US2006048937A1PendingUtilityA1

Perforation method and apparatus

32
Individually held — no corporate assignee on recordPriority: Sep 9, 2004Filed: Sep 9, 2004Published: Mar 9, 2006
Est. expirySep 9, 2024(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:C. PintoStephen ThompsonDavid O. Johnson
E21B 43/119E21B 47/024
32
PatentIndex Score
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Claims

Abstract

A signature element is attached to a downhole cable or other protected equipment and the signal from a signature position detector is used, at least in part, to control the orientation of a directed perforating device or other directional device. Signal emitting sources can include a radioactive material added to an encapsulating composition of a downhole cable.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
1 - 19 . (canceled)  
   
   
       20 . An apparatus for orienting a perforating device away from a cable in a well, the apparatus comprising: 
 (a) a radioactive signature element located at a known position relative to the cable;    (b) a radiation detector for detecting the orientation of the signature element with respect to the perforating device; and    (c) means for reorienting the perforating device away from the cable.    
   
   
       21 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein said means for reorienting comprises a rotator for rotating the perforating device about a longitudinal axis of the well.  
   
   
       22 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the radiation detector comprises a movable aperture which rotates relative to a longitudinal axis of the well.  
   
   
       23 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the signature element comprises an irradiated wire.  
   
   
       24 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the irradiated wire comprises an irradiated cobalt 60 alloy wire and the radiation detector comprises a gamma ray detector.  
   
   
       25 . The apparatus of  claim 23  wherein the cable comprises a coaxial cable for transmitting signals from a transducer.  
   
   
       26 . The apparatus of  claim 20  wherein the signature element comprises a radioactive tracer fluid in a capillary tube.  
   
   
       27 . An apparatus for orienting a perforating device away from a cable in a well, the apparatus comprising: 
 (a) an irradiated wire producing gamma rays, the wire being located at a known position relative to the cable;    (b) a gamma ray detector for detecting the orientation of the irradiated wire with respect to the perforating device; and    (c) means for reorienting the perforating device away from the cable.    
   
   
       28 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the irradiated wire comprises an irradiated alloy wire.  
   
   
       29 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the irradiated alloy wire is contained in a protective stainless steel tube.  
   
   
       30 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the irradiated wire is compounded with an encapsulating sheath of the cable.  
   
   
       31 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the irradiated wire comprises an irradiated cobalt 60 alloy wire.  
   
   
       32 . The apparatus of  claim 31  wherein the cable comprises a fiber optic cable.  
   
   
       33 . The apparatus of  claim 32  wherein the irradiated cobalt 60 alloy wire is separate from the fiber optic cable.  
   
   
       34 . The apparatus of  claim 31  wherein the gamma ray detector comprises a movable aperture which rotates relative to a longitudinal axis of the well.  
   
   
       35 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the perforating device is supported by a support structure located substantially above a ground surface.  
   
   
       36 . The apparatus of  claim 35  wherein the support structure is a well workover rig.  
   
   
       37 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein the perforating device comprises a directed perforating tool having unequally spaced cartridges.  
   
   
       38 . The apparatus of  claim 27  wherein movement of at least a portion of the gamma ray detector also moves at least a portion of the means for reorienting the perforating device.  
   
   
       39 . A method of orienting a perforating device away from a cable in a well, the method comprising the steps of: 
 positioning a radioactive signature element in a known position relative to the cable;    detecting the signature element with a radiation detector; and    orienting the perforating device away from the cable in response to the detecting step.    
   
   
       40 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises separating the signature element from the cable in the well.  
   
   
       41 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises incorporating the signature element in the cable, and wherein the orienting step further comprises orienting the perforating device away from the signature element.  
   
   
       42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the incorporating step further comprises providing the signature element as an irradiated wire.  
   
   
       43 . The method of  claim 42 , wherein the providing step further comprises forming the irradiated wire from a cobalt alloy material.  
   
   
       44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the cobalt alloy material is cobalt 60.  
   
   
       45 . The method of  claim 42 , further comprising the step of conducting electricity through the irradiated wire.  
   
   
       46 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises incorporating the signature element in an encapsulating material of the cable.  
   
   
       47 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises incorporating the signature element in a wire of the cable.  
   
   
       48 . The method of  claim 47 , further comprising the step of positioning the wire in a tubing string of the cable.  
   
   
       49 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises incorporating the signature element in a shielding component of the cable.  
   
   
       50 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises incorporating the signature element in a grounded component of the cable.  
   
   
       51 . The method of  claim 39 , wherein the positioning step further comprises positioning the signature element in a tubing string of the cable.  
   
   
       52 . The method of  claim 51 , wherein the signature element is a radioactive tracer fluid.  
   
   
       53 . The method of  claim 52 , wherein the positioning step further comprises positioning the tracer fluid in a tubing string of the cable.  
   
   
       54 . The method of  claim 39 , further comprising the step of positioning the detector in a tubing string with the cable.

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