Patent Application
20210164330
A closure member for a shaped charge is generally described. In particular an encapsulated slotted shaped charge including a closure member is described.
As part of a well completion process, cased-holes/wellbores are perforated to allow fluid or gas from rock formations (reservoir zones) to flow into the wellbore. Perforating gun string assemblies are conveyed into vertical, deviated or horizontal wellbores, which may include cemented-in casing pipes and other tubulars, by slickline, wireline or tubing conveyance perforating (TCP) mechanisms, and the perforating guns are fired to create openings/perforations in the casings and/or liners, as well as in surrounding formation zones. Such formation zones may include, for example, subterranean oil and gas shale formations, sandstone formations, and/or carbonate formations.
Once the wellbore is no longer producing and/or when a determination is made that the wellbore should be decommissioned, well abandonment procedures are put into place to shut in and permanently seal the wellbore using cement. It is essential that the layers of sedimentary rock, in particular freshwater aquifers, are pressure isolated. Unwanted vertical channels or voids in a previously cemented wellbore annulus may exist. These channels can produce migration pathways for fluids or gas, which may threaten the health and safety of the public. Thus, an objective behind perforating with, for instance, a slotted shaped charge may not be to produce a circular hole in the casing or tubing pipe, but rather to produce a type of longitudinal slot or linear shaped slit or hole in the target pipe, which are particularly useful in performing the above-mentioned abandonment procedures.
Several steps must be taken in order to ensure that the wellbore is properly sealed. Current well abandonment procedures include the use of slotted shaped charges, which are placed in a hollow gun carrier and deployed into the wellbores. The slotted shaped charges are used to perforate (i.e., punch a slot through) the wellbore tubing or casing to provide access for cement squeeze operations. Once detonated, the slotted shaped charges create non-circular slots/openings in a target (such as the tubing/casing within which they are positioned), and a cement slurry is squeezed through those slots in order to fill any voids in the cement sheath to hydraulically seal off the wellbore, an annulus zone between the tubing and/or casing, and/or an area between the casing and the rock formation. The cement squeeze operation allows access to zones which may be otherwise unreachable during abandonment and/or sealing of the wellbore.
One challenge of a successful well abandonment is to provide clean and open slots in the perforated tubing/casing. For example, reliably perforating a large inner diameter (ID) heavy wall casing pipe with a clean and open slot presents a challenge. In particular, high steel wellbore grade casing pipes including walls having thicknesses greater that, e.g., 0.5 inch may be challenging to perforate. In addition, unfavorable slotted perforating performance may result when there is a large clearance gap between a perforating gun and the tubing/casing in which the perforating gun is positioned.
For at least the above reasons, there is a need for a device and method that provides 360 degree access to any potential voids, pockets or channels in a previously cemented layer surrounding a tubing/casing, while reliably perforating tubing/casing wall pipes regardless of their wall thickness and/or inner diameter. The present disclosure addresses these needs, among other things, and also provides a slotted shaped charge that can be used in an exposed perforating gun system.
According to an aspect, exemplary embodiments of a shaped charge closure member are disclosed. Such shaped charge closure members are useful for encapsulating slotted shaped charges, so that the slotted shaped charges can be used in well completion/abandonment procedures.
One exemplary shaped charge closure member is configured to encapsulate an open end of a slotted shaped charge. According to an aspect, the exemplary shaped charge closure member includes a body having a closed upper portion, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion. The body includes a first side wall, a second side wall, a front wall, and a back wall. Each wall extends between the upper portion and the lower portion. The body of the closure member is tapered, with the closed upper portion defining an area that is smaller than the lower portion. A skirt having a substantially rectangular cross-section vertically extends away from each of the walls, at the lower portion of the body.
In a further aspect, exemplary embodiments of an encapsulated slotted shaped charge are disclosed. One exemplary slotted shaped charge includes a substantially rectangular case having a closed portion and an open portion. A cavity extends between the open and closed portions, and an explosive load is disposed within the cavity. A liner is disposed adjacent the explosive load and retains the explosive load within the cavity. The encapsulated slotted shaped charge includes a shaped charge closure member configured to close the open portion of the case. The closure member may be configured in accordance with the exemplary disclosed embodiments of a shaped charge closure member. The skirt of the closure member is configured to engage with the case at the open portion.
According to an aspect, the exemplary disclosed encapsulated slotted shaped charges may be configured for use in an exposed perforating gun system. The exposed perforating gun system includes a carrier tube having one or more openings. One encapsulated slotted shaped charge is disposed in each of the openings of the carrier tube, and is mechanically fixated therein.
A more particular description will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. Understanding that these drawings depict only typical embodiments thereof and are not therefore to be considered to be limiting of its scope, exemplary embodiments will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
Various features, aspects, and advantages of the embodiments will become more apparent from the following detailed description, along with the accompanying figures in which like numerals represent like components throughout the figures and text. The various described features are not necessarily drawn to scale, but are drawn to emphasize specific features relevant to some embodiments.
