Intelligent perforating well system and method

• US 6,837,310 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2002
• Issued: 01/04/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Original Assignee: Schlumberger Technology Corporation (SLB)
• Inventors: Martin, Andrew J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsay, Frank
• Application Number:
  US10/308,478
• Publication Number:
  US 20040104029A1
• Time in Patent Office: 763 Days
• Field of Search: 166/297, 166/299, 166/55, 166/57, 166/55.1, 166/63, 166/250.1
• US Class Current: 166/297
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/117 Shaped-charge perforators E21B43/118 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/11857 firing indication systems
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 43/119 Details, e.g. for locating perforating place or direction

Abstract

An instrumented perforating gun and associated methods. One aspect provides a recess for placement of instruments on the perforating gun. Another aspect provides methods for perforating and completing a well in a single trip. The present invention also provides an instrumented intergun housing. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

Claims

1. A perforating gun, comprising:

a plurality of shaped charges in a shaped charge region of the perforating gun;

an instrument in the shaped charge region, the instrument comprising at least one of a hydraulic line and fiber optic line.

2. The perforating gun of claim 1, further comprising:

a carrier component;

the plurality of shaped charges are mounted to the carrier component;

a control line passageway in the carrier component;

the control line passageway follows a nonlinear path along the perforating gun.

3. The perforating gun of claim 2, wherein the control line passageway follows a helical path along the perforating gun.

4. A perforating gun, comprising:

a plurality of shaped charges in a shaped charge region of the perforating gun;

an instrument in the shaped charge region;

a carrier component;

the plurality of shaped charges are mounted to the carrier component;

a recess in the carrier component;

the instrument is positioned in the recess.

5. The perforating gun of claim 4, wherein the recess comprises a control line passageway and the instrument comprises a fiber optic line.

6. The perforating gun of claim 4, wherein the carrier component comprises one or more of a housing, a loading tube, and a carrier.

7. The perforating gun of claim 4, wherein the carrier component comprises a housing and the plurality of shaped charges are mounted to the housing via a loading tube.

8. A perforating gun, comprising:

a plurality of shaped charges in a shaped charge region of the perforating gun;

an instrument in the shaped charge region,

wherein the instrument comprising an intelligent completions device.

9. A perforating gun, comprising:

a plurality of shaped charges in a shaped charge region of the perforating gun;

an instrument in the shaped charge region;

wherein instrument is selected from gauges, sensors, valves, sampling devices, a device used in intelligent or smart well completion, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, flow-control devices, detonation detectors, flow rate measurement devices, oil/water/gas ratio measurement devices, scale detectors, actuators, locks, release mechanisms, equipment sensors (e.g., vibration sensors), sand detection sensors, water detection sensors, data recorders, viscosity sensors, density sensors, bubble point sensors, pH meters, multiphase flow meters, acoustic sand detectors, solid detectors, composition sensors, resistivity array devices and sensors, acoustic devices and sensors, other telemetry devices, near infrared sensors, gamma ray detectors, H₂S detectors, CO₂ detectors, downhole memory units, downhole controllers, locators, devices to determine the orientation, and fiber optic lines.

10. A perforating gun, comprising:

a carrier component;

a control line passageway formed in the carrier component; and

a fiber optic line in the control line passageway.

11. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the carrier component is a housing.

12. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the carrier component is a loading tube.

13. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the carrier component is a carrier.

14. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the carrier component has a central bore therethrough and the control line passageway is offset from the central bore.

15. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the carrier component comprises a wall having the control line passageway formed therein.

16. The perforating gun of claim 15, wherein the control line passageway comprises a bore in the wall of the carrier component.

17. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway is provided in an outer surface of the carrier component.

18. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway is provided in an inner surface of the carrier component.

19. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway follows a linear path along the carrier component.

20. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway follows a nonlinear path along the carrier component.

21. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway follows a arcuate path along the carrier component.

22. The perforating gun of claim 10, wherein the control line passageway follows a helical path along the carrier component.

23. The perforating gun of claim 10, further comprising a control line in the control line passageway.

24. A perforating gun, comprising:

a carrier component;

a recess provided in the carrier component; and

one or more of an intelligent completions device and a control line in the recess.

25. The perforating gun of claim 24, wherein the recess has an intelligent completions device therein.

26. The perforating gun of claim 24, wherein the recess has a fiber optic line therein.

27. A method for perforating a well, comprising:

running an instrumented perforating gun into the well;

activating the perforating gun; and

monitoring a characteristic in the well with an instrument of the perforating gun, the instrumented of the perforating gun comprising at least one of a fiber optic line and intelligent completions device.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring comprises detecting whether one or more shaped charges of the perforating gun have fired.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring comprises measuring a temperature in the well.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein the monitoring comprises measuring a pressure in the well.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising instrumenting the perforating gun with a fiber optic line that extends into a shaped charge region of the perforating gun.

32. The method of claim 27, further comprising instrumenting the perforating gun with an intelligent completions device positioned in a shaped charge region of the perforating gun.

33. The method of claim 27, further comprising performing a remedial action based upon monitoring.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein the remedial action comprises perforating the well.

35. The method of claim 27, further comprising the at least one of the fiber optic line and intelligent completions device providing data during a perforation job.

36. A method for completing a well, comprising:

running into the well a completion having an instrumented perforating gun attached thereto;

activating the perforating gun;

monitoring a characteristic in the well with an instrument of the perforating gun; and

routing at least one fiber optic line along the completion and the perforating gun.

37. The method of claim 36, further comprising setting the completion adjacent a formation perforated with the perforating gun.

38. The method of claim 36, further comprising injecting a material into the well.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein the material is selected from a gravel slurry, a proppant, a fracturing fluid, a chemical treatment, a cement, and a well fluid.

40. The method of claim 38, further comprising monitoring a characteristic in the well using instrumentation on the completion.

41. A method for completing a well, comprising:

running into the well a completion having an instrumented perforating gun attached thereto;

activating the perforating gun;

monitoring a characteristic in the well with an instrument of the perforating gun,

wherein the instrument is a fiber optic line that provides at least one of a distributed temperature measurement, a distributed pressure measurement, a distributed stress measurement, a strain temperature measurement, a distributed sand detection measurement, and a distributed seismic measurement.

42. A method for completing a well, comprising:

running into the well a completion having an instrumented perforating gun attached thereto;

activating the perforating gun;

monitoring a characteristic in the well with an instrument of the perforating gun; and

gravel packing the well.

43. The method of claim 42, further comprising monitoring a characteristic in the well using instrumentation on the completion.

44. A device for use in a well, comprising:

a pair of perforating guns;

an intergun housing positioned between the perforating guns; and

an instrument provided in the intergun housing, wherein the instrument comprises at least one of a fiber optic line and an intelligent completions device.