Bottom-Fire Perforating Drone for Downhole Delivery
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current wellbore operations, particularly in hydraulic fracturing, face challenges with the use of wireline cables for deploying and retrieving perforating guns, which are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and result in significant debris and equipment damage due to friction and accuracy issues, especially when tools are traveling at high speeds.
Innovation Solution
The development of a bottom-fire perforating drone system that includes a perforating assembly section, a control module section with a ballistic channel, and a receiver booster, allowing for autonomous or semi-autonomous downhole delivery of wellbore tools with a detonation sequence from downstream to upstream, reducing the need for wireline cables and minimizing debris.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If top-fire sequence is used to detonate shaped charges from topmost to bottommost, then the detonation can be initiated by a detonator positioned nearest the topmost shaped charge, but the velocity of the tool and wellbore fluid combined with the force from detonating the topmost explosive charge may separate and scatter different portions of the tool, decreasing accuracy and causing failure of explosive charges or other components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the conventional top-fire detonation sequence to a bottom-fire sequence, where the detonator is positioned nearest the bottommost shaped charge rather than the topmost. This reversal prevents the tool and explosive charges from being scattered by the detonation force, as the force now acts in the opposite direction, maintaining tool integrity and perforating accuracy while still achieving effective formation penetration.
2Ease of operation
If wireline cables are used for deploying and retrieving perforating guns, then the tools can be conveyed into the wellbore, but the process is time-consuming, labor-intensive, and results in significant debris and equipment damage due to friction and accuracy issues when tools are traveling at high speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the wireline cable mechanical system with a ballistic delivery system. The perforating gun is propelled into the wellbore using explosive-driven ballistic propulsion, eliminating the need for wireline cables. This substitution dramatically reduces deployment time and eliminates friction-related debris and equipment damage associated with wireline operations, while maintaining precise tool placement capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the wireline cable from the system entirely, replacing it with a ballistic delivery mechanism. By taking out the problematic wireline component that causes friction, time consumption, and labor intensity, the system achieves faster deployment, reduced debris, and improved overall efficiency while retaining the essential function of tool delivery.
3Weight of moving object
If most of the weight of the tool (detonator and associated control components) is positioned at the front (downstream end) of the tool in relation to its direction of movement, then deployment and physical conveyance for pump down operations is more favorable, but top-fire sequence creates force that may separate and scatter tool portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent inverts the detonation sequence from top-fire to bottom-fire, which reverses the direction of the explosive force. This allows the heavy components (detonator and control components) to be positioned at the downstream end for favorable pump down operations, while the explosive force acts in the opposite direction, preventing tool separation and scattering, thus maintaining both optimal weight distribution and tool integrity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances operational efficiency by reducing the time and labor required for tool deployment and retrieval, improves accuracy, and minimizes debris in the wellbore, while allowing for precise control and monitoring of tool location and depth without relying on casing collars or tags.
Implementation Method 1
a donor charge positioned within a control module and substantially aligned with the ballistic channel; a receiver booster positioned within the ballistic channel... the donor charge is positioned adjacent to the ballistic channel... allowing for autonomous or semi-autonomous downhole delivery of wellbore tools
Implementation Method 2
deploying a perforating drone including one or more shaped charges configured for perforating a wellbore and a hydrocarbon formation
Implementation Method 3
perforating the wellbore and the hydrocarbon formation by detonating the shaped charges
Implementation Method 4
pumping high hydraulic pressure fracking fluid into the wellbore to force open perforations, cracks, and imperfections in the hydrocarbon formation
Implementation Method 5
delivering a proppant material (such as sand or other hard, granular materials) into the hydrocarbon formation to hold open the perforations, fractures, and cracks
Data Source
AI summary
According to some embodiments, a bottom-fire perforating drone for downhole delivery of a wellbore tool, and associated systems and methods, are disclosed. In an aspect, the wellbore tool may be a plurality of shaped charges that are arranged in a variety of configurations, including helically and in one or more single radial planes around a perforating assembly section, and detonated in a bottom-up sequence when the bottom-fire perforating drone reaches a predetermined depth in the wellbore. In another aspect, the shaped charges may be received in shaped charge apertures within a body of a perforating assembly section, wherein the shaped charge apertures are respectively positioned adjacent to at least one of a receiver booster, detonator, and detonating cord for directly initiating the shaped charges.