Patent Application
20200240247
The present disclosure relates to devices and method for perforating a subterranean formation.
Hydrocarbons, such as oil and gas, are produced from cased wellbores intersecting one or more hydrocarbon reservoirs in a formation. These hydrocarbons flow into the wellbore through perforations in the cased wellbore. Perforations are usually made using a perforating gun loaded with shaped charges. The gun is lowered into the wellbore on electric wireline, slickline, tubing, coiled tubing, or other conveyance device until it is adjacent to the hydrocarbon producing formation. Thereafter, a surface signal actuates a firing head associated with the perforating gun, which then detonates the shaped charges. Projectiles or jets formed by the explosion of the shaped charges penetrate the casing to thereby allow formation fluids to flow through the perforations and into a production string.
Conventionally, a perforating gun is assembled by affixing a detonating cord to one or more shaped charges disposed along a charge tube assembly. Prior art charge tube assemblies use threaded connections or plastically deformable members to affix endplates to a charge tube. Such arrangements may be costly and time consuming to manufacture and assemble.
Thus, there exists a need for devices that are less time consuming to manufacture and assemble. The present disclosure addresses these and other needs of the prior art.
In aspects, the present disclosure provides an apparatus for use with a perforating gun. The perforating gun may have a tubular carrier, a charge tube, and an endplate. The charge tube is disposed in the carrier. The charge tube has a wall, a lower end, an upper opening formed proximate to the lower end, and a lower opening formed proximate to the lower end. The endplate engages the charge tube with the carrier. The endplate has a central insert formed by an upper section projecting from a lower section, wherein the upper section seats in the upper opening of the lower end and the second section seats in the lower opening of the lower end.
In aspects, the present disclosure provides a method for using a perforating gun in a wellbore. The perforating gun has a tubular carrier, a charge tube, and an endplate. The method includes the step of forming the perforating the perforating gun and conveying the perforating gun into the wellbore. The forming may be done by at least by laterally engaging the endplate with the charge tube.
It should be understood that examples of certain features of the invention have been summarized rather broadly in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the contributions to the art may be appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will in some cases form the subject of the claims appended thereto.
For detailed understanding of the present disclosure, references should be made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like elements have been given like numerals and wherein:
The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for facilitating the assembly and enhancing the reliability of wellbore perforating tools. The present disclosure is susceptible to embodiments of different forms. There are shown in the drawings, and herein will be described in detail, specific embodiments of the present disclosure with the understanding that the present disclosure is to be considered an exemplification of the principles of the disclosure, and is not intended to limit the disclosure to that illustrated and described herein.
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The upper endplate 110 may be shaped as a disk or circular plate and formed of a suitable material such as steel. In the illustrated embodiment, the upper endplate 110 has a central insert 130 that is bracketed by opposing wings 132. Spaces 134 separate the insert 130 and the wings 132. The central insert 130 may be a platen member having a perimeter defined by sides and edges in order to perform selected functions. The central insert 130 may have an upper section 136 that projects from a lower section 138. The upper section 136 is sized to be closely received in the opening 120 of the upper end 114. The lower section 138 is sized to be closely received in the opening 118 of the upper end 114. In this arrangement, the sections 136 and 138 have different widths, but in other arrangements they may have the same widths. The wings 132 extend partially around the outer surface of charge tube 108 and include one or more projections 140 that project radially inwardly. Each projection 140 seats within a complementary medial opening 142 formed at the upper end 114.
In some embodiments, the wings 132 may be sufficiently elastically deformable in order to bend radially outward while the upper endplate 110 is being connected with the upper end 114 and then contract to allow each projection 140 to seat within the adjacent opening 142. Thus, the flexibility of the wings 132 generates a gripping force that fixes the upper endplate 110 to the upper end 114. While a minimal or nominal amount of plastic deformation may occur, it is principally or mostly the elastic deformation that provides the gripping force.
