Amorphous shaped charge component and manufacture

Abstract

A shaped charge incorporating an amorphous-based material component. The amorphous-based material component may be a liner for the shaped charge to enhance a jet for a perforating application. Other components of the shaped charge and/or perforating gun that accommodates the shaped charge may be of amorphous-based materials. Further, the liner and other components of the shaped charge may be manufactured by way of three dimensional printing. Indeed, a multi-material three dimensional print application may be utilized to form shaped charge components simultaneously along with an entire perforating gun system. Thus, tailored morphology and material gradient characteristics may be readily incorporated into the gun and shaped charge components with a considerable degree of precision.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A shaped charge for use with a perforating gun in forming a perforation into a formation at a well wall with a jet, the shaped charge comprising:
 a case;   an explosive pellet accommodated by said case; and   a liner of an amorphous-based material tailored to enhance the jet in forming the perforation.   
     
     
         2 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein said liner is formed by a three dimensional print manufacturing application. 
     
     
         3 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein the stretch of the jet runs between material at a head of the jet and material at a tail of the jet, the jet having a velocity gradient with the head travelling at least about five times the speed of the tail. 
     
     
         4 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein the jet is substantially slug-free relative the perforation formed thereby. 
     
     
         5 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein said case includes a material that is one of steel, zinc, an amorphous-based material and a porous material. 
     
     
         6 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein said case is of a material character selected to substantially match a material character of said liner in one of impedance, density and sound speed. 
     
     
         7 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein the perforating gun is of a material that is one of a corrosive and an amorphous-based material. 
     
     
         8 . The shaped charge of  claim 1  wherein each of said case, said explosive pellet, and said liner are formed as part of the same three dimensional print manufacturing application. 
     
     
         9 . A liner for incorporation into a shaped charge to form a perforation into a formation at a well wall with a jet, at least a portion of the liner comprising an amorphous-based material to enhance a stretch of the jet and remain substantially slug-free relative the perforation. 
     
     
         10 . The liner of  claim 9  wherein the amorphous-based material includes a glass that is one of silicon, an oxide, a metal and a metalloid. 
     
     
         11 . The liner of  claim 9  further comprising an additive of the material to tailor a characteristic of the jet, said additive selected from a group consisting of a binder, a density enhancer, a crystalline powder and a reactive material agent. 
     
     
         12 . The liner of  claim 11  wherein the crystalline powder is tungsten. 
     
     
         13 . The liner of  claim 11  wherein the reactive material agent is one of titanium, an oxidizing agent and a cleaning agent. 
     
     
         14 . A method comprising:
 deploying a perforating gun into a well to a target location adjacent a formation;   detonating a shaped charge within a body of the gun at the location to generate a jet of enhanced character for tunneling a perforation into the formation, the shaped charge including a case accommodating an explosive pellet adjacent an amorphous-based material liner to support the enhanced character.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein the enhanced character is one of a substantially slug-free character of the jet and an enhanced stretch of the jet. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising running a reaction to break up material of one of the body of the gun, the case and the liner into non-occlusive particle sizes following said detonating. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the reaction is one of an exothermal reaction, an oxidation reaction and a reaction cleaning out debris in the perforation. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said running of the reaction comprises exposing reactive materials of one of the body of the gun, the case, and the liner upon said detonating. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising forming one of the liner, the casing, the explosive pellet, the body of the gun and a loading tube of the gun as part of a three dimensional print manufacturing application. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the liner is of a tailored morphology. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the three dimensionally formed component is of a tailored material gradient. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the material gradient is tailored with respect to one of density, porosity, cavities, corrosives, reactive material and selectively integrated non-explosive material. 
     
     
         23 . A multi-material three dimensional print method of manufacturing a shaped charge, the method comprising:
 printing a case of a first material;   printing an explosive pellet of a second material; and   printing a liner of a third material, said printing of the case, explosive and liner taking place as part of the same three dimensional print manufacturing application.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  wherein one of the liner and the case is of an amorphous-based material. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising three dimensionally printing a perforating gun for accommodating the shaped charge.