Perforating gun with auger

Abstract

The invention features a perforating gun, with an external auger, which can be mounted to a tubing string. The auger facilitates removal of the gun after the sand is placed in the perforations. The perforating gun with external auger promotes the clean-up of the debris from the perforations after the gun is shot and facilitates the movement of the gun out of the sand. The sand can be spotted near the perforations without exposure to the formation of any kill fluids. The perforating gun with external auger need not be moved prior to admission of sand into the perforations. The assembly can be used so that preferred fluids, such as stimulating fluids, can be used to circulate the sand until the sand has been spotted adjacent the formation, whereupon the stimulating fluid is squeezed into the formation, leaving the sand in the perforations. The amount of fluid displaced into the formation is minimized and the selection of fluid helps to stimulate the subsequent flow during production.

We claim: 
     
       1. A system for preparing a formation to allow hydrocarbons to be produced from a well comprising: an elongated perforating gun;   means extending from the outer periphery of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means operable when said gun is covered with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun; and   said means imparting a longitudinal extractive force when said gun is rotated along its longitudinal axis.   
     
     
       2. The system of claim 1, wherein said radially extending means extend around the periphery of said gun defining a continuous passage. 
     
     
       3. A system for preparing a formation to allow hydrocarbons to be produced from a well comprising: an elongated perforating gun;   means extending from the outer periphery of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means operable when said gun is covered with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun;   said means imparting a longitudinal extractive force when said gun is rotated along its longitudinal axis;   said radially extending means extend around the periphery of said gun defining a continuous passage;   said extraction means further comprises:   a helix;   said gun further comprising at least one opening and at least one explosive charge selectively operable to exit from said opening when activated; and   said helix displaced from said opening so as to be out of the path of said charge when it is selectively actuated to perforate the formation.   
     
     
       4. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a sleeve, said helix extending from said sleeve, said sleeve formed with at least one hole which comes into alignment with said opening on said gun when said sleeve is fitted over said gun.   
     
     
       5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein said sleeve is removably mounted to said gun, thereby facilitating its reuse. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of claim 3, further comprising: a tubing string made of a plurality of threaded joints, said gun connected to the lower end thereof to allow raising and lowering of said gun in the well;   said helix being wound opposite hand to said threads forming said joints such that when said tubing is rotated in a direction so as to tighten said joints, said helix rotates in a direction to assist in extraction of said gun from any solid material tending to obstruct such removal.   
     
     
       7. The apparatus of claim 5, further comprising: a tubing string made of a plurality of threaded joints, said gun connected to the lower end thereof to allow raising and lowering of said gun in the well;   said helix being wound opposite hand to said threads forming said joints such that when said tubing is rotated in a direction so as to tighten said joints, said helix rotates in a direction to assist in extraction of said gun from any solid material tending to obstruct such removal.   
     
     
       8. The apparatus of claim 7, further comprising: a retrievable packer having a selectively retractable sealing means thereon for selectively sealing between perforations made by said gun and an annulus formed between said tubing and the well periphery;   said packer mounted to said tubing string above said gun and having at least one flow passage therethrough, said passage providing fluid communication between said tubing string and said gun;   first valve means in said tubing above said packer to allow selective flow communication between said passage in said packer and said tubing;   second valve means in said tubing above said first valve means to allow selective fluid communication between said tubing and said annulus;   a ported segment connected adjacent the opposite end of said packer from said first and second valve means to provide fluid communication from the formation into said tubing through said passage in said packer;   whereupon when said charge in said gun is fired, perforating the formation, causing dislodging of the formation and creating a flow of hydrocarbons and debris, the velocity of said hydrocarbons is increased by virtue of flow around said continuous passage created by said helix, thus facilitating removal of the debris from the well.   
     
