Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Daniel C Markel

James E Brooks

Wenbo Yang

Lawrence A Behrmann

Brenden M Grove

Alfredo Fayard

Wallace E Voreck

Victor M Vu

Manish Kothari

Gary L Rytlewski

Robert A Parrott

Jorge E Lopez De Cardenas

Ian C Walton

Thomas H Zimmerman

Tauna Lea Leonardi

Simon L Farrant

Larry W Phillips

Charles A Sjogren

Rodger Anderson

Richard I Luht, Iii

David E Sewell

Karen M Spenley

James F Shelton

Russell McKinnon

A technique includes running a plug assembly inside a tubing string of a well; deploying an untethered object in the tubing string; and communicating the untethered object into a passageway of the plug assembly to land the untethered object in a seat of the plug assembly. The passageway has a maximum cross-sectional dimension that is larger than a maximum cross-sectional dimension of the untethered object. The technique includes using the landed untethered object to form a fluid barrier in the tubing string.

Downhole plug assembly

A system and method of generating one or more perforations in a well casing while simultaneously restricting burr formation is provided. A perforating gun assembly includes a gun housing having an outer surface designed to engage the inner surface of the well casing. At least a portion of the outer surface of the gun housing substantially corresponds to the inner surface of the well casing. The position of the gun housing engaging the inner surface of the well casing restricts burr formation both upon the inner surface of the well casing and the outer surface of the gun during explosive charge detonation.

Perforating gun

Magnetic locator systems and methods of using same at a wellhead are described. The magnetic locator systems include a magnetic field generator on an oilfield tool component, such as a deployment bar, adapted to be moved through an oilfield pressure control component, such as a blow-out preventer, lubricator, riser pipe, or wellhead, and a magnetic field sensor located outside of the pressure control component adapted to detect the magnetic field and thus the position of the tool component in the pressure control component. The systems and methods of the invention provide safer and more efficient operation of oil and gas well pressure control systems. This abstract allows a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the disclosure. It will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. 37 CFR 1.72(b).

Magnetic locator systems and methods of use at a well site

An apparatus and method for reliably activating explosives includes providing one or more housing sections that define a sealed space. A first explosive element is provided in the sealed space, and a second explosive element has a first portion inside the sealed space, and a second portion outside the sealed space exposed to outside pressure. A gripping mechanism grips a surface of the second explosive element to maintain a position of the second explosive element that is exposed to the outside pressure in an axial direction of the second explosive element.

High-pressure explosive retention device

The subject matter of the present invention relates to perforating gun carriers and their methods of manufacture. In one embodiment of the present invention, high strength, uniform wall thickness carriers are manufactured through use of the electric resistance weld process.

Perforating gun carriers and their methods of manufacture

A perforating device has a carrier strip (e.g., a linear strip) on which are mounted capsule charges arranged in a desired pattern. The pattern can be a phased pattern, such as a spiral pattern, a triphase pattern, and so forth. Alternatively, the pattern is a 0&deg;- or 180&deg;-phased pattern for performing oriented perforating, with the capsule charges shooting in opposite directions with respect to a desired plane in the formation of the wellbore. One or more brackets can be used to mount the capsule charges to the strip. In one arrangement, the bracket has plural support rings to connect to the capsule charges. In another arrangement, multiple brackets each holding one or more capsule charges may be employed. In yet another arrangement, a tube containing the capsule charges in a phased arrangement can be used. In a further arrangement, instead of using brackets, threaded openings are provided in the carrier strip in which capsule charges can be threadably connected to provide the desired phased pattern.

Multi-directional gun carrier method and apparatus

An apparatus and method is provided to reduce interference resulting from activation of explosive devices. One type of interference is charge-to-charge interference, and another type of interference is pre-shock interference between a detonating cord and an explosive, such as a shaped charge. To reduce interference, one or more shock impeding elements are placed proximal one or more explosives to impede propagation of shock caused by detonation of the explosives. The shock impeding elements include a porous material, such as a porous liquid or solid. In another arrangement, a shock barrier may be positioned between a detonating cord and an explosive to reduce pre-shock interference. In yet another feature, an encapsulant may be provided around one or more shaped charges to enhance structural support for the shaped charges.

Components and methods for use with explosives

An apparatus and method is provided to provide structural support for explosives (e.g., shaped charges) in a tool (e.g., a perforating gun). An encapsulant surrounds at least portions of the explosives to provide structural support for the explosives. The encapsulant contains a porous material, such as porous cement or polymer.

Encapsulant providing structural support for explosives

A shaped charge capsule includes an open-ended casing and a ring. The casing is adapted to house an explosive, and the casing includes a shoulder to receive a cap to close the casing. A rim of the casing at least partially surrounds the shoulder. The ring is adapted to be placed radially inside the rim and crimped with the rim to secure the cap to the casing. The ring is adapted to melt above an approximate predetermined temperature to release the cap from the casing. The cap may alternatively be secured to the casing by an adhesive that decomposes above the approximate predetermined temperature threshold.

Shaped charge capsule

Shock barriers for explosives

A perforating gun having a base structure made of a deformable material. The base structure includes support rings integrally attached to one another by connector portions. The capsule charges are mounted in corresponding support rings, and each support ring is adjustable by selective deformation of the base structure to face in one of a plurality of directions to provide a plurality of combinations of phasing patterns.

Phased perforating guns

A transfer unit is sealingly connected to a pressure tight housing. The pressure tight housing includes a detonator and electronics circuits connected to the detonator, the pressure tight housing being adapted to be disposed in a well apparatus situated in a wellbore. The wellbore contains fluids at high temperature and pressure, and the pressure tight housing protects the detonator and electronics from the severe temperature and pressure of the wellbore fluids. The transfer unit receives, on one end, the detonator and, on the other end, a separate detonating cord which is adapted to be connected to another separate explosive device and includes a pressure proof housing and a matrix of secondary explosive disposed in a compressed condition within the pressure proof housing between the detonator and the detonating cord, the matrix of secondary explosive functioning like a transversely disposed bulkhead or barrier for protecting the detonator and associated electronics from the severe temperature and pressure of the wellbore fluids which exists adjacent the detonating cord. Although the secondary explosive bulkhead is compressed within the pressure proof housing, the detonating cord may penetrate the secondary explosive bulkhead in response to the high pressure of the external wellbore fluids. Therefore, in order to prevent this penetration, the pressure proof housing includes a neck down portion disposed peripherally around the secondary explosive bulkhead in order to further compress the secondary explosive and to prevent the detonating cord from penetrating the secondary explosive bulkhead in response to the high pressure of the wellbore fluids.

Transfer apparatus adapted for transferring an explosive train through

A through-tubing perforating gun includes an angularly shaped base strip having first and second surfaces and including a plurality of recesses in the first surface and a plurality of recesses in the second surface. A plurality of capsule charges are mounted in the plurality of recesses in the first and second surfaces of the base strip and are held in place within the recesses by a plurality of support rings connected to the base strip. The base strip is made of a material which will allow the base strip to withstand detonation of the capsule charges and will not shatter when the charges detonate; however, the support rings are made of a material which will allow the support rings to shatter when the capsule charges detonate. As a result, when the charges detonate, the support rings will shatter into a multitude of pieces allowing the charges to fall to a bottom of the well; however, the base strip will not shatter when the charges detonate and may be retrieved from the borehole for subsequent inspection to determine which charges detonated and which charges did not detonate.

Growing community of inventors

Pearland, TX, United States of America

Daniel C Markel