# US 10,246,974 B2 · Punch and cut system for tubing > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,246,974 B2 - Document ID: US10246974B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/275,995 - Filed: 2016-09-26 - Published: 2018-03-29 - Granted: 2019-04-02 - Earliest claimed: 2016-09-26 - Assignees: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Applicants: Schlumberger Technology Corporation - Inventors: Graeme Alastair Greenway; Mohamed Mehdi; Matt Moreland - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10246974B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/117: Shaped-charge perforators (E21B43/118 takes precedence) - E21B 29/02: by explosives or by thermal or chemical means {(freeing stuck objects by explosives E21B31/002)} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS ## Abstract A technique facilitates efficient punching and cutting of a tubing with a single trip downhole. A cutter and a puncher are combined and conveyed together downhole into a borehole, e.g. a wellbore. The cutter and puncher may be conveyed downhole via a suitable well string. A communications line may be routed to both the cutter and the puncher to enable selective actuation of the cutter and the puncher. For example, the puncher may initially be actuated by detonating a shaped charge to perforate through the tubing in the borehole. Subsequently, the cutter may be operated to sever the tubing. In some applications, the cutter may be replaced with another tool operatively coupled with the communications line. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for servicing a well, comprising: a well string having: a cutter positioned to sever a well pipe disposed in a wellbore; a puncher oriented along the well string uphole from the cutter, the puncher comprising a perforating gun having at least one shaped charge selectively detonated via a detonator; and a communications line routed along the well string to the detonator of the puncher and to the cutter, the communications line having a communications line bypass which routes the communications line externally past the perforating gun on a side of the perforating gun which is protected from the at least one shaped charge during detonation. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the cutter comprises a plurality of cutter shaped charges oriented to sever the well pipe upon detonation of the plurality of cutter shaped charges. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the at least one shaped charge of the puncher comprises a plurality of shaped charges. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the puncher comprises a plurality of perforating guns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the well system further comprises a biasing mechanism positioned to bias the puncher against an inside surface of the well pipe. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a spring member. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system as recited in claim 5, wherein the biasing mechanism comprises a bow spring. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the well string further comprises a centralizer positioned to centralize the cutter in the wellbore. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The system as recited in claim 1, wherein the well string further comprises a tubing and at least one flex joint positioned between the puncher and the cutter to enable movement of the puncher off-axis relative to the cutter. ### Claim 10 A method, comprising: conveying a puncher and a tool, located below the puncher, downhole into a borehole in a single run of a well string; detonating a shaped charge of the puncher, in response to a communication signal received via a communications line, to perforate through a tubing in the borehole; subsequently operating the tool in the borehole in response to a subsequent communication signal received via the communications line, and routing at least a portion of the communications line externally of the puncher and past the puncher along a side protected from detonation of the shaped charge, wherein subsequently operating the tool comprises subsequently operating a cutter to sever the tubing. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising constructing the puncher with at least one perforating gun having a plurality of the shaped charges. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising biasing the puncher laterally against an inside surface of the tubing via a permanent magnet. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising biasing the puncher laterally against an inside surface of the tubing via a spring. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising biasing the cutter toward a central position in the borehole. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method as recited in claim 14, further comprising using a flex joint along the well string between the puncher and the cutter. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The method as recited in claim 10, further comprising operating the puncher in a drill string retrieval operation. ### Claim 17 A system, comprising: a puncher having a shaped charge oriented outwardly to enable punching of a hole through a surrounding tubing; a cutter coupled to the puncher and having a plurality of cutter shaped charges oriented to enable severing of the surrounding tubing; and a communications line coupled to both the puncher and the cutter to provide signals for controlling detonation of the shaped charge and the plurality of cutter shaped charges at separate times, wherein the puncher and the cutter are deployed along a well string comprising at least one additional tool located below the cutter, the communications line also being operatively coupled with the at least one additional tool. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system as recited in claim 17, further comprising biasing mechanisms positioned to bias the puncher laterally toward the surrounding tubing and to bias the cutter toward a center of the surrounding tubing.