     
       9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein: said first valve means is closed with said second valve means open to allow flushing of debris out of said tubing by reverse circulation down the annulus and up the tubing through said second valve means, in a manner so as not to put pressure on the newly perforated formation; whereupon without movement of said first and second valve means, a slurry comprising a liquid carrying a solid can be circulated down the tubing to spot said slurry adjacent the closed first valve means, whereupon with said second valve means closed and said first valve means open and said packer seals engaging the periphery of the wellbore, the slurry is squeezed through said passage in said packer into the formation, depositing the solids int he perforations and in the wellbore around said gun.   
     
     
       10. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: said helix is so disposed that when said charge is set off, resulting in perforating the formation and the creation of debris, the hydrocarbon flow from said formation follows said passage created by said helix with a resulting increase in the hydrocarbon velocity assisting in the efficient removal of the debris.   
     
     
       11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein: said helix creates a shear plane at its periphery such that on extraction of said gun with solids lodged between said gun and the perforations, the resistance to extraction is principally the weight of solids within said continuous passage and the shearing forces at the periphery of said helix. .Iadd.   
     
     
       12.  A perforating gun, comprising: an elongated perforating gun, said gun having a body defining openings thereon through which explosive charges exit; and   means extending form said body of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, and extending generally longitudinally over a majority of said body in the area of said openings, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means for facilitating extraction operable when said gun is covered at least in part with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun, wherein said means for facilitating extraction creates at least one shear plane at its periphery to reduce the extractive force required to remove said gun. .Iaddend. .Iadd.13. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:   a tool string, said gun connected to the lower end thereof;   
     
     
       at least one packer connected to said tool string. .Iaddend. .Iadd.14.  A perforating gun for perforating a formation, comprising: an elongated perforating gun;   means extending from the outer periphery of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means for facilitating extraction operable when said gun is covered at least in part with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun, wherein said means for facilitating extraction creates at least one shear plane at its periphery to reduce the extractive force required to remove said gun;   said means for facilitating extraction, extending around the periphery of said gun defining a continuous passage;   said means for facilitating extraction, further comprising:   a helix;   said gun further comprising at least one opening and at least one explosive charge selectively operable to exit form said opening when activated; and   said helix displaced from said opening so as to be out of the path of said charge when it is selectively activated to perforate the formation.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.15.  The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: a tubing string made of a plurality of threaded joints, said gun connected to the lower end thereof to allow raising and lowering of said gun in the well;   said helix being wound opposite hand to said threads forming said joints such that when said tubing is rotated along its longitudinal axis in a direction so as to tighten said joints, said helix rotates in a direction to assist in extraction of said gun from any solid material tending to obstruct such removal. .Iaddend. .Iadd.16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:   a retrievable packer having a selectively retractable sealing means thereon for selectively sealing between perforations made by said gun and an annulus formed between said tubing and the well periphery;   said packer mounted to said tubing string above said gun and having at least one flow passage therethrough, said passage providing fluid communication between said tubing string and said gun;   first valve means in said tubing above said packer to allow selective flow communication between said passage in said packer and said tubing;   second valve means in said tubing above said first valve means to allow selective fluid communication between said tubing and said annulus;   a ported segment connected adjacent the opposite end of said packer from said first and second valve means to provide fluid communication from the formation into said tubing through said passage in said packer;   whereupon when said charge in said gun is fired, perforating the formation, causing dislodging of the formation and creating a flow of hydrocarbons and debris, the velocity of said hydrocarbons is increased by virtue of flow around said continuous passage created by said helix, thus facilitating removal of the debris from the well. .Iaddend. .Iadd.17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:   said helix is so disposed that when said charge is set off, resulting in perforating the formation and the creation of debris, the hydrocarbon flow from said formation follows said passage created by said helix with a resulting increase in the hydrocarbon velocity assisting in the efficient removal of the debris. .Iaddend. .Iadd.18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein:   said helix creates a shear plane at its periphery such that on extraction of said gun with solids lodged between said gun and the perforations, the resistance to extraction is principally the weight of solids within said continuous passage and the shearing forces at the periphery of said helix. .Iaddend. .Iadd.19. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:   a tubing string made of a plurality of threaded joints, said gun connected to the lower end thereof;   at least one packer having a selectively retractable sealing means thereon   
     
