Abstract: A method for redressing a setting tool for actuating a plug in a subterranean wellbore includes recovering the setting tool from the wellbore, the setting tool including a housing with a throughbore therein, a piston arranged for axial movement within the throughbore, a combustible element, and an exhaust diffuser configured to redirect a flow of combustion products generated in response to ignition of the combustible element, removing the piston from the throughbore of the housing, removing the exhaust diffuser from the housing, cleaning the piston and the housing, and reinstalling the piston into the housing of the setting tool with at least one of the exhaust diffuser and a replacement exhaust diffuser for subsequent use of the setting tool in a wellbore.

Abstract: A setting tool includes a housing having an initiator compartment to receive an initiator for initiating combustion of a combustible element, a combustion compartment to receive the combustible element, and a switch compartment to at least partially receive a switch circuit for activating the initiator, a piston configured to impart a setting force against the plug in response to combustion of the combustible element, and an interrupt flowpath configured to connect at least one of the combustion compartment and the initiator compartment with the switch compartment whereby combustion products that may be created in the initiator compartment or combustion compartment would be circulated from the at least one of the combustion compartment and the initiator compartment to the switch compartment to disconnect the switch circuit in response to the activation of the initiator charge.

Abstract: A dissolvable barrier assembly includes a holder configured to couple to a casing string and defining a central aperture, a barrier configured to prevent the communication of fluid across the barrier, wherein the barrier comprises an outer surface including an uphole surface defining an uphole end and a downhole surface defining a downhole end opposite the uphole end and having a greater surface area than the uphole surface, wherein at least a portion of the uphole surface is configured to corrode when in contact with the uphole fluid at a first corrosion rate and also wherein at least a portion of the downhole surface is configured to corrode when in contact with the uphole fluid at a second corrosion rate that is greater than the first corrosion rate.

Abstract: A tool string includes a perforating gun, a first electrical connector defining a receptacle and includes a first electrical contact positioned in the receptacle, and a sub including a sub housing including first end, a second end opposite the first end, and a central passage extending between the first end and the second end, and a bulkhead connector positionable in the central passage to form a pressure barrier along the central passage, the bulkhead connector including an outer housing defining a radially outer periphery of the bulkhead connector, and a second electrical contact positioned along the outer periphery of the bulkhead connector and configured to establish radially directed electrical contact with the first electrical contact of the first electrical connector irrespective of the angular orientation of the second electrical contact relative to the first electrical contact.

Abstract: A perforating gun system includes an outer housing, a charge carrier assembly slidably receivable in the outer housing, wherein the charge carrier assembly includes a charge carrier having a central axis, a first endplate coupled to a first end of the charge carrier, and a second endplate coupled to a second end of the charge carrier, and an annular initiator assembly connectable to the charge carrier assembly, wherein the initiator assembly has a central opening whereby a central axis of the initiator assembly extends centrally through the central opening and parallel with the central axis of the charge carrier, wherein the initiator assembly is configured to detonate a detonator of the perforating gun system in response to receiving a firing signal.

Abstract: A method for producing a tandem sub for a perforating gun system includes positioning an electrically conductive signal bar in a central passage of a tubular housing of the tandem sub, and injecting a mold material into an annulus formed between an outer surface of the signal bar and an inner surface of the tubular housing that sealably adheres to both the signal bar and the tubular housing.

Abstract: A setting tool for actuating a downhole plug in a wellbore includes a housing, a piston positioned at least partially within the housing wherein the piston defines an internal firing chamber that is in fluid communication with an exhaust port, an expansion chamber positioned between an outer surface of the piston and an inner surface of the housing wherein the exhaust port is configured to convey combustion products along a combustion flowpath extending from the firing chamber and into the expansion chamber, and an exhaust diffuser distinct from the piston and the housing and including an exhaust passage and at least one baffle face, the baffle face configured to redirect the flow of combustion products along the combustion flowpath and channel the flow of combustion products into the exhaust passage.

