Well perforating apparatus and method
First Claim
1. Well bore perforating apparatus comprising:
- a tubular housing for traversing the well bore;
a laser beam source including an output lens mounted within said housing for directing a laser beam toward the well bore;
a fluid nozzle coupled to said tubular housing and having an outlet port through which the laser beam emerges toward the well bore;
a first set of gas discharge openings formed in the fluid nozzle means downstream of said output lens;
a pressurized source of exothermically reactive gas coupled to the gas discharge openings;
a controllable valve interposed in series fluid circuit relation between the pressurized source of exothermic gas and the gas discharge openings for selectively opening and closing a flow path therebetween;
a source of electrical power for energizing said laser beam source; and
,control means coupled to said electrical power source, said controllable valve, and to said laser beam source for coordinating the operation of the controllable valve and the application of the laser beam.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for perforating a well casing and surrounding formation are disclosed. The perforating apparatus includes a laser source for projecting a high intensity laser beam transversely through the well bore and surrounding formation and a nozzle assembly for injecting exothermically reactive gas along the path of the laser beam. The gas stream shields the output lens of the laser while accelerating the rate of laser beam penetration. The laser beam is actuated as the exothermic gas is discharged through the nozzle during a penetrating cycle, and the laser beam is interrupted while the exothermic gas is discharged during a melt ejection cycle following the penetrating cycle. When the laser tool is used for perforating materials such as concrete, stone and sand which do not react exothermically with the gas, a fluxing agent is discharged into the flow path of the nozzle and is entrained by the exothermically reactive gas during the penetrating cycle.
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Citations
11 Claims
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1. Well bore perforating apparatus comprising:
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a tubular housing for traversing the well bore; a laser beam source including an output lens mounted within said housing for directing a laser beam toward the well bore; a fluid nozzle coupled to said tubular housing and having an outlet port through which the laser beam emerges toward the well bore; a first set of gas discharge openings formed in the fluid nozzle means downstream of said output lens; a pressurized source of exothermically reactive gas coupled to the gas discharge openings; a controllable valve interposed in series fluid circuit relation between the pressurized source of exothermic gas and the gas discharge openings for selectively opening and closing a flow path therebetween; a source of electrical power for energizing said laser beam source; and
,control means coupled to said electrical power source, said controllable valve, and to said laser beam source for coordinating the operation of the controllable valve and the application of the laser beam. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for completing a well comprising the steps:
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drilling a well bore through a formation; positioning a well casing in the well bore adjacent said formation; positioning a laser beam source in said casing adjacent said formation; energizing said laser beam source and emitting a laser beam onto said casing during a penetrating cycle; discharging a jet of pressurized gas which is exothermically reactive with the well casing material along the path of the laser beam and toward the well casing during the penetrating cycle; interrupting the laser beam while discharging the exothermic gas into the region of penetration during an ejection cycle following the penetrating cycle. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11)
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Specification