The headings used herein are for organizational purposes only and are not meant to limit the scope of the description or the claims. To facilitate understanding, reference numerals have been used, where possible, to designate like elements common to the figures.
For purposes of illustrating features of the embodiments, embodiments will now be introduced and referenced throughout the disclosure. Those skilled in the art will recognize that this example is illustrative and not limiting and is provided purely for explanatory purposes.
In the illustrative examples and as seen in
The closure member 10 includes a body 20 having a closed upper portion 22 and a lower portion 24 opposite and spaced apart from the upper portion 22. In the exemplary embodiment illustrated in
According to an aspect, the body 20 includes a plurality of walls, namely a first side wall 26a, a second side wall 26b opposite the first side wall 26a, a front wall 28, and a back wall 29 opposite the front wall 28. While the first and second side walls 26a, 26b and the front and back walls 28, 29 are illustrated in
Each of the first side wall 26a, the second side wall 26b, the front wall 28, and the back wall 29 extends between the upper portion 22 and the lower portion 24 of the body 20. According to an aspect and as illustrated in
The exemplary closure member 10 includes a skirt 30. The skirt 30 extends vertically away from the first and second side walls 26a, 26b, the front wall 28 and the back wall 29. The skirt 30 has a substantially rectangular cross-section, and is configured to engage the open end of slotted or substantially rectangular shaped charges. According to an aspect, the skirt 30 has an inner surface 32 and an outer surface 34. The inner surface 32 is configured to engage the open end of the slotted shaped charge, so that the closure member 10 can encapsulate and hydraulically seal the slotted shaped charge. As illustrated in
According to an aspect, the skirt 30 is integrally formed with or extends directly from the first and second side walls 26a, 26b, the front wall 28 and the back wall 29. According to an aspect, and as illustrated in
The closure member 10 may include a sealing member 80 (
According to an aspect, the closure member 10 is formed by an injection molding process. The closure member 10 may be formed from at least one of a polymeric material, a thermoplastic material, and an elastomeric material. The closure member 10, including the body 20, the skirt 30 and in some instance the shoulder 40, may be formed of a rigid material, such as a machinable polymer, steel, copper, brass, and/or aluminum. According to an aspect, the closure member 10 may be formed from polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which may be particularly suited for cement squeeze operations, or operations in which the closure member 10 is used to close slotted shaped charges to be used in wellbores having shallow depths. Examples of polymers that may form the closure member 10 include rigid thermoplastics, including, but not limited to polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonate (PC), polystyrene (PS), nylon (aka polyamide (PA)), polyester (typically polyethylene terephthalate (PET)), polyalkelene glycol (PAG) with or without glass fiber, polyetheretherketone (PEEK), or silicone. These materials are available as a homopolymer, or co-polymer. Glass fibers may be included in the polymer to help increase their strength. According to an aspect, the glass fibers are about 5% to about 40% by weight of the polymer. Exemplary nylons include nylon 6 (PA6), nylon 66 (PA66), nylon 6/6-6, nylon 6/9, nylon 6/10, nylon 6/12, nylon 11, nylon 12. Nylons may also be blended with other engineering plastics to improve certain aspects of performance. Nylon may be processed by injection molding, rotational molding, or casting. Exemplary polyethylene compounds include high density polyethylene (HDPE), low density polyethylene (LPDE) and linear low density polyethylene (LLPDE).
As illustrated in
A liner 70 may be disposed adjacent the explosive load 60. The liner 70 is configured for retaining the explosive load 60 within the cavity 52 of the case 50. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The encapsulated slotted shaped charge 100 includes a closure member 10 positioned in a covering relationship with the open portion 56 of the case 50, which closes the slotted shaped charge 100. In the exemplary embodiments shown in
As described hereinabove, the body 20 of closure member 10 includes a hollow interior defined, at least in part, by the closed upper portion 22 and the lower portion 24. The hollow interior provides sufficient space/an air gap for the forward-moving jet created by the expelled liner 70 to adequately form its shape upon detonation of the slotted shaped charge. The space helps to ensure that once the jet has properly formed, it will fully develop and achieve maximum velocity prior to piercing the surface of the closed upper portion 22 of the closure member 10.
