초록 ▼

A perforating gun assembly useful in hydrocarbon well completion. The gun is assembled in a carrier made from straight walled tubing as a primary structural member with complementary male and female threads cut into opposite ends so that gun assemblies may be directly connected together. The male co

A perforating gun assembly useful in hydrocarbon well completion. The gun is assembled in a carrier made from straight walled tubing as a primary structural member with complementary male and female threads cut into opposite ends so that gun assemblies may be directly connected together. The male coupling includes a reinforcing sleeve threaded into an internal thread. An alignment pin is positioned in the carrier extending through the reinforcing ring and into the interior of the carrier. A charge assembly includes a charge holder tube with upper and lower alignment fixtures. The lower alignment fixture includes an alignment slot for mating with the alignment pin and a shoulder for supporting the charge assembly on the sleeve. The upper alignment fixture has an alignment pin for mating with an alignment slot in the carrier. A retainer ring may be threaded into the upper female threads to prevent removal of the charge assembly from the carrier.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A perforating gun comprising:a carrier made from a section of straight wall tubing having a first end and a second end, a male coupling thread formed on the first end, and a female coupling thread formed on the second end, the male and female threads being complementary to each other; an internal

1. A perforating gun comprising:a carrier made from a section of straight wall tubing having a first end and a second end, a male coupling thread formed on the first end, and a female coupling thread formed on the second end, the male and female threads being complementary to each other; an internal thread formed in the interior of the carrier on the first end; and a reinforcing sleeve having an external thread, complementary to the internal thread. 2. A perforating gun according to claim 1, wherein:the male coupling thread has a first axial length; the reinforcing sleeve and the internal tread have a second axial length greater than the first axial length; and the reinforcing sleeve is threaded into the first end of the carrier. 3. A perforating gun according to claim 2, further comprising:a first alignment aperture through the carrier near the first end; a second alignment aperture through the sleeve; and an alignment pin extending through said first and second alignment apertures and into an interior space within the carrier. 4. A perforating gun according to claim 3, further comprising:a charge holder first alignment fixture having an alignment slot mating with the alignment pin when the alignment fixture is positioned in the first end of the carrier. 5. A perforating gun according to claim 4, wherein:the first alignment fixture comprises a first section having an outer diameter smaller than an inner diameter of the sleeve; and the alignment slot is formed in the first section. 6. A perforating gun according to claim 5, wherein the first alignment fixture comprises a shoulder having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve.7. A perforating gun according to claim 6, wherein the first alignment fixture comprises a second section adapted for coupling to a charge holder tube.8. A perforating gun according to claim 7, further comprising:a charge holder tube having a coupling aperture on a first and; and a coupling pin carried on the first alignment fixture second section and positioned to engage the charge holder tube coupling aperture. 9. A perforating gun according to claim 8, wherein the coupling aperture comprises a J-slot adapted for releasable engagement with the coupling pin.10. A perforating gun according to claim 8, further comprising:a second alignment fixture having a first section having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the carrier; and having a second section adapted for coupling to the charge holder tube. 11. A perforating gun according to claim 10, wherein the charge holder tube has a coupling aperture on a second end, further comprising:a coupling pin carried on the second alignment fixture second section and positioned to engage the charge holder tube second end coupling aperture. 12. A perforating gun according to claim 11, wherein the charge holder tube second end coupling aperture comprises a J-slot adapted for releasable engagement with the second alignment fixture coupling pin.13. A perforating gun according to claim 10, further comprising:an alignment extension carried on the second alignment fixture; and an alignment slot, complementary to the alignment extension, formed in an inner surface of the second end of the carrier. 14. A perforating gun according to claim 3, further comprising:a charge holder second alignment fixture having a first section having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of said carrier; and having a second section adapted for coupling to a charge holder tube. 15. A perforating gun according to claim 14, further comprising:a charge holder tube having a coupling aperture on a second end; and a coupling pin carried on the second alignment fixture second section and positioned to engage the charge holder tube coupling aperture. 16. A perforating gun according to claim 15, wherein the coupling aperture comprises a J-slot adapted for releasable engagement with the coupling pin.17. A perforating gun according to claim 14, further comprising:an alignment extension carried on the second alignment fixture; and an alignment slot, complementary to the alignment extension, formed in an inner surface of the second end of the carrier. 18. A perforating gun according to claim 1, further comprising:two perforating gun carriers, the first end of a first of the two carriers coupled to the second end of a second of the two carriers. 19. A perforating gun according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of from about one-quarter inch to about five-eighth inch.20. A perforating gun according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of about three-eighth inch.21. A perforating gun according to claim 1, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of about one-half inch.22. A perforating gun according to claim 1, further comprising:lifting means on the outer surface of the tubing. 23. A perforating gun according to claim 22, wherein the lifting means comprises a plurality of scallops formed in the outer surface of the tubing.24. A perforating gun comprising:a carrier made from a section of straight wall tubing having a first end and a second end, a male thread formed on the first end, and a female thread formed on the second end, the male and female threads being complementary to each other; and a reverse thread formed on the outer surface of the carrier adjacent the male thread. 25. A perforating gun according to claim 24, further comprising:a locking ring having an internal thread complementary to the reverse thread, the ring carried on the carrier reverse thread. 26. A perforating gun according to claim 25, wherein the locking ring has an outer diameter larger than the outer diameter of the carrier.27. A perforating gun according to claim 26, wherein the locking ring outer diameter is selected to centralize the gun assembly in a borehole.28. A perforating gun, comprising:a carrier made from a section of straight wall tubing having a first end and a second end, a male coupling formed on the first end, and a female coupling formed on the second end, the male and female couplings being complementary to each other; and lifting means comprising a plurality of scallops formed in the outer surface of the tubing, wherein at least one of the scallops is in a position not adapted for alignment with a shaped charge carried in the carrier. 