# US 12,760,629 B2 · Self-shunting detonator for well perforating gun > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,760,629 B2 - Document ID: US12760629B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 19/093,952 - Filed: 2025-03-28 - Published: 2025-07-17 - Granted: 2026-10-13 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-17 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Kevin C. Cook; Matthew Craig Mlcak; Joseph Todd MacGillivray; Stuart Michael Wood - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12760629B2 ## CPC - E21B 43/1185: Ignition systems - E21B 43/117: Shaped-charge perforators (E21B43/118 takes precedence) - F42D 1/05: Electric circuits for blasting - F42C 15/34: wherein the safety or arming action is effected by a blocking-member in the pyrotechnic or explosive train between primer and main charge (F42C15/18, F42C15/40 take precedence) - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - F42D: BLASTING (fuses, e.g. fuse cords, C06C5/00; {for obtaining fluid from wells E21B43/00; for mining or quarrying E21C37/00; for making tunnels or galleries E21D9/006}; cartridges F42B3/00) - F42C: AMMUNITION FUZES (blasting cartridge initiators F42B3/10; chemical aspects C06C); ARMING OR SAFETY MEANS THEREFOR (filling fuzes F42B33/02; fitting or extracting primers in or from fuzes F42B33/04; containers for fuzes F42B39/30) ## Abstract Various well-perforating systems and methods are disclosed incorporating a self-shunting detonator. The detonator may include an electrically-conductive detonator body. A resistor initiator inside the detonator body includes first and second leads. A grounding element inside the detonator body couples the detonator body to the first lead. An electrically-conductive clip coupled to the second lead includes an arm biased to electrical contact with an external surface of the detonator body to shunt the detonator. The arm is moveable away from the detonator body to un-shunt the detonator, such as automatically in response to insertion into a detonator housing. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A well-perforating safety method, comprising: grounding a first lead of a resistor initiator to an electrically conductive detonator body housing an explosive material adjacent the resistor initiator; coupling a second lead of the resistor initiator to an electrically-conductive clip including an arm electrically contacting an external surface of the detonator body, thereby forming a shunted circuit path bypassing the explosive material; and moving the arm away from the detonator body to switch the shunted circuit path to an un-shunted circuit path along the clip to the resistor initiator. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: transmitting a detonation signal along the un-shunted circuit path to the detonator, thereby initiating the explosive material inside the detonator body. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting the detonation signal comprises generating the detonation signal using an electrical circuit structurally separate from the detonator body. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein moving the arm away from the detonator body comprises inserting the detonator body into a detonator housing to urge a non-electrically conductive portion of the detonator housing between the detonator body and the clip. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein a detonator comprising the electrically-conductive detonator body further comprises an insulator cap closing an end of the electrically-conductive detonator body, wherein the electrically-conductive clip extends through the insulator cap to the resistor initiator. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the electrically-conductive clip is a unitary structure from the arm to an end where the clip is coupled to the second lead of the resistor initiator. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the electrically-conductive clip comprises a straight section that extends from the resistor initiator to where it exits the detonator body through the insulator cap and a first bend to route the electrically-conductive clip from the insulator cap, and a second bend to route the arm of the electrically-conductive clip back toward the external surface of the detonator body, where the electrically-conductive clip electrically contacts the detonator body. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, wherein the detonator further comprises a switch physically separated from the detonator body but electrically coupled to the detonator body when the detonator body is received within the detonator receptacle. ### Claim 9 A well-perforating safety method, comprising: grounding a first lead of a resistor initiator to an electrically conductive detonator body housing an explosive material adjacent the resistor initiator; engaging a second lead of the resistor initiator to a self-shunting clip including an arm biased toward electrical contact to an external surface of the electrically conductive detonator body forming a shunted circuit path bypassing the explosive material; and moving the arm away from the detonator body to switch the shunted circuit path to an un-shunted circuit path along the self-shunting clip to the resistor initiator. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The well-perforating safety method of claim 9, wherein the self-shunting clip extends from the arm to an end inside the electrically conductive detonator body where it couples to the resistor initiator. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The well-perforating safety method of claim 10, wherein the self-shunting clip comprises an interior portion that is a straight section that extends from the resistor initiator to an insulator cap of the electrically conductive detonator body. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The well-perforating safety method of claim 11, wherein the self-shunting clip comprises a first bend close to the insulator cap after exiting the insulator cap. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The well-perforating safety method of claim 12, wherein the self-shunting clip comprises a second bend to route a section of the self-shunting clip back toward an external surface of the electrically conductive detonator body. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The well-perforating safety method of claim 9, wherein the self-shunting clip comprises a spring-like material. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The well-perforating safety method of claim 9, wherein the self-shunting clip comprises an inflexible material and a spring pivot. ### Claim 16 A method comprising: sliding an electrically conductive detonator body housing an explosive material adjacent a resistor initiator into a detonator receptacle until grounding the electrically conductive detonator body to a first lead of the resistor initiator through a grounding element inside the electrically conductive detonator body; urging an arm of an electrically conductive clip away from an outer surface of the electrically conductive detonator body, wherein the electrically conductive clip comprises an interior portion coupled to a second lead of the resistor initiator; and sending a detonation signal from a remote switch to the explosive material, wherein the remote switch is in another part of a perforating gun assembly, wherein the perforating gun assembly comprises a charge carrier, a plurality of perforating charges, and a detonator comprising the electrically conductive detonator body. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the grounding element comprises a grounding body frictionally engaging an inner diameter of the electrically conductive detonator body. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the electrically conductive clip comprises an interior portion that is a straight section that extends from the resistor initiator to an insulator cap of the electrically conductive detonator body. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The well-perforating safety method of claim 18, wherein the electrically conductive clip comprises a first bend close to the insulator cap after exiting the insulator cap. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The well-perforating safety method of claim 19, wherein the electrically conductive clip comprises a second bend to route a section of the electrically conductive clip back toward an external surface of the electrically conductive detonator body.