Propellant container for a perforating gun
AssigneeThe GasGun, LLC
InventorsAdam C. Schmidt, Jaia D. Schmidt, Richard A. Schmidt
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A propellant container for a perforating gun includes a lower cap, one or more pieces of propellant positioned within the lower cap, wherein at least one of the one or more pieces of propellant defines one or more through-holes, and an upper cap matable with the lower cap to secure the one or more pieces of propellant within the lower cap. A filler material is present within interstitial spaces between the one or more pieces of propellant.
Claims20
A propellant container for a perforating gun, comprising:
- a lower cap;
- one or more pieces of propellant positioned within the lower cap, wherein at least one of the one or more pieces of propellant defines one or more through-holes;
- an upper cap matable with the lower cap to secure the one or more pieces of propellant within the lower cap;
- and
- a filler material present within interstitial spaces between the one or more pieces of propellant.
A perforating gun, comprising:
- a charge tube;
- one or more shaped charges supported in the charge tube;
- one or more containers supported in the charge tube, wherein each container comprises:
- a lower cap having one or more pieces of propellant positioned therein and at least one of the one or more pieces of propellant defining one or more through-holes;
- an upper cap matable with the lower cap to secure the one or more pieces of propellant within the lower cap;
- and
- a filler material present within interstitial spaces between the one or more pieces of propellant;
- and
- a detonating cord extending to each shaped charge and each container to ignite the one or more shaped charges and the one or more pieces of propellant in each container,
- wherein a rate of combustion of each piece of propellant increases at a greater than linear rate and a surface area of each piece of propellant increases during combustion until consumed by the combustion.
A method of creating and finishing perforations in a hydrocarbon well, comprising:
- lowering a perforating gun into the hydrocarbon well, the perforating gun including a charge tube, one or more shaped charges supported in the charge tube, and one or more containers supported in the charge tube, wherein each container comprises:
- a lower cap having one or more pieces of propellant positioned therein and at least one of the one or more pieces of propellant defining one or more through-holes;
- an upper cap matable with the lower cap to secure the one or more pieces of propellant within the lower cap;
- and
- a filler material present within interstitial spaces between the one or more pieces of propellant;
- igniting the one or more shaped charges and the one or more pieces of propellant in each container;
- shooting from the one or more shaped charges a high velocity jet of metal particles through a wall of the hydrocarbon well and thereby creating a perforation;
- combusting each piece of the propellant at a greater than linear combustion rate and thereby generating a gas that is injected into the perforation;
- and
- creating with the gas one or more fissures extending radially from the perforation.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.