Tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun

Claim 2

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; actuator means located within said tubular body and responsive to changes in pressure within said well tubing string above said tubular body; and cocking means located below said actuator means within said tubular body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by said actuator means to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator as tubing pressure is increased by a predetermined amount whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun.

Claim 3

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said well tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; and cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun.

Claim 4

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said well tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; and cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun.

Claim 5

The apparatus of claim 2, wherein said tubular body has a ported region which communicates the well bore with the interior of said body and wherein said inner mandrel has a corresponding vented region which communicates the mandrel interior with the body interior and through the body ported region with the well bore.

Claim 6

The apparatus of claim 3, wherein said inner mandrel is slidable between a rest position when lesser relative pressure is present in said tubing string and a cocking position when tubing string pressure is increased and wherein said inner mandrel is normally biased toward said rest position.

Claim 7

The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising shear means for initially fixing said inner mandrel in said rest position, said shear means being sheared by a predetermined increase in tubing pressure on said ball in said ball seat, thereby allowing said inner mandrel to move downwardly to said cocking position.

Claim 8

The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a flapper valve located above said inner mandrel and said ball seat within said tubular body, said flapper valve being movable between a retracted position in engagement with said inner mandrel and an extended position blocking the interior bore of said tubular body.

Claim 9

The apparatus of claim 6, wherein downward movement of said inner mandrel disengages said flapper valve, allowing said flapper valve to move to said extended position and thereby prevent upward travel of said ball within said tubing string above said tubular body.

Claim 10

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said wall tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun; and wherein said tubular body includes a lower body sub, said lower body sub having an end portion transversed by a longitudinal channel, said channel being located on the longitudinal center line of said tubular body.

Claim 11

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said wall tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun; and wherein said tubular body includes a lower body sub, said lower body sub having an end portion transversed by a longitudinal channel, said channel being located on the longitudinal center line of said tubular body.

Claim 12

The apparatus of claim 8, wherein said cocking means includes a perforated disc with an upper surface and a lower surface, said upper disk surface being in contact with and being acted upon by said inner tubular mandrel.

Claim 13

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein said perforated disk has a downwardly extending leg located on the lower surface thereof, said leg being slidable within said lower sub channel when said inner mandrel moves downwardly within said tubular body.

Claim 14

The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said lockout member is a cylindrical plug slidably mounted below said perforated disk leg within said lower sub channel, said lockout member including an outwardly biased dog for engaging a lockout region of said lower sub channel when said inner mandrel moves downwardly and acts on said perforated disk upper surface.

Claim 15

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said lockout member is normally biased upwardly within said lower sub channel.

Claim 16

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said detonating pin and percussion detonator are side-mounted within said body transverse to the body longitudinal axis.

Claim 17

The apparatus of claim 11, wherein said tubular body lower sub has a transverse channel therein which intersects said lower sub channel, said detonating pin and percussion detonator being located within said transverse channel and said lockout member being located between said detonating pin and percussion detonator prior to actuation of said cocking means by an increase in tubing pressure.

Claim 18

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said well tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun; and pressure actuated disconnect means as a part of said upper connecting means for releasing said apparatus from said well tubing string upon a predetermined increase in pressure within said tubing string.

Claim 19

A tubing pressurized firing apparatus for a tubing conveyed perforating gun of the type used to perforate a cased well bore, comprising: a tubular body having an upper end with upper connecting means for connecting said body in a well tubing string and having a lower end with lower connecting means for connecting said body to a well perforating gun; an inner mandrel slidably mounted within said tubular body and sealing engaging said tubular body, said inner mandrel having an interior bore for communicating with said well tubing string above said body, said mandrel interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving a ball dropped through said well tubing string, said ball and ball seat together forming a pressure tight seal whereby tubing pressure in said well tubing string acts on said inner mandrel to slide said mandrel downwardly within said tubular body; cocking means located below said inner mandrel within said body, said cocking means including a lockout member initially positioned between a detonating pin and a percussion detonator, said cocking means being actuable by downward sliding movement of said inner mandrel to move said lockout member from between said detonating pin and percussion detonator whereby subsequent release of tubing pressure and upward sliding movement of said inner mandrel and cocking means exposes said detonating pin to said percussion detonator to actuate said detonator and fire said perforating gun; and pressure actuated disconnect means as a part of said upper connecting means for releasing said apparatus from said well tubing string upon a predetermined increase in pressure within said tubing string.

Claim 20

The apparatus of claim 15, wherein said pressure actuated disconnect means including a cylindrical shift sleeve having an interior bore, said shift sleeve being connected by shear means to said tubular body and said shift sleeve interior bore having a ball seat formed therein for receiving and sealably engaging a ball dropped through said tubing string, said ball seat being of greater relative diameter than said inner mandrel ball seat, said shift sleeve including seal means in the exterior surface thereof for slidably sealing against the interior bore of said tubular body when said shear means is sheared by a predetermined increase in tubing pressure on said shift sleeve ball.

Claim 21

The apparatus of claim 16, wherein said disconnect means further comprises a detent means carried by said tubular body and received with a recess in said well tubing string interior, said shift sleeve having a raised exterior region which underlies and retains said detent means within said tubing recess until said predetermined increase in tubing pressure shears said shear means and, in turn, moves said raised exterior region from beneath said detent means to release said apparatus from said well tubing string.

Claim 24

The method of claim 18, further comprising the steps of mounting hydraulic packet means on said tubing string, said packer means being actuated by an increase in pressure in said tubing string to expand radially outward from said tubing string and seal-off said well bore above said firing apparatus.

Claim 25

The method of claim 19, wherein said predetermined pressure increase for actuating said cocking means is greater than the pressure increase needed to actuate said packer means whereby a gradual increase in tubing string pressure sets said packer means in one step and actuates said cocking means in a subsequent step.