Exposed ballistic transfer with encapsulated receiver booster

An exposed perforating gun system, comprising:

• a first gun segment and a second gun segment each having a charge tube containing at least one encapsulated shaped charge;
• a first connecting portion on the first gun segment and a second connecting portion on the second gun segment, wherein the first and second connecting portions are configured to connect the first and second gun segments to each other;
• an encapsulated donor charge in the first gun segment;
• and,
• an encapsulated receiver booster in the second gun segment, wherein
• the encapsulated donor charge is adjacent to the encapsulated receiver booster when the first and second gun segments are attached to each other, and
• the encapsulated receiver booster comprises:
• a hollow receiver booster housing comprising a closed end and an open end and being configured for receiving a receiver booster and a terminal end of a detonating cord;
• a hollow connecting element having a first end and a second end, and the first end being configured for being at least partially received within the open end of the receiver booster housing such as to allow the detonating cord to pass through an interior of the connecting element;
• a frustoconically-shaped first sealing element having a tapered end and a base end opposite the tapered end and a central bore extending between the tapered end and the base end, the central bore configured for receiving the detonating cord, wherein the tapered end of the first sealing element is configured for being at least partially received within the second end of the connecting element;
• an annular second sealing element having an inner diameter configured for receiving the detonating cord and the second sealing element being positioned in an abutting relationship with the base end of the first sealing element;
• and
• a hollow compression element configured for receiving the detonating cord and attaching to the second end of the connecting element, and thereby compressing the first sealing element to the connecting element and the second sealing element to the first sealing element,
• wherein at least part of an exterior portion of the first and second ends of the connecting element are configured with a threaded portion such that the threaded portion of the first end of the connecting element is threadingly received within a threaded portion of the open end of the receiver booster housing and the threaded portion of the second end of the connecting element is threadingly received within an inner threaded portion of the compression element.

A method for providing a ballistic transfer between successive perforating guns in a perforation system which is exposed to wellbore fluid and pressures, comprising:

• providing a first perforating gun including a first detonating cord operably connected to a donor charge;
• providing a second perforating gun including an encapsulated receiver booster operably connected to a second detonating cord, wherein the encapsulated receiver booster includes
• a hollow receiver booster housing comprising a closed end and an open end and being configured for receiving a receiver booster and a terminal end of a detonating cord;
• a hollow connecting element having a first end and a second end, and the first end being configured for being at least partially received within the open end of the receiver booster housing such as to allow the detonating cord to pass through an interior of the connecting element;
• a frustoconically-shaped first sealing element having a tapered end and a base end opposite the tapered end and a central bore extending between the tapered end and the base end, the central bore configured for receiving the detonating cord, wherein the tapered end of the first sealing element is configured for being at least partially received within the second end of the connecting element;
• an annular second sealing element having an inner diameter configured for receiving the detonating cord and the second sealing element being positioned in an abutting relationship with the base end of the first sealing element;
• and
• a hollow compression element configured for receiving the detonating cord and attaching to the second end of the connecting element, and thereby compressing the first sealing element to the connecting element and the second sealing element to the first sealing element,
• whereby detonating the first detonating cord detonates the donor charge and the donor charge detonates the booster receiver and the booster receiver detonates the second detonating cord to provide the ballistic transfer,
• and wherein at least part of an exterior portion of the first and second ends of the hollow connecting element are configured with a threaded portion such that the threaded portion of the first end of the connecting element is threadingly received within a threaded portion of the open end of the receiver booster housing and the threaded portion of the second end of the connecting element is threadingly received within an inner threaded portion of the hollow compression element.