Schlumberger Technology Corporation

Joe C Hromas

Klaus B Huber

A Glen Edwards

Larry Grigar

Antoni K Miszewski

Arnold G Edwards

Mark Vella

Steven W Henderson

Laurent E Muller

Bennie Gill

Dinesh R Patel

Nolan C Lerche

Edward G Smith, Jr

William M Hill

Nathan E Addicks

A system that is usable with a well includes tubular body, at least one perforating charge that is disposed on the tubular body and at least one screen section that is disposed on the tubular body. The perforating charge(s) and the screen sectional(s) are adapted to be run downhole in a single trip into the well with the tubular body.

Technique and apparatus to deploy a perforating gun and sand screen in a well

A technique is provided to facilitate fluid flow and pressure control in a well with an interventionless flow valve system. The valve system is coupled to a well component string deployed downhole in a wellbore. The valve system controls flow and pressure between an interior and exterior of the string and comprises a valve controlled by an activation device. The activation device is responsive to a unique pressure and time signal transmitted downhole.

Flow control system and method for use in a wellbore

A technique that is usable with a well includes running a production string into the well so that the production string extends through a first isolated zone of the well and at least into a second isolated zone that is located farther into the well than the first isolated zone. The production string includes integrated perforating charges. The technique also includes firing the perforating charges inside the first zone; and after the firing, maintaining fluid isolation between the first isolated zone and a passageway of the production string. The passageway communicates well fluid from the second isolated zone.

Technique and apparatus for multiple zone perforating

Safety apparatus is disclosed for providing ballistic train interruption in a perforating system. The safety apparatus comprises a generally tubular shaped housing having first and second ends which are fabricated to permit the housing to be positioned at any location in the perforating system. The apparatus comprises first and second ballistic sections in the housing and a third ballistic section which is rotatably mounted in the housing to move between a disarmed position and an armed position based on downhole pressure. Upon retrieval of the perforating system from the wellbore, the safety apparatus functions to return a third ballistic section to its disarmed position. Additionally, apparatus is provided to permanently disable the third ballistic section to insure that no inadvertent detonation of the guns occurs when retrieving the system from a wellbore.

Safety apparatus for perforating system

A release tool adapted to be connected between a perforating gun and a tubing for releasing the perforating gun from the tubing after detonation of the perforating gun, the tool including a housing in connection with the tubing, the housing having an axial bore; an axially shiftable member in connection between the housing and a perforating gun; a seal member positioned in the axial bore of the housing, the axially shiftable member positioned through the seal member; a frangible member maintaining the axially shiftable member in connection between the housing and the perforating gun until the frangible member is shatter disconnecting the shiftable member; and a mechanism for equalizing the pressure across the seal member after the axially shiftable member is disconnected allowing the perforating gun to separate from the housing.

Downhole automatic tool release and method of use

A technique to install a tool in a well includes running the tool into the well and fixing the tool to the well with a fixing agent without pumping the fixing agent through a central passageway of the tool. The tool may be a perforating gun that includes a casing body that includes a longitudinal axis. The perforating gun may also include a fin and a perforating charge. The fin radially extends from the casing body, and the perforating charge is attached to the fin and is oriented to generate a perforation jet in a radial direction away from the longitudinal axis of the casing body.

Techniques and systems associated with perforation and the installation of downhole tools

The present invention provides for a perforating gun having stackable sections that latch, enabling the gun string to carry both compressive and tensile loads. This allows for the downhole assembly of guns of any desired length, and for the entire gun string to be removed after firing.

Method and apparatus for perforating a well

An apparatus for releasably coupling a perforating gun to a string includes a tubular member to couple the perforating gun to the string and a latch. The latch connects the perforating gun to the tubular member before detonation of the perforating gun. In response to the detonation of the perforating gun, the latch disconnects the perforating gun from the tubular member after the expiration of a predetermined duration of time.

Releasable connector assembly for a perforating gun and method

An apparatus for positioning a tool, such as a perforating gun, in a wellbore to orient the tool in a desired direction. An anchor having a first reference terminal is set in the wellbore, the first reference terminal pointing in a known direction. A second reference terminal is attached to the tool, the second reference terminal being coupled to the first reference terminal to orient the tool in the desired direction. A gyroscope measures the direction of the first reference terminal with respect to the magnetic north. The perforating gun includes charges arranged to perform perforating along a preferred fracture plane, such as 0.degree.- or 180.degree.-phased perforating.

