Perforation gun with angled shaped charges

Abstract

A perforation gun which provides a means to create perforations required for the hydraulic fracturing of rock formations for the production of natural gas, oil, and other oil well fluids and further comprises a gun body assembly having an inserted carrier tube to nest shaped charge canisters with built in primers, conical liner, and explosive material. The charges are positioned in various angular patterns along various phase angles to create specifically directed perforation tunnels which puncture scalloped areas of the aforementioned gun body and subsequently penetrate through the wellbore, well casing, well cement, and into the rock formations for the release and removal of natural gas, oil, and other oil well fluids after hydraulic fracturing.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A perforation gun, comprising:
 an outer gun body assembly having a first straight steel pipe with internal female threads at each end, a plurality of external recessed areas, and an orientation slot extending inward from one end of said first straight steel pipe; 
 a carrier tube assembly having a linear charge tube which has an external surface, a first collar having an external alignment pin dimensioned to slide into said orientation slot, said first collar fits over one end of said charge tube into an installed position radially outward of said external surface, a second collar that fits over the opposite end of said charge tube, a plurality of shaped charge saddle slots through said charge tube, and a plurality of corresponding shaped charge body apertures through said charge tube, wherein said each of said plurality of shaped charge saddle slots and corresponding ones of said plurality of shaped charge body apertures form a plurality of shaped charge holders, and wherein said charge tube is a length of a second straight steel pipe slightly shorter than said outer gun body assembly; and 
 a plurality of shaped charges, each: having a shaped charge saddle, each having a charge base, and each of which is located received and restrained in an associated shaped charge holder one of said plurality of shaped charge holders by its respective shaped charge saddle inserted in a corresponding shaped charge saddle slot and being angularly adjustable therein; 
 wherein said carrier tube assembly is inserted into said outer gun body assembly such that said alignment pin slides into said orientation slot so as to control the orientation of said plurality of shaped charges with respect to said external recessed areas; and 
 wherein said first collar is locked into position relative to said charge tube by insertion of said alignment pin in said orientation slot. 
 
     
     
       2. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , wherein said internal female threads are further comprise a machined surface. 
     
     
       3. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , wherein said external recessed areas are machined approximately half way through said first straight steel pipe. 
     
     
       4. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , further including a male coupling having threaded male members on each end, wherein said male coupling is attached to one end of said first straight steel pipe by threading into said internal female threads, and wherein said male coupling enables attachment of a second perforation gun. 
     
     
       5. The perforation gun according to  claim 4 , comprising two individual perforation guns joined together by male coupling. 
     
     
       6. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , wherein said first collar is locked to said charge tube by a set screw. 
     
     
       7. The perforation gun according to  claim 6 , wherein said position of said first collar can be adjusted on said charge tube such that said alignment pin engages said orientation slot to controllably orientate the position of said shaped charges with respect to said recessed areas. 
     
     
       8. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , wherein each shaped charge saddle slot is machined through said charge tube to allow insertion of a shaped charge saddle. 
     
     
       9. The perforation gun according to  claim 8 , wherein each shaped charge body aperture is machined through said charge tube to allow insertion of a charge base. 
     
     
       10. The perforation gun according to  claim 9 , wherein each shaped charge is secured in position by a malleable appendage that extends from said carrier tube to contact that shaped charge's charge base. 
     
     
       11. The perforation gun according to  claim 1 , wherein said plurality of shaped charges are orientated with respect to said recessed areas by said orientation slot so as to produce a desired geological fracturing effect. 
     
     
       12. The perforation gun according to  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of shaped charges are orientated with respect to said recessed area to produce a fan shot pattern. 
     
     
       13. The perforation gun according to  claim 12 , wherein said fan shot pattern is produced by arranging groups of shaped charges at phase angles that progressively increase along said carrier tube assembly so as to produce monotonically decreasing perforation tunnel vectors. 
     
     
       14. The perforation gun according to  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of shaped charges are orientated with respect to said recessed area to produce a down-shot pattern. 
     
     
       15. The perforation gun according to  claim 14 , wherein said down-shot pattern is produced by arranging groups of shaped charges at fixed angles along said carrier tube assembly. 
     
     
       16. The perforation gun according to  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of shaped charges are orientated with respect to said recessed area to produce a limited-entry pattern. 
     
     
       17. The perforation gun according to  claim 16 , wherein said limited-entry pattern is produced by arranging groups of shaped charges to produce perforation tunnel vectors having angles that monotonically vary from each end of said carrier tube assembly toward 90° at the middle of said carrier tube assembly. 
     
     
       18. The perforation gun according to  claim 11 , wherein said plurality of shaped charges are orientated with respect to said recessed area to produce a limited-entry-fan-shot pattern. 
     
     
       19. The perforation gun according to  claim 18 , wherein said limited-entry-fan-shot pattern is produced by arranging groups of shaped charges to produce perforation tunnel vectors having angles that spread out in a wide angle across said carrier tube assembly from each end to the middle of said carrier tube, with the middle perforation tunnel vector perpendicular to said carrier tube assembly. 
     
