IP Library Granted Patent US 10,774,624
Granted Patent B2
US 10,774,624 · App. 16/285,406 · Granted Sep 15, 2020

Constant entrance hole perforating gun system and method

Inventors: Wenbo Yang (Arlington, TX); Philip M. Snider (Houston, TX); John T. Hardesty (Weatherford, TX); David S. Wesson (Ft. Worth, TX)
Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
E21B43/117E21B43/116E21B43/119E21B43/26F42B1/028F42B3/08E21B43/11E21B43/1185
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,774,624
App. No.
16/285,406
Granted
Sep 15, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A shaped charge comprising a case, a liner positioned within the case, and an explosive filled within the case. The liner is shaped with a subtended angle ranging from 100° to 120° about an apex, a radius, and an aspect ratio such that a jet formed with the explosive creates an entrance hole in a well casing. The jet creates a perforation tunnel in a hydrocarbon formation, wherein a diameter of the jet, a diameter of the entrance hole diameter, and a width and length of the perforation tunnel are substantially constant and unaffected with changes in design and environmental factors such as a thickness and composition of the well casing, position of the charge in the perforating gun, position of the perforating gun in the well casing, a water gap in the wellbore casing, and type of the hydrocarbon formation.

Claims (58)

1. A shaped charge for use in a perforating gun, said charge comprising:

a case,

a liner positioned within said case, and

an explosive filled within said liner;

said liner shape configured with a subtended angle about an apex of said liner such that a jet formed with said explosive creates an entrance hole in a well casing;

said subtended angle of said liner is larger than 90° and smaller than 120°;

said liner having an exterior surface, said exterior surface substantially straight and conically tapered to form said apex;

said jet creates a perforation tunnel in a hydrocarbon formation;

wherein a diameter of said jet is substantially equal to a diameter of a second jet created by a second shaped charge, a diameter of said entrance hole is substantially equal to a diameter of a second entrance hole created by said second shaped charge, and a width and length of said perforation tunnel are substantially equal to a width and length of a second perforation tunnel created by said second shaped charge.

2. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a thickness of said liner is substantially constant.

3. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein said diameter of said entrance hole in said well casing ranges from 0.15 to 0.75 inches.

4. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a variation of said diameter of said entrance hole in said well casing is less than 7.5%.

5. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein said width of said perforation tunnel in said hydrocarbon formation ranges from 0.15 to 1 inches.

6. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a variation of said width of said perforation tunnel in said hydrocarbon formation ranges is less than 5%.

7. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein said length of said perforation tunnel in said hydrocarbon formation ranges from 1 to 20 inches.

8. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a variation of said length of said perforation tunnel in said hydrocarbon formation is less than 20%.

9. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein said diameter of said jet ranges from 0.15 to 0.75 inches.

10. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a variation of said diameter of said jet is less than 5%.

11. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a thickness of said well casing ranges from 0.20 to 0.75 inches.

12. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a diameter of said well casing ranges from 4 to 6 inches.

13. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a diameter of said gun ranges from 3 to 12 inches.

14. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a position of said charge in said perforating gun is oriented in an upward direction.

15. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a position of said charge in said perforating gun is oriented in a downward direction.

16. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a position of said perforating gun in said well casing is centralized.

17. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a position of said perforating gun in said well casing is decentralized.

18. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a thickness of a water gap ranges from 0.15 to 2.5 inches.

19. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein a type of said hydrocarbon formation is selected from a group comprising: shale, carbonate, sandstone or clay.

20. The shaped charge of claim 1 wherein said charge is selected from a group comprising: reactive, or conventional charges.

21. A shaped charge for use in a perforating gun, said charge comprising:

a case,

a liner positioned within said case, and

an explosive filled between said case and said liner;

said liner shape configured with a subtended angle about an apex of said liner such that said explosive forms a constant jet when exploded;

said liner having an exterior surface, said exterior surface substantially straight and conically tapered to form said apex;

said subtended angle of said liner is larger than 90° and smaller than 120°;

said jet further comprising a tip end, a tail end, and an extended portion positioned between said tail end and said tip end;

a diameter of said extended portion is substantially constant from about said tip end to about said tail end; and

wherein a diameter of an entrance hole created by said jet is substantially equal to a diameter of a second entrance hole created by a second shaped charge.

22. The shaped charge of claim 21 wherein said extended portion in said jet is unannihilated in a water gap when said jet travels through said water gap in said well casing.

23. The shaped charge of claim 21 wherein a velocity of said tip end is slightly greater than a velocity of said tail end.

24. The shaped charge of claim 21 wherein said extended portion is substantially not stretched; said extended portion maintaining said diameter after entry into a hydrocarbon formation until said tip end enters said formation.

25. The shaped charge of claim 21 wherein said extended portion is substantially not stretched; said extended portion maintaining said diameter before entry into a hydrocarbon formation until said tip end enters said formation.

26. A stage perforation method using a perforating gun system in a wellbore casing; said system comprising a plurality of shaped charges; each of said plurality of charges are configured to create an entrance hole in said casing; each of said plurality of charges are configured with a liner having a subtended angle about an apex of said liner; said liner having an exterior surface, said exterior surface substantially straight and conically tapered to form said apex; said subtended angle of said liner is larger than 90° and smaller than 120°; a variation of diameters of entrance holes created with said plurality of charges is configured to be less than 7.5%; wherein said method comprises the steps of:

(1) setting up a plug and isolating a stage;

(2) targeting an entrance hole diameter of said entrance hole;

(3) selecting an explosive load, a subtended angle, a radius and an aspect ratio for each of said plurality of charges;

(4) positioning said system along with said plurality of charges in said well casing;

(5) perforating with said plurality of charges into a hydrocarbon formation;

(6) creating said entrance hole with said entrance hole diameter and completing said stage; and

(7) pumping fracture treatment in said stage at a designed rate without substantially adjusting pumping rate.

27. A shaped charge for use in a perforating gun, said charge comprising:

a case,

a liner positioned within said case, and

an explosive filled within said liner;

said liner shape configured with a subtended angle about an apex of said liner such that a jet formed with said explosive creates an entrance hole in a well casing; said subtended angle of said liner is larger than 90° and smaller than 120°;

said liner not substantially shaped elliptically, oval, or semi-oval;

said jet creates a perforation tunnel in a hydrocarbon formation; wherein a diameter of said jet is substantially equal to a diameter of a second jet created by a second shaped charge in a second perforating gun, a diameter of said entrance hole is substantially equal to a diameter of a second entrance created by said second shaped charge in said second perforating gun, and a width and length of said perforation tunnel are substantially constant equal to a width and length of a second perforation tunnel created by said second shaped charge in said second perforating gun.

28. The shaped charge of claim 27 wherein said second shaped charge is positioned in a second perforating gun.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jan 29, 2026
From: OIL STATES ENERGY SERVICES, L.L.C.; OIL STATES INDUSTRIES, INC.; GEODYNAMICS, INC.; TEMPRESS TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT
Reel/Frame 074532/0194 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 16, 2021
From: OIL STATES INTERNATIONAL, INC.
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
Reel/Frame 055314/0482 →