US 8,127,832 B1 · Well stimulation using reaction agents outside the casing

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for stimulating oil or gas wells using material cemented outside the casing. Reaction agents, usually comprising oxygen-rich material and a coil of high order explosive, are positioned around the outside of the well casing at a desired level in a carrier and reacted later. The stimulation operation is initiated by firing a shaped charge into the high order explosive material. The combination of the explosive force of the high order explosive and burning of the oxygen-rich material fractures and cleans the formation adjacent to the well casing. The reaction agents may be provided in a sleeve supported on the casing joint at the time it is inserted into the well. In another embodiment, all components would be cemented externally to the casing and reacted remotely by a coded signal.

Claims20

Dependent claims

An accessory for an oil and gas well casing joint, the accessory for use in a well stimulation operation of a formation in an oil or gas well, wherein each casing joint comprises a tubular body with an exterior surface, the accessory comprising:

a sleeve supportable on the exterior surface of the body of the casing joint and sized to be received in an uncased section of the well, wherein the sleeve defines at least one compartment containing oxygen-rich material selected from the group consisting of perchlorates and nitrates, wherein the sleeve forming the compartment is adapted to be pierced by an exploding shaped charge along with the adjacent casing during a stimulation operation, and wherein the sleeve contains no shaped charges directed outwardly towards the formation, and wherein the sleeve is configured to be co-axial with the tubular body of the casing joint.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Well stimulation using reaction agents outside the casing

Life of this patent

Well stimulation using reaction agents outside the casing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20