Utilizing electrically actuated explosives downhole

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11021936-B2
Application number	US-201616315465-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 19, 2016
Priority date	Aug 19, 2016
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

Electrically ignitable and electrically controllable explosive material (EIECEM) may be disposed within a shaped charge for deployment downhole. An explosion of the EIECEM is controlled by limiting the duration of excitation at the EIECEM, for example, the duration that an electrical source provides an electrical charge, electrical current or electrical signal. The shaped charge may be insulated from an electrical source to prevent explosion of the EIECEM and coupled to the electrical source to create ignite or explode the EIECEM. A plurality of shaped charges may be disposed downhole and may be ignited or exploded in any suitable order. The EIECEM may be ignited multiple times such that multiple explosions are created. The explosion of the EIECEM creates or extends a perforation or fracture in a formation. The shaped charges may be excited in a predetermined sequence and for a predetermined duration of time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of creating a perforation in a subterranean formation, comprising:
deploying a plurality of charge carriers disposed in a wellbore of the formation at a predetermined distance and orientation from each other, wherein the plurality of charge carriers each comprises a shaped charge, wherein each shaped charge comprises a first electrically ignitable and electrically controllable explosive material (EIECEM), wherein at least one of the plurality of charge carriers is disposed within a container, wherein a second EIECEM is disposed within the container, and wherein a conductor is electrically coupled to the second EIECEM;
determining a predetermined sequence to ignite the first EIECEM of each shaped charge based, at least in part, on a perforation to be created in the formation;
igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge by exciting independently an electrical current at each shaped charge based, at least in part, on the predetermined sequence, wherein igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge causes an explosion of the first EIECEM of each shaped charge for a duration of the electrical current;
exciting the conductor with a second electrical current to ignite the second EIECEM, wherein the second EIECEM causes a second explosion for a duration of the second electrical current and
creating at least one perforation in the formation, wherein the at least one perforation is created based, at least in part, on the explosion of at least one of the first EIECEM of each shaped charge.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge based, at least in part, on the predetermined sequence comprises:
circulating a first fluid in the wellbore; and
pressurizing the wellbore to a fracture pressure.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein creating at least one perforation in the formation comprises:
creating a first fracture by surging the first fluid into the at least one perforation;
circulating a second fluid in the wellbore; and
displacing the second fluid by circulating the first fluid to cause an increase in pressure in the wellbore.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
disposing a first charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers at a first location within the wellbore;
disposing a second charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers at a second location within the wellbore, wherein the second location is a first predetermined distance from the first location;
disposing a third charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers at a third location within the wellbore, wherein the third location is between the first location and the second location, and wherein the third location is a second predetermined distance between the first location and the third location and a third predetermined distance between the second location and the third location; and
wherein igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge based, at least in part, on the predetermined sequence comprises:
exciting the electrical current at the first EIECEM associated with each shaped charge of the first charge carrier for a first duration of time;
delaying a first predetermined amount of time;
exciting the electrical current at the first EIECEM associated with each shaped charge of the second charge carrier for a second duration of time;
delaying a second predetermined amount of time; and
exciting the electrical current at the first EIECEM associated with each shaped charge of the third charge carrier for a third duration of time.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge comprises:
inducing a first electrical current to cause a first explosion of the first EIECEM of each shaped charge to collapse a cone of each shaped charge, wherein the first EIECEM causes the first explosion for a duration of the first electrical current;
discontinuing inducement of the first electrical current; and
inducing a second electrical current within a predetermined time interval of the first electrical current to cause a second explosion of the first EIECEM of each shaped charge, wherein the first EIECEM causes the second explosion for a duration of the second electrical current.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wherein determining the predetermined sequence comprises:
grouping a plurality of shaped charges into a plurality of groups, based, at least in part, on one or more characteristics of the formation, wherein there is at least a first group and a second group; and
determining a priority for each group of the plurality of groups.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein igniting the first EIECEM of each shaped charge based, at least in part, on the predetermined sequence comprises:
igniting the first EIECEM for each shaped charge based, at least in part, on the determined priority for each group of the plurality of groups.

8. A system, comprising:
a plurality of charge carriers disposed in a wellbore of a formation at a predetermined distance and orientation from each other;
a plurality of shaped charges disposed within the plurality of charge carriers, wherein each of the plurality of charge carriers comprises at least one of the plurality of shaped charges;
a first of electrically ignitable and electrically controllable explosive material (EIECEM) disposed within each one of the plurality of shaped charges;
wherein at least one of the plurality of charge carriers is disposed within a container, wherein a second EIECEM is disposed within the container, and wherein a conductor is electrically coupled to the second EIECEM; and
a conductor coupled to the plurality of shaped charges, wherein the conductor is configured to induce a first electrical current at the plurality of shaped charges based, at least in part, on a predetermined sequence for igniting the first EIECEM, wherein the first EIECEM is configured to explode for a duration of the first electrical current to create at least one perforation of the formation, wherein the conductor is electrically coupled to the second EIECEM, wherein the conductor is configured to be excited by a second electrical current to ignite the second EIECEM, wherein the second EIECEM causes a second explosion for a duration of the second electrical current.

9. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first fluid circulated in the at least one perforation, wherein the circulated first fluid is configured to create a first fracture from the at least one perforation when the wellbore is pressurized to a fracture pressure; and
a second fluid circulated within the wellbore, wherein the circulated second fluid is configured to be displaced by the circulated first fluid to cause an increase in pressure in the wellbore.

10. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:
a first charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers disposed at a first location within the wellbore;
a second charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers disposed at a second location within the wellbore; and
a third charge carrier of the plurality of charge carriers disposed at a third location within the wellbore, wherein the third location is between the first location and the second location, and wherein the third location is a second predetermined distance between the first location and the third location and a third predetermined distance between the second location and the third location.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the first charge carrier is configured to ignite the first EIECEM of the at least one of the plurality of shaped charges associated with first charge carrier based, at least in part, on the predetermined sequence, wherein the secon

Assignees

• Halliburton Energy Services Inc

Inventors

• Surjaatmadja Jim Basuki
• Stephenson Stanley V
• Lewis Bryan John
• Hunter Tim H

Classifications

• E21B43/26

  by forming crevices or fractures · CPC title

• E21B43/117

  Shaped-charge perforators (E21B43/118 takes precedence) · CPC title

• E21B33/138

  Plastering the borehole wall; Injecting into the formation · CPC title

• E21B43/116

  Gun or shaped-charge perforators · CPC title

• F02K9/26

  Burning control {(F02K9/10, F02K9/34, F02K9/86, F02K9/92 and F02K9/94 take precedence)} · CPC title