Dynaenergetics Europe Gmbh

Orica Explosives Technology Pty Limited

Andreas Robert Zemla

Christian Eitschberger

Liam McNelis

Thilo Scharf

Shmuel Silverman

Arash Shahinpour

Sascha Thieltges

Frank Graziola

Gernot Uwe Burmeister

Frank Haron Preiss

Eric Mulhern

Dirk Hummel

Jan Petzold

Ulrich Steiner

Heinz Sch&auml;fer

Paula Feitoza Nascimento

Walter Aebi

Heinz Schafer

A detonator includes a detonating capsule, a detonator head storing an electronic circuit board, and a retaining arm configured to fix the detonating capsule to the detonator head. The electronic circuit board is a multidimensional circuit board that extends from the detonator head into engagement with the detonating capsule.

Detonator including a multidimensional circuit board

A focused output detonator includes a detonator shell including detonator components, and a focuser coupled to the detonator shell. The detonator shell may include a body extending along a central axis of the detonator shell. A first open end is provided at a first end of the body, and a closed end is provided at a second end of the body. A chamber is bounded by the body and the closed end, and the detonator components are housed in the chamber. The focuser is coupled to the closed end of the detonator shell. According to an aspect, the focused output detonator is structured to focus a ballistic output of the focuser along the central axis and away from the detonator shell. According to an aspect, the focuser includes a donor charge. The focuser may include an encapsulated and hydraulically sealed donor charge.

Focused output detonator

An electronic ignition circuit may include a logic circuit and an ignition circuit electrically coupled to the logic circuit. The logic circuit may include a microcontroller and a switching circuit configured to switch from a first detonator or igniter to a second detonator or igniter in response to a signal from the microcontroller. The ignition circuit may include a capacitor discharging circuit configured to discharge a firing capacitor through a fuse head. The capacitor discharging circuit may include an ignition switch configured to remain actively closed after the firing capacitor is discharged through the fuse head.

Electronic ignition circuit

A wellbore positioning system includes a first wellbore casing element bearing a first magnetic pattern that encodes first information associated with the wellbore or a drone. The first wellbore casing element is configured for placement down-hole in the wellbore. The first wellbore casing element extends along a central axis and defines an axially oriented passage. Also, the system includes an untethered drone configured for relative movement in the passage of the first wellbore casing element. The drone is configured to detect the first magnetic pattern and determine a position of the drone within the wellbore based on the first information.

System and method for navigating a wellbore and determining location in a wellbore

According to some embodiments, devices, systems, and methods for autonomously or semi-autonomously conveying downhole oil and gas wellbore tools and performing downhole oil and gas wellbore operations are disclosed. The exemplary devices, systems, and methods may include an untethered drone that substantially disintegrates and/or dissolves into a proppant when shaped charges that the untethered drone carries are detonated. Two or more untethered drones, wellbore tools, and/or data collection devices may be connected in an untethered drone string and detonated for efficiently performing wellbore operations and reducing the amount of debris left in the wellbore after such operations.

Untethered drone string for downhole oil and gas wellbore operations

A detonator for use with perforating gun assemblies is presented. The detonator includes a shell including a main explosive load. The shell may include one or more openings. A non-mass explosive body is disposed in the shell, adjacent the main explosive load. The non-mass explosive body includes one or more channels extending therethrough. The detonator includes a plug adjacent the non-mass explosive body, and a PCB adjacent the plug to facilitate electrical communication with the detonator. The plug may include an elongated opening extending therethrough. The channels of the non-mass explosive body, in combination with at least one of the openings of the shell or the elongated openings of the plug, are configured to introduce fluids, such as wellbore fluids, into the non-mass explosive body to disable the detonator.

Fluid-disabled detonator and perforating gun assembly

A system and a method for determining a location of an untethered drone in a wellbore are described herein. The system includes one or more markers to be placed within a wellbore casing where each of the one or more markers is configured to transmit a continuous or periodic signal. The system further includes a first sensor to be transported by the untethered drone where the first sensor is configured to sense an existence of the one or more markers.

