System for generating a hole using projectiles
AssigneeHypersciences, Inc.
InventorMark C. Russell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A wellbore or other type of hole in a geologic formation or other material, such as concrete or other manmade structures, may be formed by accelerating perforating charges containing detonable material through a tubular string. Movement of a fluid, such as drilling mud, may be used to transport perforating charges to a bottom hole assembly. In the bottom hole assembly, a propellant material may be used to accelerate the perforating charges, such as by using a ram acceleration mechanism. The perforating charges may be shaped to at least partially penetrate a surface of the hole. Detonation of the perforating charge may displace, stress, or fracture the geologic material. Movement of the fluid may remove displaced geologic material and detonated material from the perforating charge from the hole.
Claims20
A method comprising:
- providing a detonable material into a tubular string positioned within a wellbore;
- providing a drilling fluid into the tubular string to move the detonable material through the tubular string and into an inner bore of a bottom hole assembly;
- isolating the inner bore of the bottom hole assembly from the tubular string, wherein the isolating of the inner bore prevents entry of the drilling fluid into the inner bore;
- diverting at least a portion of the drilling fluid through one or more of a port or a fluid pathway in one or more of the tubular string or the bottom hole assembly to communicate the drilling fluid with an annulus external to the tubular string;
- actuating one or more propellant materials in the inner bore of the bottom hole assembly to move the detonable material through the inner bore of the bottom hole assembly and into association with a surface of the wellbore;
- and
- detonating the detonable material to one or more of displace, stress, or fracture geologic material of the surface of the wellbore.
A system comprising:
- a tubular string positioned within a hole, the tubular string having a first end and a second end opposite the first end;
- a bottom hole assembly engaged with the second end, wherein the bottom hole assembly has an inner bore;
- a fluid source configured to move fluid through the tubular string toward the second end;
- a perforating charge moved by the fluid through the tubular string toward the second end, wherein the fluid moves the perforating charge into the inner bore of the bottom hole assembly;
- a closure element to isolate the inner bore of the bottom hole assembly from the tubular string to prevent entry of at least a portion of the fluid into the inner bore and divert the at least a portion of the fluid to an exterior of the bottom hole assembly;
- and
- a propellant material in the inner bore, wherein actuation of the propellant material moves the perforating charge through the bottom hole assembly into association with a surface of the hole.
A method comprising:
- providing a perforating charge into a tubular string, wherein the tubular string is positioned within a hole;
- providing a fluid into the tubular string to move the perforating charge through the tubular string into a portion of a bottom hole assembly;
- isolating the portion of the bottom hole assembly from the tubular string to prevent entry of at least a portion of the fluid into the portion of the bottom hole assembly;
- and
- actuating a propellant material in the portion of the bottom hole assembly to move the perforating charge through the bottom hole assembly and into association with a surface of the hole.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.