capsule charges are each individually sealed by a capsule against corrosive fluids and pressures in the wellbore. Non-capsule charges are typically contained in a hollow carrier.
Typically, perforating guns (which include gun carriers and shaped charges mounted on or in the gun carriers) are lowered through tubing or other pipes to the desired well interval. Gun carriers can be retrievable or expendable. Retrievable carriers are designed to remain substantially intact so that they can be retrieved to the surface. An example of a retrievable gun carrier is a strip on which capsule charges are mounted and which is retrieved after perforating. In contrast, expendable carriers are designed to shatter after detonation and fall to the bottom of the well.
By remaining intact after detonation, retrievable gun carriers provide the advantages of reducing the amount of debris that is left in the wellbore and providing shot verification when the carrier is retrieved to the surface. However, with some types of retrievable carriers, detonation of the capsule charges may cause deformation of the carrier to increase the cross-sectional profile of portions of the carrier. This may cause a problem when the carrier is retrieved through a tubing, a pipe, or other structure having reduced diameter with respect to the casing since the carrier may have been warped so that its profile at certain portions is larger than the diameter of the tubing, pipe, or other structure. Deformation of such gun carriers may be even more pronounced when a perforating gun is shot in a gas environment.
Thus, a need exists to provide a gun with a retrievable carrier carrying charges in a phased arrangement, with the carrier having improved deformation characteristics upon detonation of the charges.
Different types of retrievable and expendable carriers (having different shapes and configurations) are available to carry capsule charges. One common type is the linear strip. A limitation of a conventional linear strip is that the available phasings of capsule charges may be limited. To achieve a larger number of phasing patterns, such as 45° or 60° spiral phasing patterns, spiral strips have been used. A spiral strip extends a full circumference in a spiral fashion. However, making a spiral strip is generally more complex since special equipment is needed to form the spiral. Further, with spiral strips, the detonation force applied against a strip may tend to open up the strip, making it more difficult to retrieve for a retrievable gun. Further, with spiral strip guns, some portions of the detonating cord are in contact with the inner wall of a pipe or tubing when the guns are being lowered, which may damage the detonating cords, especially those having lead or other metal jackets. A need thus continues to exist for carrier strips, whether retrievable or expendable, of improved design that are flexible enough to provide various different phasings and that addresses various shortcomings of conventional strip guns.
SUMMARY
In general, according to one embodiment, a perforating gun comprises a plurality of capsule charges, a carrier strip, and a bracket to hold a plurality of capsule charges in a phased arrangement having a plurality of perforating directions, with the bracket coupled to the carrier strip.
In general, according to another embodiment, a carrier strip for use in a perforating device comprises an elongated, linear member having a plurality of threaded openings arranged along the elongated, linear member. The threaded openings are adapted to connect to at least some of plural capsule charges arranged in a phasing pattern having a plurality of perforating directions.
In general, according to another embodiment, an oriented perforating device for use in a deviated or horizontal wellbore comprises a strip, and capsule charges arranged at two or less predetermined orientations with respect to the strip. The strip provides an eccentric weight to rotate the perforating device so that the strip is at a low side of the deviated horizontal wellbore and the capsule charges are pointed in the two or less predetermined orientations with respect to the low side of the wellbore.
Other features and embodiments will become apparent from the following description, from the drawings, and from the claims.
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Lackey, Brandon;New Deep-Star Perforating System Provides Deeper Penetration to Maximize Production; Houston, Texas; Aug. 28, 1995; pp. 1.
Halliburton;Increase Your Production with Deeper Charge Penetration; Deep-Star™ Perforating System, 1996, pp. 1-4.
Brooks James E.
Farrant Simon L.
Markel Daniel C.
Vu Victor M.
Bagnell David
Gay Jennifer H
Griffin Jeffrey
Jeffery Brigitte
Schlumberger Technology Corporation
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