Western Atlas International, Inc.

Dresser Industries, Inc.

Manmohan S Chawla

William A McPhee

Steven W Henderson

Robert K Bethel

James Warren Reese

Junius L Speights

Joseph D Simich

Steven D Sehnert

Nicholas Collier

A shaped charge for efficiently transferring energy from an explosive material to generate a deep penetrating jet. The shaped charge liner is formed with a hemispherical first section combined with an elongated second section. The liner second section can be formed as a truncated cone, trumpet, or other shape. The hemispherical first section collapses to generate a high velocity jet portion, and the second section collapses to generate an elongated, deep penetrating jet portion which follows the higher velocity jet portion.

High performance composite shaped charge

An apparatus for generating a large perforation in a target such as a wellbore casing. A liner is positioned within a charge case lowered into a well. An explosive material is initiated to collapse the liner to form a material penetrating jet. A spoiler is positioned proximate to the liner to defocus the liner collapse. The spoiler forms a hollow center in the material penetrating jet and concentrates the energy of the jet into a large annular ring for penetrating the target. The spoiler can comprise a passive spoiler which blocks the full collapse of the liner, or can comprise an active spoiler incorporating a high explosive or an elastic material for counteracting the liner collapse. The spoilers can be spherical, cylindrical, tapered, or another shape to modify the configuration and performance of the material penetrating jet, and a spacer can retain a spoiler in a selected orientation relative to the liner.

Shaped charge for creating large perforations

An apparatus for generating a large perforation in a target such as a wellbore casing. A recess in a housing has a closed end and an open end facing the target. A shaped liner in the recess has an apex facing the recess open end, and has a base end facing the closed end of the recess. The shaped liner defines an interior volume filled with explosive material. The explosive material is detonated and expands the liner against the recess wall and forms a perforating jet which moves toward the recess open end. If the recess open end is circular, the perforating jet exits the recess as an annular jet which impacts the target and cuts a plug section from the target. The penetrating power of the jet is confined to the annular cutting area instead of being focused into a conventional jet shape. Multiple shaped liners can be placed in the recess, and the shape of the perforating jet can be modified by the liner shape and recess dimensions.

Circulation shaped charge

A well perforating apparatus for generating a plurality of material perforating jets. A base has a plurality of recesses or apertures, and a liner is proximate to the base and is indented into each recess or aperture. Explosive charges contact the indented surfaces of the liner to form multiple shaped charges. A detonator activates the explosive material to collapse the liner segments proximate to the explosive charges and to generate a plurality of perforating jets. In one embodiment of the invention, the base initially comprises a planar material that can be formed into a geometric shape for insertion into a cylindrical housing or wellbore. The invention substantially reduces manufacturing costs and is especially useful in permitting a high density shot pattern to be generated by the perforating jets.

High density perforating system

An improved shaped charge for generating a jet. A lens shaped waveshaper is positioned within the explosive material of a shaped charge to modify the shape of the divergent detonation wave into a planar wave or a converging wave. The waveshaper is formed with a low sound speed material having a high index of refraction. By reshaping the detonation wave, the acceleration of the shaped charge liner is increased, and the penetration depth and hole size of the jet can be increased. The shaped charge operates more efficiently, thereby requiring less explosive material than a conventional shaped charge.

Shaped charge with wave shaping lens

An implosion shaped charge device for jet perforating. In its overall concept, the implosion shaped charge perforator comprises a liner of implosive geometry, a primary explosive contiguous to the liner for providing implosion impulse to such and means for detonating the primary explosive. In a first embodiment the detonating means is an explosively actuated impact detonator. In a second embodiment the detonating means is a laser initiated explosive detonator. Both embodiments may be utilized in a perforating gun for perforating subsurface earth formations. In the operation of the embodiments the primary explosive is detonated with the resulting detonation wave approximately constantly accelerating the liner to radially converge to a small volume, from which a jet is propagated in the direction of the maximum pressure gradient.

Implosion shaped charge perforator

A shaped charge perforating unit includes a housing having a cavity formed therein. An explosive charge of high explosive material is retained within the cavity by a liner of non-explosive material. The explosive charge consists of quantities of two explosive materials having different detonation sensitivities.

High temperature shaped charge perforating apparatus

A shaped charge perforating unit includes a housing having a cavity formed therein. An explosive charge of high explosive material is retained within the cavity by a liner of non-explosive material. The exterior of the housing is substantially surrounded by a porous jacket of high strength fiber material.

Shaped charge perforating apparatus

A bullet perforating apparatus for perforating subsurface formations traversed by a borehole. The bullet perforating apparatus comprises a gun body with a plurality of bullet perforating gun assemblies. The individual gun assemblies further comprise a gun barrel, a cartridge tube with propellant, means for igniting propellant, a projectile, and a seal at the well bore end of the barrel. The barrel further comprises an outer member and a replaceable wear member securely retained within the outer member.

Bullet perforating apparatus, gun assembly and barrel

A shaped charge perforating unit includes a housing having a cavity formed therein. An explosive charge of high explosive material is retained within the cavity by a liner of non-explosive material. The explosive charge consists of quantities of two explosive materials having different detonation rates.

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Manmohan S Chawla