U.S. patent application number 11/464632 was filed with the patent office on 2007-05-17 for perforating gun fabricated from composite metallic material.
This patent application is currently assigned to SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Brenden M. Grove, Philip Kneisl, Ian C. Walton, Andrew T. Werner.
Application Number | 20070107899 11/464632 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 38039557 |
Filed Date | 2007-05-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20070107899 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Werner; Andrew T. ; et
al. |
May 17, 2007 |
Perforating Gun Fabricated from Composite Metallic Material
Abstract
A perforating gun and method of manufacture is provided for
downhole perforation operations in a wellbore. The perforating gun
includes tubular components fabricated from a multi-layer
metallic/intermetallic laminate material. For example, the
perforating gun may include a tubular gun carrier and/or loading
tube fabricated from a multi-layers of two different metals (e.g.,
iron and aluminum) bonded together to form an intermetallic
laminate.
Inventors: |
Werner; Andrew T.; (East
Bernard, TX) ; Walton; Ian C.; (Sugar Land, TX)
; Grove; Brenden M.; (Missouri City, TX) ; Kneisl;
Philip; (Pearland, TX) |
Correspondence
Address: |
SCHLUMBERGER RESERVOIR COMPLETIONS
14910 AIRLINE ROAD
ROSHARON
TX
77583
US
|
Assignee: |
SCHLUMBERGER TECHNOLOGY
CORPORATION
300 Schlumberger Drive
Sugar Land
TX
|
Family ID: |
38039557 |
Appl. No.: |
11/464632 |
Filed: |
August 15, 2006 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
60595923 |
Aug 17, 2005 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/298 ; 166/55;
175/4.6 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B 43/119 20130101;
E21B 43/116 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
166/298 ;
166/055; 175/004.6 |
International
Class: |
E21B 7/00 20060101
E21B007/00; E21B 43/11 20060101 E21B043/11 |
Claims
1. Apparatus for use in a well, comprising: a tubular housing for
holding an explosive, the tubular housing being adapted to be
deployed in the well; wherein the housing includes at least two
laminated layers of material.
2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is a perforating
gun carrier.
3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the housing is a perforating
gun loading tube.
4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least two laminated layers
are intermetallic layers.
5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the at least two laminated
layers comprise a metal and an intermetallic layer.
6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the first metal layer consists
of: iron, copper, nickel, titanium, vanadium, or any alloy
thereof.
7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the second metal layer
consists of: aluminum, or alloys of aluminum, or any other element
that forms an ordered intermetallic compound with the first metal
layer.
8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the tubular housing is adapted
to hold a plurality of shaped charges.
9. A method for perforating a formation in a wellbore, comprising:
providing a perforating gun formed from at least two laminated
layers; deploying the perforating gun in the wellbore adjacent to
the formation; and firing the perforating gun.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing a perforating gun
comprises: forming the perforating gun from at least two laminated
metallic-intermetallic layers.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein one of the
metallic-intermetallic layers consists of: iron, copper, nickel,
titanium, vanadium, or any alloy thereof.
12. The method of claim 11, wherein another of the
metallic-intermetallic layers consists of: aluminum, alloys of
aluminum, or any other element that forms an ordered intermetallic
compound with the metal of the first layer.
13. A method of forming a perforating gun for perforating well
formations, comprising: wrapping alternating layers of a first
metallic layer and a second metallic layer around a tubular
structure to form a layered tube; inserting the layered tube into a
tubular die; pressurizing the layered tube from within; heating the
tubular die to diffuse the layers of the layered tube together to
form a laminate tube; and cooling the laminate tube.
14. The method of claim 13, wherein the tubular structure is formed
with at least two turns of the alternating layers to form the
layered tube.
Description
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present invention relates generally to enhancements in
production of hydrocarbons from subterranean formations, and more
particularly to a perforating gun for use downhole in a
wellbore.
BACKGROUND
[0002] After a well has been drilled and casing has been cemented
in the well, one or more sections of the casing, which are adjacent
to formation zones, may be perforated to allow fluid from the
formation zones to flow into the well for production to the surface
or to allow injection fluids to be applied into the formation
zones. In other productions, hydrocarbons are retrieved from an
uncased or "openhole" well. Whether in a cased or open hole well, a
perforating gun string is lowered into the well to a desired depth
and then the gun is fired to create openings in the casing (in
cased well operations) and to extend perforations into the
surrounding formation. Production fluids in the perforated
formation can then flow through the perforations and the casing
openings into the wellbore.
