Claims
- 1. A method of conveying and orienting shaped charges, comprising:
weighting one or more gun string components eccentrically to orient the shaped charges in the desired direction; conveying the one or more gun string components downhole on a tool string; and providing an adapter intermediate the one or more gun string components and the tool string, the adapter having wheels to facilitate conveyance of the one or more gun string components and having a rotating cage to enable the one or more gun string components to rotate independently of the tool string.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components are selected from shaped charges, loading tubes, and gun carriers.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components are weighted eccentrically by adding additional material to alter the center of gravity.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components are weighted eccentrically by removal of material to alter the center of gravity.
- 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components are weighted eccentrically by placing the one or more gun string components within the gun string at a location where the center of gravity of the one or more gun string components is removed from the axis of rotation of the gun string.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components is a swiveling loading tube.
- 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gun string components is an articulated loading tube having a plurality of segments engaged with each other such that the individual segments are adapted to bend without becoming disengaged.
- 8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:
determining the non-uniformity of the bending moment in the one or more gun string components; and compensating for the non-uniformity of the bending moment.
- 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the non-uniformity of bending moment is determined by bending the one or more gun string components at the angle of the wellbore deviation and measuring the amount of torque required to rotate the one or more gun string components to the desired orientation while at the angle of deviation.
- 10. An oriented perforating gun affixed to a tool string, comprising:
one or more gun string components, comprising: one or more shaped charges having a charge case; a gun carrier; and a loading tube; an adapter intermediate the one or more gun string components and the tool string, the adapter having roller wheels to facilitate conveyance of the one or more gun string components downhole and having a rotating housing to enable the one or more gun string components to rotate independently from the rotating housing; and wherein at least one of the one or more gun string components are eccentrically weighted to orient the shaped charges in a desired direction.
- 11. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the geometry of the charge case of the one or more shaped charges is modified to shift its center of gravity.
- 12. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein weights are affixed to the charge case of the one or more shaped charges.
- 13. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the one or more shaped charges are affixed within the loading tube at a location where the center of gravity of the one or more shaped charges is removed from the axis of rotation of the perforating gun.
- 14. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein additional material is added to the gun carrier.
- 15. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein material is removed from the gun carrier.
- 16. The oriented perforating gun of claim 15, wherein the removal of material forms scallops on the gun carrier surface.
- 17. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein additional material is affixed to the loading tube.
- 18. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein material is removed from the loading tube.
- 19. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the loading tube is an eccentrically weighted swiveling loading tube.
- 20. The oriented perforating gun of claim 19, wherein the swiveling loading tube has a pendulum weight affixed.
- 21. The oriented perforating gun of claim 19, wherein the swiveling loading tube has an orienting weight within that surrounds at least a portion of the one or more shaped charges.
- 22. The oriented perforating gun of claim 19, wherein the gun carrier is oriented with respect to the swiveling loading tube by one or more weights.
- 23. The oriented perforating gun of claim 22, wherein the one or more weights are external to the gun carrier.
- 24. The oriented perforating gun of claim 23, wherein the one or more weights are provided with rounded ends adapted for guiding the perforating gun through well deviations.
- 25. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the loading tube is an articulated loading tube having a plurality of segments engaged with each other such that the individual segments are adapted to bend without becoming disengaged.
- 26. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the gun carrier further comprises an articulated weight spacer affixed to the gun string, the articulated weight spacer having a plurality of segments engaged with each other such that the individual segments are adapted to bend without becoming disengaged.
- 27. The oriented perforating gun of claim 10, comprising a plurality of perforating guns.
- 28. The oriented perforating gun of claim 27, wherein the plurality of perforating guns are affixed to one another by a positive alignment carrier.
- 29. The oriented perforating gun of claim 28, wherein the positive alignment carrier removes alignment error resulting from machining tolerances and clearances that exist in the plurality of perforating guns.
- 30. A perforating system, comprising:
means for mapping the desired orientation; means for conveying the perforating system; means for orienting the perforating system; means for enabling the perforating system to orient independent of the conveyance means; and means for confirming the correct orientation at the time of detonation.
- 31. A method of perforating, comprising:
mapping the wellbore to avoid perforating selected downhole components; providing a tool string to convey the perforating system; providing an adapter intermediate the tool string and the perforating system that enables independent orientation; orienting the perforating system; and confirming the correct orientation at the time of detonation.
- 32. An oriented perforating system, comprising:
a gun string adapted for downhole orientation; a tool string adapted to convey the gun string downhole; and an adapter provided intermediate the gun string and the tool string, the adapter having roller wheels adapted to facilitate conveyance of the tool string downhole, the adapter having a rotating housing adapted to enable the gun string to rotate independent of the tool string.
- 33. An oriented perforating gun affixed to a tool string, comprising:
one or more eccentrically weighted gun string components; a swivel intermediate the one or more gun string components and the tool string, the swivel enabling the one or more gun string components to rotate independently from the tool string, the swivel comprising:
a thrust bearing; and a bearing floater adapted to reduce the load applied to the thrust bearing upon application of a tensile load to the swivel.
- 34. The oriented perforating gun of claim 33, wherein the bearing floater is a spring device.
- 35. The oriented perforating gun of claim 33, wherein the bearing floater is a slotted cylinder capable of deflection under a high load.
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. application No. 10/133,755, filed Apr. 27, 2002, which claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/286,907, filed Apr. 27, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/306,938, filed Jul. 20, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/307,086, filed Jul. 20, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/307,087, filed Jul. 20, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/310,970, filed Aug. 8, 2001, U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/314,200, filed Aug. 22, 2001, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/351,252 filed Jan. 23, 2002.
Provisional Applications (7)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60286907 |
Apr 2001 |
US |
|
60306938 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60307086 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60307087 |
Jul 2001 |
US |
|
60310970 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
|
60314200 |
Aug 2001 |
US |
|
60351252 |
Jan 2002 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
10133755 |
Apr 2002 |
US |
Child |
10435320 |
May 2003 |
US |