Azimuth-oriented perforating system and method

A well completion apparatus disposed in a wellbore having first and second tubings and a tool disposed in the second tubing. An inductive coupler has a male coil located in the first tubing and is configured to receive an input signal. A female coil in the inductive coupler is attached to the first tubing and is electrically connected to the tool for inductively coupling to the male coil. An output signal is induced in the female in response to the input signal received in the male coil, and the output signal is provided to activate the tool in response to the input signal.

Inductive coupler activated completion system

Apparatus and method for activating a device in a well, such as firing a perforating gun in a well. An electrically-activated firing system is coupled to an actuating assembly, which includes a release piston movable by fluid pressure, a firing pin, and a frangible element connected to hold the release piston in place, the frangible element being shattered in response to electrical activation of the firing system. A locking mechanism locks the firing pin to prevent movement of the firing pin, and the release piston is connected to release the locking mechanism if a minimum amount of fluid pressure is applied to the release piston after electrical activation of the firing system. A detonating assembly is connected to the perforating gun and is activable by the firing pin. The detonating assembly is activated when the firing pin is released by the locking mechanism to impact the detonating assembly.

System for activating a perforating device in a well

An apparatus for sequentially performing multiple downhole functions in a well has tubing arranged to transmit pressure conditions from the surface of the well, upper and lower hydraulically activated firing heads suspended within the well on the lower end of the tubing, and a hydraulically responsive movable member between the tubing and the firing heads. Each firing head is configured to detonate an associated tool in response to an associated elevated tubing pressure condition. The movable member transmits a first elevated pressure condition to activate one of the firing heads, and moves in response to a subsequent elevated pressure condition to activate the other firing head. In one embodiment, the movable member has a through passage for transmitting the first elevated pressure condition, the passage being subsequently blocked by a ball dropped through the tubing to move the member in response to the second elevated tubing pressure condition. In a second embodiment, the movable element is a free floating piston, with a stem which moves in response to the second elevated pressure condition. In other embodiments more than two firing heads are employed. Methods of sequentially performing multiple downhole functions in a well by such an apparatus are also disclosed.

Tubing-conveyer multiple firing head system

A new perforating method and release apparatus enables a wellbore operator to perforate long length intervals of a wellbore during a single perforating run into the wellbore, the interval of the wellbore being perforated being longer in length than the length of a wellhead lubricator. The new perforating method includes the step of suspending a perforating gun suing from a conveyor in a wellbore. The gun string includes a detonating cord and a novel automatic release apparatus interconnected between a first part of the gun string and a second part of the gun suing which includes a perforating gun. The automatic release apparatus includes a frangible member which will shatter in response to a detonation wave propagating in the detonating cord thereby initiating the release of the second part of the gun swing from the first part of the gun suing. The initiation of such release takes place before the perforating gun detonates. When the perforating gun detonates, the second part of the gun string falls to a bottom of the wellbore and the first part of the gun suing is raised to a surface of the wellbore. The detonation of the perforating gun will not shock and break the conveyor.

Method of perforating including an automatic release apparatus

A wellbore tool includes an anchor connected to a perforating gun, the anchor including an anchor slip disposed between upper and lower slip housings for expanding to grip a casing in the wellbore, a primary anchor release mechanism for unsetting the anchor slip and a secondary anchor release mechanism for unsetting the anchor slip when the primary anchor release mechanism is not activated. If the primary and secondary anchor release mechanisms have not been activated, the anchor slip can be set. The primary anchor release mechanism automatically unsets the anchor slip when a detonation wave, conducting in a detonating cord, propagates through an interior space of a frangible member, the detonation wave shattering the frangible member and detonating the perforating gun. When the frangible member is shattered, the anchor slip can then be unset thereby allowing the perforating gun to fall to a bottom of the wellbore. A secondary anchor release mechanism can be used to unset the anchor when the primary anchor release mechanism is not being used. The secondary anchor release mechanism includes a release sleeve adapted to attach to a separate shifting tool, an upset, and a collet finger. A movement of the shifting tool will cause the release sleeve and the upset to move away from the collet finger. When the upset moves away from the collet finger, the anchor slip can be unset without shattering the frangible member of the primary mechanism or detonating the perforating gun.

Growing community of inventors

Sugar Land, TX, United States of America

Joe C Hromas