Abstract: A release tool for connecting a workstring to a toolstring. The release tool will be used for contingency if the toolstring gets stuck downhole and hopefully rarely would be actuated. In the present disclosure, the release tool is not broken or destroyed, but is simply disconnected into two parts using the propellent of a low explosive combustion element. This element produces gasses that drive the disconnecting process. The gasses are directed to press a tubular piston to translate from a first position where a wedging portion of the tubular piston is inside a lock ring bracing the lock ring in a locking configuration to a second position where the wedging portion is out of contact with the lock ring. The lock ring is then able to slip free from one or more locking grooves releasing the upper portion of the release tool from the lower.

Abstract: A plug for sealing a wellbore includes a mandrel extending between an uphole end defining an uphole end of the plug, and a downhole end opposite the uphole end of the mandrel, a slip assembly extending around the mandrel and including a plurality of arcuate slip segments, a nose coupled to the downhole end of the mandrel and defining a downhole end of the plug, wherein the nose includes an uphole end coupled to the downhole end of the mandrel and a downhole end opposite the uphole end of the nose and defining a downhole end of the plug, and a packer extending around the mandrel and including a first configuration configured to permit fluid flow across the plug when the plug is received in the wellbore, and a second configuration configured to seal the wellbore when the plug is positioned in the wellbore.

Abstract: A perforating gun system includes a cylindrical outer housing, a charge carrier assembly receivable in the outer housing, wherein the charge carrier assembly includes a charge carrier configured to receive one or more shaped charges, a first endplate coupled to a first end of the charge carrier, and a second endplate coupled to a second end of the charge carrier, and a detonator holder incorporated into the first endplate of the charge carrier assembly and including a pair of opposed longitudinal ends, a first passage extending along a first axis and configured to receive a detonating cord, and a second passage extending parallel to, but laterally offset from, the first passage, wherein the second passage is configured to receive a detonator configured to detonate the one or more shaped charged in response to receiving a signal.

Abstract: A frac plug is disclosed that is used for isolating a lower portion of a wellbore from an upper portion to enable a fracking process on newly created perforations in casing or liner pipe where the frac plug is particularly designed rapid drill out after all the fracking operations have been completed. The frac plug includes arrangements for holding the polymer or rubber element from rotation as the plug is being drilled. One arrangement includes pins that lock the polymer element to the bottom cone. In another, the polymer element is simply bonded by adhesive to the faceted cone. The facets on the cone prevent the cone from rotating in the wellbore by being pressed against the flat bottom slip segments that remain locked to the casing or liner pipe.

Abstract: A dissolvable barrier assembly includes a holder configured to couple to the casing string in a generally transverse orientation and defining a central aperture, a barrier positioned in the central aperture of the holder and configured to prevent the communication of fluid across the barrier whereby an uphole chamber within the casing string extending uphole from the barrier and containing an uphole fluid is hydraulically isolated from a downhole chamber within the casing string extending downhole from the barrier, and wherein the barrier includes an outer surface including an uphole surface defining an uphole end and a downhole surface defining a downhole end, wherein the uphole surface is configured to corrode when in contact with the uphole fluid at a first corrosion rate and also wherein the downhole surface is configured to corrode when in contact with the uphole fluid at a second corrosion rate.

Abstract: A self-orienting perforating gun includes an outer housing having a throughbore, a charge carrier positioned in the throughbore of the outer housing, a hub secured directly or indirectly to the outer housing, a bearing secured to each carrier end of the charge carrier wherein the bearing overlies the hub to provide a rotatable relationship between the hub and the charge carrier about a rotational axis within the outer housing, and an eccentric weight coupled to the charge carrier applying an off-axis orienting force to the charge carrier for urging the charge carrier to rotate about the rotational axis toward a predefined orientation relative to the direction of gravity.

