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: An electrical bus system has an integrated trunk bus that includes at least one positive bus line, an equal number of negative bus line, and a messenger cable that that are twisted together to form a single, integrated trunk bus line. The messenger cable provides mechanical support and is coupled to vertical support using brackets, ground clamps, or other suitable coupling techniques, thereby eliminating the need for cable hangers or trenching. The messenger cable provides a grounding function, thereby eliminating the need for an additional grounding line. Multi-tap shear bolt connectors are used to connect the integrated trunk bus line to photovoltaic wires carrying the output from one or more solar panel arrays, thereby obviating the need for combiner boxes used in conventional systems.

Abstract: A wireless communication system for batteries removably mountable in local use vehicles and chargeable in a charging repository includes a plurality of batteries, each battery having a housing; a first wireless communication device attached to an outer surface of the housing for receiving and transmitting data; and electrical contacts attached to the housing for selectively providing power to or from the battery. A plurality of second wireless communication devices is mountable to either a one of the local use vehicles or to a location in the charging repository for communication with one of the first wireless communication devices when in an adjacent communication orientation.

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 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 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 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 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 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.

Abstract: A perforating gun deployable in a wellbore as part of a tool string includes an outer housing included of a generally tubular wall structure having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends and a central passage extending between the pair of longitudinal ends, a charge carrier assembly received in the central passage of the outer housing and including a tubular charge carrier having a pair of opposed longitudinal ends and at least one radially oriented receptacle configured to receive a combustive shaped charge, an initiator assembly, the initiator assembly including a detonator and an electrical switch configured to detonate the detonator in response to receiving a firing signal, and an electrical connector positioned in the central passage of the outer housing and electrically connected to the initiator assembly, the electrical connector including an electrical contact including a frangible conductor rod, the frangible conductor rod having a shear strength of 1,500 pound-force (lbf) or less.

Abstract: A perforating gun deployable in a wellbore as part of a tool string includes an outer sleeve including a generally tubular wall structure having a peripheral surface around the outside, opposite ends thereof and a central passage therethrough extending from one end to the other end and further including a connection at each end to connect to other tools in the tool string, and at least one pressure sealed perforating module slidably positioned within the central passage of the outer sleeve having a shaped charge sealed from the portion of the central passage of the outer sleeve external the pressure-sealed perforating module.

Abstract: A perforating gun includes an outer sleeve included of a generally tubular wall structure having a peripheral surface around the outside, opposite ends thereof and a central passage therethrough extending from one end to the other end and further including a connection at each end to connect to other tools in a tool string wherein the outer sleeve is configured to carry the tensile and compressive forces imposable on the perforating gun as the perforating gun is deployed in the wellbore, and at least one pressure sealed perforating module installed within the central passage of the outer sleeve having a shaped charge sealed therein and wherein the installation of the pressure sealed perforating module within the outer sleeve is configured to substantially eliminate the transfer of tensile or compressive forces imposable on or by the tool string onto the at least one pressure sealed perforating module.

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 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 system for connecting a perforating gun to at least one other component in a perforating tool string includes a perforating gun that includes a gun housing and a charge carrier received within the gun housing wherein the charge carrier includes a first electrical connector, a tool connected end-to-end with the perforating gun where the tool includes an outer sleeve and a second electrical connector, a solid signal puck arranged with the perforating gun and the tool where the puck forms a pressure resistant barrier between the gun and the tool and wherein the solid signal puck includes a first endface oriented and a second endface and an outer periphery between the endfaces, and wherein the largest outer diameter of the outer periphery is at least 40% of the length between the first endface and the second endface of the puck.

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.