[0003] Typically, perforating guns (which include gun carriers and
shaped charges mounted on or in the gun carriers) are lowered
through tubing or other pipes to the desired well interval. Shaped
charges carried in a perforating gun are often phased to fire in
multiple directions around the circumference of the wellbore. When
fired, shaped charges create perforating jets that form holes in
surrounding casing as well as extend perforations into the
surrounding formation.
[0004] Various types of perforating guns exist. One type of
perforating gun includes capsule shaped charges that are mounted on
a strip in various patterns. The capsule shaped charges are
protected from the harsh wellbore environment by individual
containers or capsules. Another type of perforating gun includes
non-capsule shaped charges, which are loaded into a sealed carrier
for protection. Such perforating guns are sometimes also referred
to as hollow carrier guns. The non-capsule shaped charges of such
hollow carrier guns may be mounted in a loading tube that is
contained inside the carrier, with each shaped charge connected to
a detonating cord. When activated, a detonation wave is initiated
in the detonating cord to fire the shaped charges. In a
hollow-carrier gun, charges shoot through the carrier into the
surrounding casing formation.
[0005] One problem with a carrier gun is the damage done to the gun
housing which can create unwanted debris and contaminants in the
wellbore. During a perforation operation, the gun housing is
subjected damage caused by internal pressure from the explosive
gases released by the charges, and by high-velocity impacts from
fragments of charge cases. Accordingly, a need exists for a gun
housing that is capable of withstanding the damage caused by these
extreme pressures and high velocity impacts. The present invention
is directed at providing such a system.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The manner in which these objectives and other desirable
characteristics can be obtained is explained in the following
description and attached drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment of a perforating system
assembly including the components linked on a perforating gun
string.
[0008] FIG. 2 illustrates a profile view of a shaped charge in
accordance with the present invention.
[0009] FIG. 3A shows a partial view of the perforating system in
accordance with the present invention.
[0010] FIG. 3B displays a cross-sectional view of the shaped charge
in accordance with the present invention.
[0011] FIG. 4 shows an enlarged view of a component in the
perforating system assembly.
[0012] However, it should be noted that the appended drawings
illustrate typical embodiments of this invention and are not to be
considered limiting in scope. The invention may admit to other
equally effective embodiments.
SUMMARY
[0013] In general, according to one embodiment of the present
invention, a gun system, fabricated from a multi-layer
metallic/intermetallic laminate material that is used to perforate
a wellbore, is provided.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
[0014] In the specification and appended claims, the terms
"connect", "connection", "connected", "in connection with", and
"connecting" are used to mean "in direct connection with" or "in
connection with via another element". The term "set" is used to
mean "one element" or "more than one element". The terms "up" and
"down", "upper" and "lower", "upwardly" and downwardly", "upstream"
and "downstream", "above" and "below", and other like terms
indicating relative positions above or below a given point or
element are used in this description to more clearly described some
embodiments of the invention. However, when applied to equipment
and methods for use in wells that are deviated or horizontal, such
terms may refer to a left to right, right to left, or other
relationship as appropriate.
[0015] Typically, the steel used to fabricate gun carriers or
housings for perforating guns is compounded and processed to
balance high strength with high toughness, for collapse and swell
resistance and cracking/splitting resistance, respectively.
[0016] In general, an embodiment of the present invention includes
a laminate material used to fabricate the perforating gun
components (e.g., gun carrier or housing, loading tube, and so
forth) that are susceptible to damage from high internal gas
pressures and impact of explosive components during perforation
operations. The laminate material comprises interleaved layers of
metallic and intermetallic compounds. For example, combinations of
metallic and intermetallic compounds include titanium and titanium
aluminide, nickel and nickel aluminide, iron and iron aluminide,
and iron and iron stanide.
[0017] In some embodiments, the laminate material may be produced
by stacking multiple layers of aluminum and titanium (or other
metals), and subsequently subjecting the stack of metals to high
pressures and elevated temperatures. In such embodiments, the
aluminum reacts with a portion of the titanium to form a hard,
strong intermetallic compound. Layers of titanium remain in between
the layers of brittle intermetallic compound, providing toughness
(crack resistance) to the laminate. The resulting material has
advantageous mechanical properties, namely increased strength and
penetration resistance. U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,332, which is
incorporated herein by reference, describes a process for making
metallic-intermetallic composite laminate material for use in
lightweight armor applications. The '332 Patent describes the
process for making the laminate material from sheets with a tough
first metal interleaved with sheets, and a second metal compounded
with the first metal. The confined metal layers resist cracking and
fracturing of the intermetallic layers. The interleaved sheets
react under heat and pressure to react the metals to form a region
of an intermetallic compound. The first set of metals may be
fabricated are from metal or metal alloys such as titanium, nickel,
vanadium, or iron; and the second set of metals may be fabricated
from metal or metal alloys such as aluminum and alloys of
aluminum.
