Perforating panel unit and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12134958-B2
Application number	US-202218089051-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 27, 2022
Priority date	Feb 14, 2020
Publication date	Nov 5, 2024
Grant date	Nov 5, 2024

Abstract

A method and apparatus for controlling a perforating tool string using a perforating unit with a control board and shooting power supply.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A surface control system for controlling an initiator in a downhole perforating gun string comprising:
a perforating unit further comprising a software driven power supply, a control board coupled to the power supply, wherein the power supply is programmed to automatically output a specified amount of voltage/current, without user action, over a specified period within a specified depth window;
wherein the perforating unit deactivates the software driven power supply after an initiation is detected;
wherein the perforating unit automatically determines that the perforating gun string is approaching the shot depth and then commands the firing of at least one perforating gun using the software driven power supply based on acquired data including the depth, at least one active addressable switch in the toolstring, distance between predetermine shot locations, time to increase voltage for firing, and time required to communicate with each of the at least one addressable switch after firing the perforating gun string determines that the shot was fired; and
a winch controller receiving depth data, wireline surface tension data, and a winch control feedback wherein the winch controller evaluates the perforating gun string ascent speed and then sends commands to the winch motor to achieve a calculated optimal winch speed required to perforate on programmed depth while retrieving the toolstring from bottom based on shot distances and required firing time, depth data from a winch, line speed data from the winch, and surface tension data from the winch; and
wherein the perforating unit communicates with at the least one addressable switch.

2. The surface control system of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage and duration is based on firing a detonator in a perforating gun.

3. The surface control system of claim 1 , wherein the output voltage and duration is based on firing an igniter in a plug setting tool.

4. The surface control system of claim 1 , wherein the perforating panel can detect when and at what depth the initiator is fired.

5. The surface control system of claim 1 , wherein the perforating panel can detect when and at what depth the initiator is fired and automatically record and log the time at which the initiator firing event was detected.

6. The surface control system of claim 1 , further comprising of a data acquisition system obtaining one or more surface data including surface wireline tension, line speed and calculated downhole tool depth based on line speed and time.

7. The surface control system of claim 1 , further comprising a data acquisition system obtaining downhole tool data from a downhole casing collar locator for depth correlation.

8. The surface control system of claim 1 , further comprising a data acquisition system obtaining downhole tool data from a downhole gamma ray tool for depth correlation.

9. The surface control system of claim 1 , further comprising a winch controller that obtains the optimal winch speed to perforate on programmed depth when automatically retrieving the toolstring from the bottom of the well.

10. A method for detonating a downhole tool comprising:
lowering the tool into a wellbore a first predetermined distance;
acquiring surface wireline tension data, winch speed data, and downhole tool data;
calculating the optimal surface wireline tension based on pre-pump down operation user input of minimum winch speed, maximum winch speed, minimum surface tension, maximum surface tension, and cable head weak point rating;
calculating ideal pump rate for automatically adjusting at incremental tool depths based on data from well deviations from a known wellbore deviation survey input prior to the pump down operation;
scanning a gun string;
inputting job parameters into a perforating unit;
descending the tool to a second predetermined wellbore depth;
activating a pump at a first predetermined wellbore depth;
automatically adjusting winch speed and pump rate based on ideal surface wireline tension and ideal pump rate;
deactivating the pump at the second predetermined wellbore depth;
stopping the tool at the second predetermined wellbore depth;
ascending the tool to a first predetermined shot depth;
monitoring depth, at least one active addressable switch in the toolstring, distance between predetermine shot locations, time required to communicate with each of the at least one addressable switches;
calculating an optimal winch speed required to perforate on programmed depth while retrieving the toolstring from bottom based on shot distances and required firing time, and communicating with the at least one active addressable switch;
evaluating the toolstring speed by measuring the line speed, tool depth, surface tension, and winch control feedback;
automatically adjusting the line speed of the winch system to maintain the evaluated toolstring speed at the calculated optimal winch speed;
automatically firing the tool at the first predetermined shot depth, wherein the perforating unit sends a command to a shooting power supply to initiate the tool based on acquired data including the depth, the at least one active addressable switch in the toolstring, distance between predetermine shot locations, the time required to increase the voltage for firing, and the time required to communicate with each of the at least one addressable switch, without any physical action to the perforating unit required by the user when at the predetermined shot depth;
determining if the firing at the first predetermined shot depth was successful;
continuing the toolstring ascent to the next predetermined shot depth;
preventing a short circuit after firing the shot at the first predetermined shot depth by deactivating the shooting power supply;
determining if all shots have been fired; and
notifying user whether or not all shots have been fired.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising detecting the firing of the initiator and automatically recording and logging the time of the firing event.

12. The method of claim 10 further comprising retrieving the toolstring automatically from the bottom during the perforating process.

13. The method of claim 10 further comprising determining if the tool is ready for descent.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein downhole tool data includes data from a casing collar locator.

15. The method of claim 10 wherein downhole tool data includes data from a gamma ray tool.

16. The method of claim 10 further comprising correlating downhole tool data and surface wireline data to determine the location of the tool string and line speed.

17. The method of claim 10 wherein the second predetermined depth is the bottom hole depth.

18. The method of claim 10 further comprising setting a plug.

19. The method of claim 10 further comprising a calculating the optimal winch speed to perforate on programmed depth when automatically retrieving the toolstring from the bottom of the well.

Assignees

• Hunting Titan Inc

Inventors

• Dyess Adam
• Vriend Timothy
• Rajaram Sridhar
• Dobsky David
• Gucciardi Antonie

Classifications

• E21B47/09

  Locating or determining the position of objects in boreholes or wells {, e.g. the position of an extending arm}; Identifying the free or blocked portions of pipes · CPC title

• E21B47/04

  Measuring depth or liquid level · CPC title

• E21B23/06

  for setting packers · CPC title

• E21B41/00

  Equipment or details not covered by groups E21B15/00 - E21B40/00 · CPC title

• E21B43/1185

  Ignition systems · CPC title