Downhole Perforating Gun System
Patent No. US12291945 (titled "Downhole Perforating Gun System") was filed by Swm International Llc on May 15, 2023.
What is this patent about?
’945 is related to the field of downhole perforating gun systems used in oil and gas wells. These systems create perforations in the well casing and cement to allow oil and gas to flow from the surrounding formations into the wellbore. Traditional systems use shaped charges detonated by electrical signals sent downhole, but these systems can be complex to install and prone to failure due to wiring issues.
The underlying idea behind ’945 is to create a perforating gun system that can orient itself within the wellbore and communicate electrically without relying on complex wiring. This is achieved by incorporating a rotatable charge holder within the gun carrier, allowing the shaped charges to be positioned as desired. The system uses a weight module to leverage gravity for orientation and a wireless electrical communication system to simplify connections and improve reliability.
The claims of ’945 focus on a downhole perforating gun system that includes a cylindrical gun carrier, an inner body conductor, a charge holder, a first bearing assembly that allows the charge holder to rotate, and a weight module. The weight module, containing one or more weights, rotates the charge holder via the bearing assembly based on gravity. Some claims also include a bulkhead with a feedthrough for electrical communication and a sealing element.
In practice, the perforating gun system is lowered into the wellbore. The weight module, influenced by gravity, rotates the charge holder until the shaped charges are oriented in the desired direction. The wireless electrical communication system then transmits a signal to detonate the charges, creating perforations in the casing. The use of a rotatable charge holder and weight module allows for precise control over the direction of the perforations, optimizing fluid flow from the formation.
This design differs from prior approaches that rely on fixed charge orientations and wired electrical connections. By using gravity to orient the charges and wireless communication, ’945 simplifies the system, reduces potential failure points, and improves the efficiency of the perforating process. The modular design also allows for easier assembly and maintenance, further enhancing the system's practicality in the field.
How does this patent fit in bigger picture?
Technical landscape at the time
In the late 2010s when ’945 was filed, downhole perforating systems were at a time when shaped charges were typically deployed within a carrier and actuated via electrical signals transmitted through wirelines. At this time, maintaining electrical connectivity between multiple guns in a string was commonly achieved using wired connections, and hardware or software constraints made robust and reliable communication across detonated guns non-trivial.
Novelty and Inventive Step
Claims were objected to and rejected during prosecution. Specifically, claims 1, 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 16 and 18 were rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1). Claims 4-6, 8, 13, 14, 15 and 17 were objected to. The prosecution record does not describe the technical reasoning or specific claim changes that led to allowance.
Claims
This patent includes 38 claims, with independent claims numbered 1, 27, and 36. The independent claims are directed to downhole perforating gun systems that incorporate a rotatable charge holder driven by gravity acting on a weight module. The dependent claims generally elaborate on and refine the features of the independent claims, adding details regarding bearing assemblies, collars, electrical conductors, detonators, and tandem subs.
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Date
Description
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US12291945
- Application Number
- US18317485
- Filing Date
- May 15, 2023
- Status
- Granted
- Expiry Date
- Mar 5, 2039
- External Links
- Slate, USPTO, Google Patents