[0018] Intermetallic compounds are comprised of two specifically
proportioned metals or metal alloys having a defined ratio of one
atomic species to another, on specific lattice sites. The bonding
is metallic, rather than ionic, but the ordered structure (which
can be visualized as two interpenetrating lattices, each containing
one atomic species) gives rise to high strength and hardness with
limited ductility.
[0019] In an embodiment of the present invention, a perforating gun
(e.g., a carrier, housing, loading tube, or other components) may
be fabricated from a metallic-intermetallic laminate material. The
material may be formed into a tubular shape of appropriate
dimensions. Once a suitable tube is available, application as a
perforating gun is a simple matter of direct substitution of the
high-strength steel tube conventionally employed.
[0020] In another embodiment of the present invention, a method is
provided to form a metallic-intermetallic laminate tube. Such a
tube may be formed by wrapping alternating layers of aluminum and
low-carbon steel such as iron (or alternatively, aluminum and
titanium) around a mandrel with sufficient turns to build up a tube
with an appropriate thickness and with an appropriate number of
layers. The aluminum and iron form a series of iron aluminides
analogous to a titanium aluminide. This is done by inserting a
wrapped tube into a heated tubular die, with an inside diameter
equal to the desired outside diameter of the finished laminate
tube. Then using suitable end caps, the inside of the laminate tube
is pressurized with air, nitrogen, argon, helium, or any suitable
gas, to the required pressure, and the die is heated to the proper
temperature. The die may be a clamshell shaped furnace that when
closed, forms a cylindrical mold and can be opened to remove the
finished tube.
[0021] After allowing time for the aluminum to diffuse into and
react with the iron, the laminate is cooled. This is one proposed
means of fabricating the laminate material into a tubular shape
suitable for use as a perforating gun. Although this particular
embodiment was described using layers of aluminum and iron, in
other embodiments of the present invention other metals may be used
for such layers that including and elements that form ordered
intermetallic compounds.
[0022] FIG. 1 illustrates a perforating "carrier" gun string as
used in conventional perforating operations in a wellbore 11. The
perforating gun string 5 may be suspended and run into the wellbore
11 by a wireline 1, or any other conveyance mechanism (e.g.,
tubing, slickline, and so forth). The perforating gun string is
positioned downhole within a casing 3 to the desired depth via the
wireline 1. In other embodiments, the perforating gun may be
deployed in uncased or open hole wells. The perforating gun string
5 may include one or more guns coupled together in series, each
holding at least one explosive charge, and connected together by an
adapter 9.
[0023] FIG. 2 shows an embodiment of a shaped charge 101 that is
connected to a detonating cord 109. The shaped charge 101 includes
an outer case 103 that is designed to hold an explosive 105 and
liner 111. The liner 111 and the case 103 encompass an explosive
105 that is contained inside the case. The primer column 107
provides the detonating connection between the detonation cord 109
and the explosive 105. When activated, a detonation wave is created
in the detonating cord 109 and activates the primer column 107.
This causes the explosive 105 to detonate and consequently create a
detonation wave through the shaped charge 101. The liner 111
collapses under the force of the explosive 105 charge.
[0024] FIGS. 3A and 3B demonstrates an embodiment of a perforating
gun system including an outer cylindrical tube or carrier 201, and
a loading tube 113. The loading tube mechanically holds the holds
the charges and is then inserted into the gun carrier 201. After
the shaped charges are detonated, the energy is transmitted through
the loading tube 113, to the gun carrier 201. In accordance with
the present invention, an embodiment of the gun carrier 201 may be
formed from a multi layered metallic-intermetallic laminate 203A.
Moreover, the loading tube 113 may also be formed from a
multi-layered metallic and /or inter-metallic laminate 203B.
Embodiments of the present invention include a perforating gun
system having a multi-layered laminate gun carrier or loading or
both.
[0025] FIG. 4 illustrates a tubular member 301 formed from a
multi-layered laminate material. For example, a perforating gun
carrier or loading tube could represent the tubular member 301.
Each layer consists of a metal or metal alloy and an intermetallic
compound of that element. The illustrated embodiment includes a
tubular formed from five laminated layers, but it is intended that
the present invention includes tubes for use in perforating gun
systems including two or more laminate layers.
[0026] Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention
have been described in detail above, those skilled in the art will
readily appreciate that many modifications are possible in the
exemplary embodiments without materially departing from the novel
teachings and advantages of this invention. Accordingly, all such
modifications are intended to be included within the scope of this
invention.
* * * * *