The skirt 30 of the closure member 10 is configured to engage the case 50 of the slotted shaped charge 100 at the open portion 56. As illustrated in
According to an aspect and as illustrated in
A melting ring 37 may be positioned between the shoulder 58 of the case 50 and the inner surface 32 of the skirt. In the exemplary embodiment shown in
The closure member 10 is configured to prevent the contents of the slotted shaped charge 100 from being exposed to wellbore fluids and/or high temperatures. According to an aspect, sealing member 80 may be positioned at one or more locations between the case 50 and the skirt 30. According to an aspect, the sealing member 80 may be positioned at one or more positions between the shoulder 58 of the case 50 and the closure member 10. As illustrated in
With reference now to
In the perforating gun system 200 shown in
Exemplary embodiments of a method of encapsulating or hydraulically sealing a slotted shaped charge according to the disclosure include providing a slotted shaped charge having a substantially rectangular case, according to the exemplary disclosed embodiments of a slotted shaped charge, e.g., as discussed above. The substantially rectangular case has a closed portion, an open portion, and a cavity between the closed portion and the open portion. The exemplary methods include attaching a closure member, configured according to the exemplary disclosed embodiments of a closure member, e.g., as discussed above, to the rectangular case at its open portion. A sealing member is inserted into the groove of the shape charge case or adjacent the inner surface of the skirt. According to an aspect, a melting ring may also be positioned between either the external surface of the case and the inner surface of the skirt, or the open portion of the case and a free end of the skirt. The body of the closure member is placed adjacent the open portion of the case, such that the skirt extends around the shoulder of the case and the body of the closure member is in a covering relationship with the open portion of the case. The case is pressed into place until the engagement member is seated in its intention position, as illustrated in
The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations and aspects, includes components, methods, processes, systems and/or apparatus substantially developed as depicted and described herein, including various embodiments, sub-combinations, and subsets thereof. Those of skill in the art will understand how to make and use the present disclosure after understanding the present disclosure. The present disclosure, in various embodiments, configurations and aspects, includes providing devices and processes in the absence of items not depicted and/or described herein or in various embodiments, configurations, or aspects hereof, including in the absence of such items as may have been used in previous devices or processes, e.g., for improving performance, achieving ease and/or reducing cost of implementation.
The phrases “at least one”, “one or more”, and “and/or” are open-ended expressions that are both conjunctive and disjunctive in operation. For example, each of the expressions “at least one of A, B and C”, “at least one of A, B, or C”, “one or more of A, B, and C”, “one or more of A, B, or C” and “A, B, and/or C” means A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, or A, B and C together.
In this specification and the claims that follow, reference will be made to a number of terms that have the following meanings. The terms “a” (or “an”) and “the” refer to one or more of that entity, thereby including plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. As such, the terms “a” (or “an”), “one or more” and “at least one” can be used interchangeably herein. Furthermore, references to “one embodiment”, “some embodiments”, “an embodiment” and the like are not intended to be interpreted as excluding the existence of additional embodiments that also incorporate the recited features. Approximating language, as used herein throughout the specification and claims, may be applied to modify any quantitative representation that could permissibly vary without resulting in a change in the basic function to which it is related. Accordingly, a value modified by a term such as “about” is not to be limited to the precise value specified. In some instances, the approximating language may correspond to the precision of an instrument for measuring the value. Terms such as “first,” “second,” “upper,” “lower” etc. are used to identify one element from another, and unless otherwise specified are not meant to refer to a particular order or number of elements.
As used herein, the terms “may” and “may be” indicate a possibility of an occurrence within a set of circumstances; a possession of a specified property, characteristic or function; and/or qualify another verb by expressing one or more of an ability, capability, or possibility associated with the qualified verb. Accordingly, usage of “may” and “may be” indicates that a modified term is apparently appropriate, capable, or suitable for an indicated capacity, function, or usage, while taking into account that in some circumstances the modified term may sometimes not be appropriate, capable, or suitable. For example, in some circumstances an event or capacity can be expected, while in other circumstances the event or capacity cannot occur—this distinction is captured by the terms “may” and “may be.”
As used in the claims, the word “comprises” and its grammatical variants logically also subtend and include phrases of varying and differing extent such as for example, but not limited thereto, “consisting essentially of” and “consisting of.” Where necessary, ranges have been supplied, and those ranges are inclusive of all sub-ranges therebetween. It is to be expected that variations in these ranges will suggest themselves to a practitioner having ordinary skill in the art and, where not already dedicated to the public, the appended claims should cover those variations.
The foregoing discussion of the present disclosure has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. The foregoing is not intended to limit the present disclosure to the form or forms disclosed herein. In the foregoing Detailed Description for example, various features of the present disclosure are grouped together in one or more embodiments, configurations, or aspects for the purpose of streamlining the disclosure. The features of the embodiments, configurations, or aspects of the present disclosure may be combined in alternate embodiments, configurations, or aspects other than those discussed above. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted as reflecting an intention that the present disclosure requires more features than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as the following claims reflect, the claimed features lie in less than all features of a single foregoing disclosed embodiment, configuration, or aspect. Thus, the following claims are hereby incorporated into this Detailed Description, with each claim standing on its own as a separate embodiment of the present disclosure.
Advances in science and technology may make equivalents and substitutions possible that are not now contemplated by reason of the imprecision of language; these variations should be covered by the appended claims. This written description uses examples to disclose the method, machine and computer-readable medium, including the best mode, and also to enable any person of ordinary skill in the art to practice these, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope thereof is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those of ordinary skill in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they have structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal language of the claims.
This application is a continuation application of and claims priority to U.S. application Ser. No. 16/760,955 filed May 1, 2020, which is a national stage application of and claims priority to Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) Application No. PCT/EP2018/080831 filed Nov. 9, 2018, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/591,814 filed Nov. 29, 2017, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62591814 | Nov 2017 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 16760955 | May 2020 | US |
| Child | 17176335 | US |
