LOW-DRAG PERFORATING GUN SCALLOPS AND METHOD
A perforating gun for making perforations in a well, the perforating gun including a carrier extending along a longitudinal axis X and having a bore; a tube extending along the longitudinal axis X and having a radius smaller than a radius of the carrier so that the tube slides inside the bore of the carrier; a shaped charge placed inside the tube and configured to make a hole through the carrier; and a scallop formed in a body of the carrier, corresponding to a location of the shaped charge along the longitudinal axis X. The scallop has a side surface that makes an angle α with the longitudinal axis X, and the angle α is different from 90 degrees.
1 . A perforating gun for making perforations in a well, the perforating gun comprising:
a carrier extending along a longitudinal axis X and having a bore;
a tube extending along the longitudinal axis X and having a radius smaller than a radius of the carrier so that the tube slides inside the bore of the carrier;
a shaped charge placed inside the tube and configured to make a hole through the carrier; and
a scallop formed in a body of the carrier, corresponding to a location of the shaped charge along the longitudinal axis X,
wherein the scallop has a side surface that makes an angle α with the longitudinal axis X, and the angle α is different from 90 degrees.
2 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein the angle α is between 15 and 80 degrees.
3 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein the scallop is made on an external surface of the body of the carrier.
4 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein a value of the angle α is correlated with a value of an internal diameter of the carrier.
5 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein the scallop has a bottom circular circumference and a top non-circular circumference.
6 . The perforating gun of claim 5 , wherein the top non-circular circumference is elliptical.
7 . The perforating gun of claim 5 , wherein the top non-circular circumference has first and second diameters, with the first diameter being larger than the second diameter.
8 . The perforating gun of claim 7 , wherein the first diameter is substantially equal to an outside diameter of the shaped charge.
9 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein the side surface of the scallop is formed of a first region having a first curvature radius and a second region having a second curvature region.
10 . The perforating gun of claim 9 , wherein the first curvature radius is smaller than the second curvature radius.
11 . The perforating gun of claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis Z of the shaped charge makes a non-zero angle with a radial axis R of the carrier, and a central point of the scallop is located along the longitudinal axis Z.
12 . A carrier of a perforating gun for making perforations in a well, the carrier comprising:
a body extending along a longitudinal axis X and having a bore; and
a scallop formed in the body of the carrier, corresponding to a location of a shaped charge of the perforating gun along the longitudinal axis X,
wherein the scallop has a side surface that makes an angle α with the longitudinal axis X, and the angle α is different from 90 degrees.
13 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the angle α is between 15 and 80 degrees.
14 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the scallop is made on an external surface of the body.
15 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein a value of the angle α is correlated with a value of an internal diameter of the carrier.
16 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the scallop has a bottom circular circumference and a top non-circular circumference.
17 . The carrier of claim 16 , wherein the top non-circular circumference is elliptical having first and second diameters, with the first diameter being larger than the second diameter.
18 . The carrier of claim 17 , wherein the first diameter is substantially equal to an outside diameter of the shaped charge.
19 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein the side surface of the scallop is formed of a first region having a first curvature radius and a second region having a second curvature region, and wherein the first curvature radius is smaller than the second curvature radius.
20 . The carrier of claim 12 , wherein a longitudinal axis Z of the shaped charge makes a non-zero angle with a radial axis R of the carrier, and a central point of the scallop is located on the longitudinal axis Z.