     
       20. The perforation gun according to claim 1, wherein said plurality of shaped charge saddle slots further comprise circular, rectangular or oval shaped features through said charge tube to allow insertion of a shaped charge saddle. 
     
     
       21. The perforation gun according to claim 1, wherein a shaped charge is secured in position within at least one of said plurality of shaped charge holders by a clip. 
     
     
       22. The perforation gun according to claim 21, wherein said clip is selectively engaged with said shaped charge to permit insertion and retention of said shaped charge in said at least one of said plurality of shaped charge holders. 
     
     
       23. The perforation gun according to claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said plurality of shaped charge holders are orientated to receive a shaped charge at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to said external surface of said charge tube. 
     
     
       24. A perforation gun according to claim 23, wherein said at least a portion of said plurality of shaped charge holders are orientated to receive said shaped charge at varying angles with respect to said external surface of said charge tube. 
     
     
       25. A perforation gun according to claim 24, wherein said charge tube has a midpoint along its axial length and said varying angles of said shaped charge holders decrease along said axial length of said carrier assembly from said midpoint to each end, creating a limited entry explosive pattern. 
     
     
       26. A perforation gun according to claim 25, wherein said at least a portion of said plurality of shaped charge holders are additionally orientated in a spiral pattern along the axial length of said charge tube. 
     
     
       27. A perforation gun according to claim 25, wherein said shaped charge is secured in position within at least one of said plurality of shaped charge holders by a clip. 
     
     
       28. The perforation gun according to claim 27, wherein said clip is selectively engaged with said shaped charge to permit insertion and retention of said shaped charge in said at least one of said plurality of shaped charge holders. 
     
     
       29. A perforation gun for creating a pattern of perforation tunnels in at least one of a well casing and a rock formation, said perforation gun comprising:
 an outer gun body having an interior space, an exterior surface and a longitudinal axis, said exterior surface having a plurality of recessed areas forming a spiral pattern along said longitudinal axis; and   a carrier selectively axially mounted in a preselected position within said interior space of said outer gun body, said carrier having:
 a longitudinal axis coincident with said longitudinal axis of said outer gun body; 
 an axis perpendicular to and extending outwardly from said longitudinal axis at a preselected point along said longitudinal axis dividing said longitudinal axis into two portions; 
 a plurality of shaped charge bodies; and 
 a plurality of spaced apart shaped charge holders, extending along said longitudinal axis, sized and shaped to: (i) receive and restrain each of said plurality of shaped charge bodies interiorly adjacent to corresponding ones of said plurality of recessed areas of said outer gun body and form a coincident preselected spiral pattern along with longitudinal axis; and (ii) expel a focused explosive charge therefrom along a charge vector extending radially outwardly from said longitudinal axis and forming an included phase angle with said perpendicular axis; at least a plural portion of said plurality of said shaped charge holders being mounted in a preselected pattern along said longitudinal axis such that said charge vectors are non-intersecting and independently form monotonically decreasing included phase angles with respect to perpendicular axis creating a limited entry explosive pattern. 
   
     
     
       30. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein said carrier has two ends and said perpendicular axis is located at a midpoint along said longitudinal axis. 
     
     
       31. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein said carrier has two ends and a midpoint along said longitudinal axis and a portion of said varying phase angles of said shaped charge holders monotonically increase along said longitudinal axis from said midpoint to each end, creating a fan-shaped explosive pattern and a portion of said varying angles of said shaped charge holders monotonically decrease along said longitudinal axis from said midpoint to each end, creating a limited entry explosive pattern. 
     
     
       32. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein the shape of said plurality of charge holders further comprise at least one of saddle apertures and body apertures which are selected from the group consisting of circles, ovals and rectangles. 
     
     
       33. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein said carrier further comprises at least one collar defining a spaced apart relationship between said carrier and said outer gun body. 
     
     
       34. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein at least one of said carrier and said outer gun body further comprise an alignment pin mountable in a corresponding orientation slot in at least one other of said carrier and said outer gun body to register said carrier with said outer gun body such that said plurality of charge holders are aligned with said plurality of said recessed areas of said outer gun body. 
     
     
       35. A perforation gun according to claim 29, further comprising at least one coupler mounted on an end of said outer gun body to affix at least one other perforation gun in a linear, axial relationship with said perforation gun. 
     
     
       36. A perforation gun according to claim 29, wherein at least one of said plurality of shaped charge bodies is secured in position within at least one of said plurality of shaped charge holders by a clip. 
     
     
       37. A perforation gun according to claim 36, wherein said clip is selectively engaged with at least one of said plurality of shaped charge bodies to permit insertion and retention of said shaped charge body in one of said plurality of shaped charge holders. 
     
     
       38. A perforation gun according to claim 37, wherein said clip is malleable. 
     
     
       39. A perforation gun according to claim 20, wherein said shaped charge saddle slot features form a perimeter which directly receives and restrains said shaped charge saddle. 
     
     
       40. A perforation gun according to claim 39, wherein said shaped charge saddle slot features are integral with said carrier tube.