Abstract: A tandem sub for a perforating gun system includes a tubular housing including a longitudinal first end, a longitudinal second end opposite the first end, a central passage defined by an inner surface, an electrical pass-thru assembly including an electrically conductive signal bar having a longitudinal first end defining a first electrical contact of the tandem sub, and a longitudinal second end opposite the first end and defining a second electrical contact of the tandem sub that is longitudinally opposite and electrically connected to the first electrical contact, wherein the signal bar is rigid along the entire longitudinal length thereof extending from the first end to the second end, and wherein the signal bar is coupled to the housing and a central axis of the central passage of the housing intersects the signal bar.

Abstract: A method includes assembling a first tool string to include at least one original perforating gun and an original gun switch in communication with the original perforating charge, and inserting the first tool string into a first wellbore. The method also includes retrieving the first tool string from the first wellbore and recovering the original gun switch from the first tool string, assembling a new tool string to include at least one new perforating gun, wherein the new tool string further includes the recovered original gun switch whereby the original gun switch is in communication with the new perforating charge, and inserting the new tool string into at least one of the first wellbore and a different wellbore, and delivering a signal to the original gun switch to initiate detonation of the second perforating gun.

Abstract: A perforating gun system includes an outer housing, a charge carrier assembly slidably receivable in the outer housing, wherein the charge carrier assembly includes a charge carrier having a central axis, a first endplate coupled to a first end of the charge carrier, and a second endplate coupled to a second end of the charge carrier, and an initiator assembly including an electrical switch, wherein the electrical switch has a maximum length extending in a direction parallel the central axis that is less than a maximum width of the electrical switch extending in an orthogonal direction relative to the central axis; wherein the electrical switch is configured to detonate a detonator of the perforating gun system in response to receiving a firing signal.

Abstract: A perforating gun system includes a detonator configured to detonate one or more shaped charge in response to receiving a signal, a detonator holder including a pair of opposed longitudinal ends, a first passage extending along a first axis and configured to receive a detonating cord, and a second passage extending parallel to, but laterally offset from, the first passage, wherein the second passage is configured to receive the detonator, and an interrupter removeably positionable within the detonator holder laterally between the first passage and the second passage to block ballistic communication between the detonator and the detonating cord when the detonating cord is received in the first passage and the detonator is received in the second passage.

Abstract: A plug for sealing a wellbore includes a mandrel including a body having a longitudinal first end, a longitudinal second end opposite the first end, and an outer surface, wherein a plurality of ratchet teeth are positioned on the outer surface and formed of a fiber reinforced composite material, an annular seal positioned on the outer surface of the mandrel, wherein the seal includes a first longitudinal end and a second longitudinal end opposite the first end; and a body lock ring assembly positioned on the outer surface of the mandrel and located between the first end of the mandrel and the seal, wherein the body lock ring assembly includes a plurality of circumferentially spaced arcuate lock ring segments surrounding the mandrel, wherein an inner surface of each lock ring segment includes a plurality of ratchet teeth configured to matingly engage the ratchet teeth of the mandrel.

Abstract: A toolstring for plugging and perforating a wellbore includes a perforating gun extending between an uphole end and a downhole end longitudinally opposed to the uphole end, a plugging assembly extending between an uphole end and a downhole end longitudinally opposed to the uphole end of the plugging assembly, the plug assembly including a setting tool physically attached directly to the perforating gun, the setting tool including an elongate housing extending between an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end of the housing, an open passageway extending from the uphole end to the downhole end of the housing, and wherein the setting tool further includes an elongate mandrel positioned in the open passageway and having an uphole end and a downhole end opposite the uphole end of the mandrel, and a combustion chamber located within the elongate housing for receiving an energetic charge.

Abstract: A plug deployable into a wellbore having a casing string includes a sealing element including an outer sealing surface configured to extend outwardly from a central axis of the plug and sealingly press against a casing string when the plug is in the second configuration, and a slip including at least one slip body having a peripheral outer face oriented to face away from the central axis and towards the casing string, and one or more engagement members located on the outer face of the slip body wherein the one or more engagement members are configured to bite into the casing string when the plug is in the second configuration, wherein at least 40% of a total volume of the plug is formed from corrosion-selected materials and at least 30% of the total volume of the plug is formed from corrosion-resistant materials.