Systems and methods for marker inclusion in a wellbore

A system for deploying an untethered drone is provided. The system includes a wellbore drone for being deployed into a wellbore, a magazine unit, and a control system. The wellbore drone is configured to perform at least one action based on a control command which is provided from an on-board control system embedded in the wellbore drone. The magazine unit includes one or more chambers. The magazine unit is configured to retain the wellbore drone in a corresponding one of the one or more chambers, prior to deployment of the wellbore drone into the wellbore, and dispense the wellbore drone for being deployed into the wellbore through a launcher unit. The control system includes at least one control interface for controlling at least a part of operations of the wellbore drone and the magazine unit.

System and method to deploy and control autonomous devices

An electronic ignition circuit for use with a fuse head may include a microcontroller, a firing capacitor operably coupled to the fuse head, a voltage measuring circuit operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to measure a voltage across the firing capacitor, and a switch operably coupled to the microcontroller, the switch being provided in series with the fuse head and a ground. The microcontroller may be configured control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a first voltage across the firing capacitor, actuate the switch to discharge the firing capacitor across the fuse head in response to a firing signal, control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a second voltage across the firing capacitor, and output a shot detection signal based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

According to some embodiments, an autonomous perforating drone for downhole delivery of a wellbore tool, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. In an aspect, the wellbore tool may be a plurality of shaped charges that are arranged in a variety of configurations, including helically, in one or more single radial planes, or opposing around a perforating assembly section, and detonated in a top-to-bottom sequence when the autonomous perforating drone reaches a predetermined depth in the wellbore. In another aspect, the shaped charges may be received in shaped charge apertures within a body of a perforating assembly section, wherein the shaped charge apertures are respectively positioned adjacent to at least one of a receiver booster, detonator, and detonating cord for directly initiating the shaped charges.

Autonomous perforating drone

According to some embodiments, devices, systems, and methods for autonomously or semi-autonomously conveying downhole oil and gas wellbore tools and performing downhole oil and gas wellbore operations are disclosed. The exemplary devices, systems, and methods may include an untethered drone that substantially disintegrates and/or dissolves into a proppant when shaped charges that the untethered drone carries are detonated. Two or more untethered drones, wellbore tools, and/or data collection devices may be connected in an untethered drone string and selectively detonated for efficiently performing wellbore operations and reducing the amount of debris left in the wellbore after such operations.

Selective untethered drone string for downhole oil and gas wellbore operations

A drone conveyance system and a wellhead receiver for deploying drones into an oil or gas wellbore includes a platform, a drone magazine, a platform receiver, a conveyance, and a wellhead receiver. The wellhead receiver prepares the drone to be inserted into the wellbore via the wellhead. Preparation of the drone to be inserted into the wellbore includes adjusting the physical conditions surrounding the drone to approximate the physical conditions in the wellbore. The preparation may be performed using fluid inputs and outputs connected to a compartment of the wellhead receiver. Other preparation processes may also take place in the wellhead receiver such as assuring the appropriate drone is being inserted, that the drone has been programmed appropriately, that safety devices have been deactivated and charging an onboard power supply of the drone.

Wellhead launcher system and method

Devices, systems and methods for navigating and determining the location of downhole oil and gas wellbore tools are disclosed. The devices, systems, and methods may include a drone including an ultrasound transceiver that generates and receives an ultrasonic signal that interacts with the environment external to the drone and detects, utilizing a processer associated therewith, changes the environment external to the drone. The speed and location of the drone may be determined using the processor. Alternatively, an electromagnetic field generator that generates a field that interacts with the environment external to the drone. When the drone moves through the wellbore, the environment external to the drone constantly changes. Based on this changing environment, the speed and location of the drone is determined using the present devices, systems and methods.

An electronic ignition circuit for use with a fuse head may include a microcontroller; a firing capacitor operably coupled to the fuse head; a voltage measuring circuit operably coupled to the microcontroller and configured to measure a voltage across the firing capacitor; and a switch operably coupled to the microcontroller, the switch being provided in series with the fuse head and a ground. The microcontroller may be configured control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a first voltage across the firing capacitor; actuate the switch to discharge the firing capacitor across the fuse head in response to a firing signal; control the voltage measuring circuit to measure a second voltage across the firing capacitor; and output a shot detection signal based on the first voltage and the second voltage.

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Much, Germany

Andreas Robert Zemla