Pressure inducing charge

Abstract

A charge assembly for incorporation into a downhole tool to induce pressure at an interior of the tool during a downhole application. The assembly includes a reactive powder metals that is particularly configured of a reaction rate slower than that of a high energy explosive directed at the application. Thus, upon triggering of the explosive and downhole application in a high pressure well environment, reaction of the powder metals may serve to substantially reduce any pressure differential at the tool. As such, shock related damage due to sudden introduction of pressure differential wave to the tool may be minimized.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A charge assembly of a downhole tool for deployment in a well, the assembly comprising:
 a carrier housing defining an in-gun void space therein; and   a shape charge accommodated by said carrier housing, said charge comprising a reactive metal powder for elevating an in-gun pressure in the void space during an application in the well by the tool.   
     
     
         2 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said charge further comprises an explosive for exposing the void space to the well. 
     
     
         3 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein a reaction of the explosive is a detonation reaction and a reaction of the reactive metal powder exceeds the detonation reaction in duration. 
     
     
         4 . The assembly of  claim 2  wherein the tool comprises a perforating gun. 
     
     
         5 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said charge is dedicated to the inducing in a manner of non-exposure of the void space to the well. 
     
     
         6 . The assembly of  claim 1  wherein said charge is a first charge dedicated to the inducing in a manner of non-exposure of the void space to the well, the assembly further comprising a second shaped charge with an explosive for exposing the void space to the well during the application. 
     
     
         7 . An in-gun pressure inducing shaped charge for incorporation into a perforating gun assembly for a perforating application at a target location in a well, the charge comprising:
 a charge case;   a retained material within said case; and   a liner over said material to form a perforating jet, one of said case, said material and said liner comprising a reactive metal powder for inducing in-gun pressure in a void space of the assembly during the application.   
     
     
         8 . The mechanism of  claim 7  wherein the reactive metal powder is a mixture of a constituents comprising a metal, a metal oxide, a metal carbonate and a metal nitrate. 
     
     
         9 . The mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the reactive metal powder comprises at least about 5% of each of the constituents. 
     
     
         10 . The mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the metal is selected from a group consisting of aluminum, beryllium, titanium, tantalum, yttrium and zirconium. 
     
     
         11 . The mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the metal oxide is one of a bismuth, cobalt, chromium, copper, iron, iodine, manganese, nickel, lead, strontium and tungsten based metal oxide. 
     
     
         12 . The mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the metal carbonate is one of a barium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, lithium and strontium based metal carbonate. 
     
     
         13 . The mechanism of  claim 8  wherein the metal nitrate is one of a nitrogen oxide based barium, calcium, lithium, potassium, magnesium and strontium. 
     
     
         14 . The mechanism of  claim 7  wherein the other of said case, said material and said liner is of a reactive powder for exposing the void space to the well during the application. 
     
     
         15 . The mechanism of  claim 14  wherein the explosive is selected from a group consisting of a metal, a metal based oxide carbonate and a metal based oxide nitrate. 
     
     
         16 . A method of performing an application at a target location in a well, the method comprising:
 deploying an application tool to the target location, the location of a given pressure;   triggering the application, said triggering comprising exposing a void space of the tool to the given pressure; and   increasing a pressure in the void space in conjunction with said triggering, the void space of a pressure below the given pressure in advance of said increasing.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising increasing a pressure in the wellbore in conjunction with said triggering for a hydraulic fracturing application. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising maintaining said increasing for a period exceeding a duration of said triggering. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising equalizing the pressure in the void space relative the given pressure in a manner substantially avoiding shock related damage to the well from the application. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said increasing comprises generating one of gas and heat reactive metal powder of a shaped charge adjacent the void space. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 21  wherein said triggering further comprises utilizing an explosive of the shaped charge for the exposing.