     
        for selectively sealing the annulus. .Iaddend. .Iadd.20.  A method for preparing a formation to allow hydrocarbons to be produced from a well, comprising: lowering a tool string into a well, wherein said tool string includes tubing, at least one packer, and at least one perforating gun, said gun having an elongated body defining openings thereon through which explosive changes exit and having a structure extending from said body and extending generally longitudinally over a majority of said body in the area of said openings, said structure extending in a generally radial direction from the longitudinal axis of said body, said structure operable when said gun is covered at least in part with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun, wherein the solid material creates a shear force on said structure and said structure creates at least one shear plane in the solid material;   positioning said perforating gun in the well adjacent the formation to be perforated;   setting said at least one packer to seal off the portion of the annulus containing the formation to be perforated;   firing said perforating gun;   releasing the packer;   overcoming the shear force on said structure extending from said gun; and   
     
     
       extracting said gun from the well. .Iaddend. .Iadd.21.  The method of claim 20, further comprising: removing the debris generated by firing said gun, wherein the step of removing the debris comprises the step of:   creating a flowpath for the hydrocarbons produced from the formation, which increases the hydrocarbon's velocity resulting in an increase in the   
     
     
        hydrocarbon's capacity to suspend debris. .Iaddend. .Iadd.22.  A system for preparing a formation to allow hydrocarbons to be produced from a well, comprising: an elongated perforating gun, said gun having a body defining openings thereon through which explosive charges exit; and   means extending form said body of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, and extending generally longitudinally over a majority of said body in the area of said openings, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means operable when said gun is covered at least in part with a solid material delivered into the well and   
     
     
        lodged between the formation and said gun. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23.  A system for preparing a formation to allow hydrocarbons to be produced from a well, comprising: an elongated perforating gun;   means extending from the outer periphery of said gun, in a generally radial direction from its longitudinal axis, for facilitating extraction of said gun from the well, said means operable when said gun is covered at least in part with a solid material delivered into the well and lodged between the formation and said gun;   said means for facilitating extraction, extending around the periphery of said gun defining a continuous passage;   said means for facilitating extraction, further comprising:   a helix;   said gun further comprising at least one opening and at least one explosive charge selectively operable to exit from said opening when activated; and   said helix displaced from said opening so as to be out of the path of said charge when it is selectively activated to perforate the formation.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.24.  An apparatus for facilitating, at the surface of a wellbore, debris removal from fluids produced into a wellbore, comprising: a perforating gun formed having an elongated body further having openings thereon through which explosive charges exit; and   means extending generally longitudinally over a majority of said body in the area of said openings creating a flowpath, the fluids produced into the wellbore passing through said flowpath and experiencing a velocity increase sufficient to entrain debris also in the wellbore with the fluids;   means connected to the wellbore at the surface for receiving the fluid with entrained debris after it passes through said flowpath. .Iaddend.   
     
     
        .Iadd.     The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means on said body creating a flowpath comprises at least one helix. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein said means on said body creating a flowpath comprises: at least one extending member forming a tortuous path for the fluids produced into the well, to aid in entrainment of debris. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The apparatus of claim 26, further comprising:   means for positioning said elongated body at a predetermined depth in the wellbore. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The apparatus of claim 27, further comprising:   at least one packer;   said means for positioning said elongated body further comprises a tubing   
     
     
        string. .Iaddend. .Iadd.29.  A method of cleaning out a wellbore after perforating, comprising the steps of: inserting in the well a perforating gun formed having an elongated housing having openings thereon through which explosive charges exit and having at least one extending member creating a flowpath, said at least one extending member extending generally longitudinally over a majority of the length of said body in the area of said openings;   allowing the formation to flow into the well;   increasing the velocity of the fluids flowing into the wellbore through said flowpath; entraining debris from the wellbore in the fluids from said velocity increase; removing the entrained debris from the wellbore.   
     
     
        .Iaddend. .Iadd.30.  The method of claim 29, further comprising: creating a tortuous flowpath with said extending member. .Iaddend.