What is presented is a high power igniter comprising an igniter housing adapted to be positioned in a conduit. The igniter housing comprises a containment sub and a nozzle sub that releasably secure to each other. A high wattage heater located in the igniter housing comprises a combustible pellet insertable into the igniter housing for creating a flow of heated gas when the combustible pellet is ignited with a pellet igniting device while the high power igniter is in use. The high power igniter is free from a loose powdered form of combustible material when the combustible pellet is in the igniter housing. The nozzle sub directs the flow of heated gas in the system.

A method of creating and finishing perforations in a hydrocarbon well having a well wall that includes causing a high velocity jet of a material to shoot into the well wall, thereby creating a perforation in the well wall. The method further includes introducing a gas blast into the perforation, for a blast time duration, the gas blast creating an increasing pressure at the perforation until a maximum pressure is reached; and allowing the pressure of the gas blast to undergo a period of rapid decline to a level of less than 50% of the maximum pressure.

A method of creating and finishing perforations in a hydrocarbon well having a well wall that includes causing a high velocity jet of a material to shoot into the well wall, thereby creating a perforation in the well wall. The method further includes introducing a gas blast into the perforation, for a blast time duration, the gas blast creating an increasing pressure at the perforation until a maximum pressure is reached; and allowing the pressure of the gas blast to undergo a period of rapid decline to a level of less than 50% of the maximum pressure.

A multi-shot explosive charge includes a plurality of chambers divided by shared walls between adjacent chambers. Explosive material within at least one of the chambers creates an explosive force in an outward direction upon detonation and a perforating jet through the open end of the chamber. A perforating charge includes at least one explosive material producing explosive forces, upon detonation that collide within the chamber to create a perforating jet. Such perforating charge may be a chamber(s) within a multi-shot explosive charge, or an individual charge. First and second explosive materials can have the same or different compositions and detonation rates that together with the arrangement of materials within the chamber create the collision of forces. A plurality of multi-shot explosive charge or stand-alone perforating charges with colliding forces can be interconnected in an array, and can be included in a perforating gun(s).

A multi-shot explosive charge includes a plurality of chambers divided by shared walls between adjacent chambers. Explosive material within at least one of the chambers creates an explosive force in an outward direction upon detonation and a perforating jet through the open end of the chamber. A perforating charge includes at least one explosive material producing explosive forces, upon detonation that collide within the chamber to create a perforating jet. Such perforating charge may be a chamber(s) within a multi-shot explosive charge, or an individual charge. First and second explosive materials can have the same or different compositions and detonation rates that together with the arrangement of materials within the chamber create the collision of forces. A plurality of multi-shot explosive charge or stand-alone perforating charges with colliding forces can be interconnected in an array, and can be included in a perforating gun(s).

An explosive device configured for outputting a quasi-planar shock wave includes: a body structure having a proximal end and an opposing distal end, and within which (a) an initiation device chamber; (b) a donor charge having a geometric shape correlated with first cone having an internal void exhibiting a geometric shape correlated with a second cone, wherein a first base of the first cone and a second base of the second cone reside in a common plane and have a common center point; (c) a non-explosive wave shaper filling the void; and (d) an acceptor charge are sequentially disposed adjacent to each other in a direction toward the distal end. Perpendicular to the central axis, a maximum lateral span of each of the wave shaper, the donor charge, and the acceptor charge coincide. The acceptor explosive charge mass does not laterally extend to a set of body structure outer walls.

An explosive device configured for outputting a quasi-planar shock wave includes: a body structure having a proximal end and an opposing distal end, and within which (a) an initiation device chamber; (b) a donor charge having a geometric shape correlated with first cone having an internal void exhibiting a geometric shape correlated with a second cone, wherein a first base of the first cone and a second base of the second cone reside in a common plane and have a common center point; (c) a non-explosive wave shaper filling the void; and (d) an acceptor charge are sequentially disposed adjacent to each other in a direction toward the distal end. Perpendicular to the central axis, a maximum lateral span of each of the wave shaper, the donor charge, and the acceptor charge coincide. The acceptor explosive charge mass does not laterally extend to a set of body structure outer walls.

A shaped charge pipe cutter is constructed with the cutter explosive material packed intimately around an axially elongated void space that is continued through a heavy wall boss portion of the upper thrust disc. The boss wall is continued to within a critical initiation distance of a half-cuter junction plane. An explosive detonator is positioned along the void space axis proximate of the outer plane of the upper thrust disc. Geometric configurations of the charge thrust disc and end-plate concentrate the detonation energy at the critical initiation zone.

A shaped charge pipe cutter is constructed with the cutter explosive material packed intimately around an axially elongated void space that is continued through a heavy wall boss portion of the upper thrust disc. The boss wall is continued to within a critical initiation distance of a half-cuter junction plane. An explosive detonator is positioned along the void space axis proximate of the outer plane of the upper thrust disc. Geometric configurations of the charge thrust disc and end-plate concentrate the detonation energy at the critical initiation zone.

An explosive booster shaped to fit into a blasthole adjacent a main explosive charge is provided. The booster comprises a body containing a charge of an explosive substance with a passage extending inwardly of the body to receive a detonator therein. The booster is configured to alter the shape of a detonation wave generated upon initiation of the detonator. In an embodiment, the booster includes a first and a second explosive substance, with the first explosive substance being shaped and selected to cause an outer portion of the detonation wave to accelerate relative to the remainder of the wave thereby altering the shape of the wave from a generally spherical wave to a generally planar wave. In an embodiment, the booster includes an internal member capable of altering the shape of the detonation wave.