Claims
- 1. A method comprising:a. arranging shaped charges in a perforating gun to produce perforation holes in a helical pattern that is defined in part by a phase angle, the helical pattern including first, second and third windings; b. determining a first distance between a first one of the perforation holes of the first winding and a second one of the perforation holes of the first winding; c. determining a second distance between said first one of the perforation holes and a third one of the perforation holes of the second winding; d. determining a third distance between the second and third perforation holes; e. determining a fourth distance between the first perforation hole and a fourth one of the perforation holes of the third winding; f. changing the phase angle and repeating acts b, c, d and e as required until two of the first, second, third and fourth distances are approximately equal; and g. phasing the shaped charges using approximately the phase angle that causes said two of the first, second, third and fourth distances to be approximately equal.
- 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production performance near a sand interface of a well.
- 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production of well fluid.
- 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize acidization of a well.
- 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: phasing the shaped charges to account for an eccentricity of the perforating gun with respect to a well bore.
- 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the act of changing the phase angle and repeating acts b, c, d and e includes considering all of the first, second, third and fourth distances.
- 7. A method comprising:arranging shaped charges in a perforating gun to produce perforation holes in a helical pattern that is defined in part by a phase angle; choosing four adjacent perforation holes to be created that are adjacent nearest neighbors; determining distances between three of said four adjacent perforation holes to be created; minimizing a standard deviation between said three of said four adjacent perforation holes to be created; and setting the phase angle based on the minimization.
- 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the setting the phase angle comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production performance near a sand interface of a well.
- 9. The method of claim 7, wherein the setting the phase angle comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production of well fluid.
- 10. The method of claim 7, wherein the setting the phase angle comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize acidization of a well.
- 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:phasing the shaped charges to account for an eccentricity of the perforating gun with respect to a well bore.
- 12. A perforating gun comprising:shaped charges arranged in a helical pattern pursuant to a phasing pattern to produce perforation holes, a phase angle of the phasing pattern minimizing a standard deviation of three shortest distances of four distances taken between four adjacent nearest neighbors of the perforation holes.
- 13. The perforating gun of claim 12, wherein the shaped charges are oriented to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius to optimize performance at a sand interface of a well.
- 14. The perforating gun of claim 12, wherein the shaped charges are oriented to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius to optimize production of well fluid.
- 15. The perforating gun of claim 12, wherein the shaped charges are oriented to establishing the perforation holes at a predefined radius to optimize acidization of a well.
- 16. The perforating gun of claim 12, wherein the phase angle accounts for an eccentricity of the perforating gun with respect to a well bore.
- 17. A perforating gun for use in a lateral wellbore in which the perforating gun is eccentric with respect to an axis of the wellbore, comprising:a first group of shaped charges to perforate an upper sandface of the wellbore over a first angle; and a second group of shaped charges to perforate a lower sandface of the wellbore over a second angle.
- 18. The perforating gun of claim 17, wherein the first angle is substantially different from the second angle.
- 19. The perforating gun of claim 17, wherein the first angle is approximately the same as the second angle.
- 20. The perforating gun of claim 17, wherein the charges are oriented to maximize a minimum perforation-to-perforation spacing at the sandface and maximize a shot density.
- 21. A method comprising:arranging shaped charges of a perforating gun to perforate over a predefined angle based in part on a radial distance from a center of the perforating gun to a point; and selecting the point to extend the radial distance beyond a sandface based on a type of formation to be perforated.
- 22. The method of claim 21, wherein the act of selecting comprises:choosing the point to set the radial distance to approximately one half to three fourth of a distance from the center of the perforating gun to an end of a perforation when the formation substantially comprises sandstone formation.
- 23. The method of claim 21, wherein the act of selecting comprises:choosing the point to set the radial distance to approximately a distance from the center of the perforating gun to an end of a perforation when the formation substantially comprises a carbonate formation.
- 24. A method comprising:a. arranging shaped charges in a perforating gun to produce perforation holes arranged in at least a first plane, a second plane and a third plane, each of the first, second and third planes having a normal substantially aligned with a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun; b. determining a first distance between a first one of the perforation holes of the first plane and second one of the perforation holes of the second plane; c. determining a second distance between said second one of the perforation holes and a third one of the perforation holes of the second plane; d. determining a third distance between the first and third planes; f. changing the phase angle and repeating acts b, c and d as required to maximize the distances between the perforation holes until two of the first, second and third distances are approximately equal; and g. phasing the shaped charges using approximately the phase angle that causes said two of the first, second and third distances to be approximately equal.
- 25. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production performance near a sand interface of a well.
- 26. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production of well fluid.
- 27. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize acidization of a well.
- 28. The method of claim 24, further comprising:phasing the shaped charges to account for an eccentricity of the perforating gun with respect to a well bore.
- 29. A method comprising:arranging perforating charges to form a perforating gun; and phasing the perforating charges to take into account an eccentricity between a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun and a wellbore axis that extends through a formation to be perforated.
- 30. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of changing the phase angle and repeating acts b, c, d and e includes considering all of the first, second, third and fourth distances.
- 31. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from the longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production performance near a sand interface of a well.
- 32. The method of claim 29, wherein the act of phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize production of well fluid.
- 33. The method of claim 31, wherein the phasing the shaped charges comprises:orienting the shaped charges to establish the perforation holes at a predefined radius from a longitudinal axis of the perforating gun to optimize acidization of a well.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit, pursuant to 35 U.S.C. § 119, to U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/132,441, entitled, “OPTIMIZING CHARGE PHASING OF A PERFORATING GUN,” filed on May 4, 1999, and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/132,619, entitled, “OPTIMIZING CHARGE PHASING OF A PERFORATING GUN,” filed on May 5, 1999.
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Provisional Applications (2)
|
Number |
Date |
Country |
|
60/132441 |
May 1999 |
US |
|
60/132619 |
May 1999 |
US |