IP Library Granted Patent US 10,914,144
Granted Patent B2
US 10,914,144 · App. 16/483,082 · Granted Feb 9, 2021

Proppant transport efficiency system and method

Inventors: John T. Hardesty (Fort Worth, TX); Wenbo Yang (Kennedale, TX); James A. Rollins (Lipan, TX); Kevin Wutherich (Millsap, TX); Ross Harvey (Millsap, TX)
Assignee: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
E21B43/117E21B43/119E21B43/11855E21B43/267F42B1/036F42B12/76
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,914,144
App. No.
16/483,082
Granted
Feb 9, 2021
Kind
B2
Abstract

A perforating gun system with at least one gun. Each of the perforating guns have charges disposed in a gun carrier that are angled to the longitudinal axis of the gun to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile into clusters within a stage in a well casing. The perforation tunnels may also have burrs on each side of the casing and acts in initially aiding proppant transport during fracture treatment. A method of tuning a cluster to achieve a desired fracturing treatment based on a feedback from another cluster includes selecting a hole diameter, a hole angle for creating an angled opening, a discharge coefficient, and a proppant efficiency. Moreover, a method of improving perforation charge efficiency.

Claims (36)

1. A perforating gun comprising:

a gun carrier;

a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;

wherein the plurality of perforating charges in the gun carrier are arranged to form a first cluster and a second cluster when discharged in a stage of a well casing; and

wherein when deployed downhole, at least some of the plurality of charges are angled toe-ward to create a plurality of perforation tunnels to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile in the stage,

wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs, and

wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

2. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are reactive shaped charges.

3. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the predetermined proppant transport profile comprises an even proppant distribution amongst each of a plurality of clusters.

4. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the plurality of charges are phased equally around a longitudinal axis of the plurality of perforating guns.

5. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein the plurality of charges are positioned such that spacing between two adjacent said plurality of charges is equal.

6. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

7. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of perforating tunnels ranges from 5° to 90°.

8. The perforating gun of claim 1 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of tunnels is equal.

9. A perforating gun system comprising:

a plurality of perforating guns comprising a gun carrier, and a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;

wherein the plurality of perforating charges in the gun system are arranged to form at least a first cluster and a second cluster when discharged in a stage of a well casing;

wherein when deployed downhole, at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are angled toe-ward to create a plurality of perforation tunnels to achieve a predetermined proppant transport profile in the stage;

wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs; and

wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

10. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of perforating charges are reactive shaped charges.

11. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the predetermined proppant transport profile comprises an even proppant distribution amongst each of a plurality of clusters.

12. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of charges are phased equally around a longitudinal axis of the plurality of perforating guns.

13. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein the plurality of charges are positioned such that spacing between two adjacent said plurality of charges is equal.

14. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

15. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of perforating tunnels ranges from 5° to 90°.

16. The perforating gun system of claim 9 wherein an angle relative to a longitudinal axis of the well casing of each of the plurality of tunnels is equal.

17. A perforating method comprising:

providing a perforating gun system comprising one or more perforating guns in a gun string, each gun comprising a gun carrier and a plurality of perforating charges housed within the gun carrier;

selecting an arrangement for each perforation charge, wherein at least some of the plurality of perforating charges are angled toe-ward;

deploying the perforating gun system into the well casing in a stage; and

perforating at the stage and creating at least a first cluster and a second cluster, wherein each cluster comprises a plurality of perforation tunnels, wherein each of the plurality of tunnels are oriented in a predetermined arrangement,

wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels comprises an entrance hole configured with burrs, and

wherein the burrs further enable transport of a proppant fraction through the perforation tunnels.

18. The perforating method of claim 17 wherein each of a plurality of angles of each of the plurality of perforation tunnels relative to the longitudinal axis of the casing ranges from 5° to 90°.

19. The perforating method of claim 17 wherein each of the plurality of perforation tunnels have an entrance hole diameter within 20% of a target entrance hole diameter.

Assignments (3)
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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 18, 2020
From: HARDESTY, JOHN T.; YANG, WENBO; ROLLINS, JAMES A.; WUTHERICH, KEVIN; HARVEY, ROSS
To: GEODYNAMICS, INC.
Reel/Frame 054690/0018 →