29. A perforating gun, comprising:a charge holder tube having a first end and a second end; a first alignment fixture having a first section having a diameter selected to slidably fit within the charge holder tube first end and having a longitudinal alignment slot over a portion of its outer circumference; at least one pin carried on the first alignment fixture first section; at least one aperture in the first end of the charge holder tube adapted for receiving the at least one pin; a gun carrier having a first end and a second end; and an alignment pin carried in the carrier and extending into the interior of the carrier and adapted for mating with the first alignment fixture alignment slot. 30. A perforating gun according to claim 29, wherein the charge holder tube first end at least one aperture is a J-slot.31. A perforating gun according to claim 29, further comprising:a second alignment fixture having a first section having a diameter selected to slidably fit within the charge holder tube second end; at least one pin carried on the second alignment fixture first section; and at least one aperture in the second end of the charge holder tube adapted for receiving the at least one pin. 32. A perforating gun according to claim 31, wherein the charge holder tube second end at least one aperture is a J-slot.33. A perforating gun according to claim 31, wherein the second alignment fixture comprises a longitudinal alignment extension over a portion of its outer circumference.34. A perforating gun according to claim 33, further comprising:a gun carrier having a first end and a second end; and an alignment slot in an interior wall of the carrier adapted for mating with the second alignment fixture alignment extension. 35. A method for making a perforating gun, comprising:making a perforating charge carrier by: selecting a section of straight wall tubing suitable for use as a hydrocarbon well work string, the section of tubing having a first end and a second end; forming a male coupling on the first end of the section of tubing; forming a female coupling, complementary with the male coupling, on the second end of the section of tubing forming a thread on the interior surface of the first end of the section of tubing; and threading a sleeve having an exterior thread into the first end of the section of tubing. 36. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, wherein:the step of forming a male coupling comprises forming a thread on the outer surface of the first end of the section of tubing; and the step of forming a female coupling comprises forming a thread on the inner surface of the second end of the section of tubing. 37. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 36, further comprising:making a first and a second perforating charge carrier; and threading the male coupling of the first perforating charge carrier to the female coupling of the second perforating charge carrier. 38. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 37, further comprising:forming a reverse thread section on the first end of the first perforating charge carrier adjacent the male coupling; threading a reverse threaded ring onto the reverse thread section; and tightening the ring against the female coupling of the second perforating charge carrier. 39. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 38, further comprising:before tightening the ring against the female coupling of the second perforating charge carrier, rotating the first and second perforating charge carriers relative to each other to achieve a desired relative radial position. 40. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, wherein:the interior thread on the first end of the section of tubing has a length greater than the length of the male coupling on the first end of the tubing and the sleeve has a length about equal to the length of the interior thread on the first end of the section of tubing. 41. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, further comprising:forming a first aperture through a wall of the section of tubing near the male coupling; forming a second aperture through the sleeve, the first and second apertures positioned to be aligned when the sleeve is threaded into the tubing; and inserting an alignment pin through the first and second apertures to prevent relative rotation of the section of tubing and the sleeve. 42. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 41, further comprising:forming a longitudinal alignment slot in the inner surface of the second end of the section of tubing adjacent the female coupling. 43. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 42, further comprising:making a charge holder assembly by: selecting a section of charge holder tube having an first end and a second end and adapted to be carried within the carrier; forming a pair of coupling apertures in each of the first and second ends of the charge tube holder section; making a first alignment fixture having a first end adapted to be carried within the sleeve, having a longitudinal alignment slot on the first end, having a pair of coupling pins on a second end adapted for mating with the first end of the charge holder tube, and having a shoulder between the first and second ends having an outer diameter greater than the inner diameter of the sleeve; making second alignment fixture having a pair of coupling pins on a first end adapted for mating with the second end of the charge holder tube, and having an alignment extension adapted to mate with the longitudinal alignment slot in the inner surface of the second end of the section of tubing; coupling the first alignment fixture to the first end of the charge holder tube using the first alignment fixture couplings pins and the charge holder tube first end coupling apertures; and coupling the second alignment fixture to the second end of the charge holder tube using the second alignment fixture couplings pins and the charge holder tube second end coupling apertures. 44. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 43, wherein the coupling apertures in each of the first and second ends of the charge tube holder section comprise J-slots.45. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 43, wherein the alignment pin extends into the interior of the sleeve, further comprising:inserting the charge holder assembly through the female coupling and into the carrier so that the first alignment fixture alignment slot mates with the alignment pin, the second alignment fixture alignment extension mates with the longitudinal alignment slot in the inner surface of the second end of the section of tubing adjacent the female coupling, and the first alignment fixture shoulder is adjacent the sleeve. 46. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 45, further comprising inserting a retainer into the female coupling adjacent the second alignment fixture.47. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, further comprising:making a first and a second perforating charge carrier; and connecting the male coupling of the first perforating charge carrier to the female coupling of the second perforating charge carrier. 48. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of from about one-quarter inch to about five-eighth inch.49. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of about three-eighth inch.50. A method for making a perforating gun according to claim 35, wherein the carrier is made from straight wall tubing having a wall thickness of about one-half inch.