The lower endplate 112 may also be shaped as a disk or circular plate and formed of a suitable metal such as steel or non-metal such as plastic. In the illustrated embodiment, the lower endplate 112 has a central insert 160 that is bracketed by opposing wings 162. Spaces 164 separate the insert 160 and the wings 162. The central insert 160 may have an upper section 166 that projects from a lower section 168. The central insert 160 may be a platen member having a perimeter defined by sides and edges in order to perform selected functions. The upper section 166 is sized to be closely received in the opening 124 of the lower end 116. The lower section 168 is sized to be closely received in the opening 122 of the lower end 116. In this arrangement, the sections 166 and 168 have different widths, but in other arrangements they may have the same widths. The wings 162 extend partially around the outer surface of charge tube 108 and include one or more projections 170 at or near a terminal end 173. Each projection 170 seats within a complementary medial opening 172 formed at the lower end 116. As discussed previously, the wings 162 may be sufficiently elastically deformable in order to expand while the upper endplate 110 is being connected with the lower end 116 and then contract to allow each projection 170 to seat within the adjacent opening 172.
It should be noted that the first and the second plates 110,112 may be formed as an integral body; e.g., formed out of one solid body.
The first and lower endplates 110, 112 may include variations that allow each to have different behavior or functionality. For example, the wings 132 of the upper endplate 110 may be radially thinner than the wings 162 of the lower endplate 112. Thus, the wings 132 can more easily flex radially than the wings 162. The relatively thicker wings 162 makes the lower endplate 112 a more rigid structure. The greater flexure of the endplate 110 allows the wings 132 to apply a gripping force sufficient to fix the endplate 110 to the charge tube 108. The greater rigidity of the lower endplate 112 allows the lower endplate 112 to act as an orienting structure for the charge tube assembly 104.
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In some embodiments, the first and the lower endplates 110, 112 may incorporate structural differences that prevent the first and the lower endplates 110, 112 from being inadvertently switched during assembly. For instance, the central insert 130 of the upper endplate 110 may include a recess 131 (
Furthermore, some embodiments of the present disclosure may use only one endplate. For example, referring to
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It should be appreciated that the charge tube assembly of the present disclosure has several advantages over the prior art. First, the charge tube and the endplates are threadless. By threadless, it is meant that there are no threaded connections used to connect the charge tube with the endplates. Furthermore, the charge tube and the endplates use only elastic engagement. By elastic engagement, it is meant that the material making up the endplates and charge tube are deformed only within their elastic range. No feature of the charge tube or the endplates are plastically deformed in order to form a principal means of a connection.
It should also be noted that the embodiments of the present disclosure are assembled without the endplates 110, 112 moving axially toward the charge tube 108. Rather, assembly uses a lateral or transverse movement when assembling the endplates 110, 112 with the charge tube 108.
The teachings of the present disclosure may be used in connection with a perforating gun system at a well construction and/or hydrocarbon production facility positioned over subterranean formations of interest. The facility can be a land-based or offshore rig adapted to drill, complete, or service the wellbore. The facility can include known equipment and structures such as a platform at the earth's surface, a wellhead, and casing. A work string suspended within the well bore is used to convey tooling into and out of the wellbore. The work string can include coiled tubing injected by a coiled tubing injector. Other work strings can include tubing, drill pipe, wire line, slick line, or any other known conveyance means. The work string can include telemetry lines or other signal/power transmission mediums that establish one-way or two-way telemetric communication from the surface to a tool connected to an end of the work string. A suitable telemetry system can be known types as mud pulse, electrical signals, acoustic, or other suitable systems. A surface control unit (e.g., a power source and/or firing panel can be used to monitor and/or operate tooling connected to the work string.
At the surface, the perforating gun may be assembled as described above. Thereafter, the perforating gun is coupled to an end of the work string. An exemplary gun train includes one or more guns or gun sets, each of which includes perforating shaped charges. The perforating gun is conveyed into the wellbore and positioned as desired, and then fired.
The foregoing description is directed to particular embodiments of the present invention for the purpose of illustration and explanation. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that many modifications and changes to the embodiment set forth above are possible without departing from the scope of the invention. For example, while two wings are shown for each endplate, other embodiments may use only one wing or three or more wings. Additionally, terms such as “upper,” “lower,” and “medial” are used only for convenience and not intended to require any particular orientation or positional relationship. It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace all such modifications and changes.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/US2018/024610 | 3/27/2018 | WO | 00 |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 62477245 | Mar 2017 | US |
