An initiator head may include a housing extending in an axial direction, a circuit board provided in an interior space of the housing, a line-in terminal provided on a first side of the housing in the axial direction and accessible from an exterior of the housing, and a fuse displaced from the circuit board in the axial direction. A thickness direction of the circuit board may be substantially parallel with the axial direction. The line-in terminal may be in electrical communication with the circuit board. The fuse may be in electrical communication with the circuit board. The circuit board may be configured to activate the fuse in response to a control signal received at the line-in terminal.

An initiator head may include a housing extending in an axial direction, a circuit board provided in an interior space of the housing, a line-in terminal provided on a first side of the housing in the axial direction and accessible from an exterior of the housing, and a fuse displaced from the circuit board in the axial direction. A thickness direction of the circuit board may be substantially parallel with the axial direction. The line-in terminal may be in electrical communication with the circuit board. The fuse may be in electrical communication with the circuit board. The circuit board may be configured to activate the fuse in response to a control signal received at the line-in terminal.

A method involves determining an expansion charge able to selectively expand, without perforating or cutting through, a wall of a tubular in a wellbore. The method includes determining conditions in the wellbore, including hydrostatic pressure bearing on the tubular in the wellbore, and a physical characteristic of the tubular. At a second location other than the wellbore, at least one of the conditions determined in the wellbore is reproduced, and a test tubular is provided at the second location. A test expansion charge able to expand, without perforating or cutting through, the wall of the test tubular, is determined based on the determined conditions. The determined test expansion charge is positioned within the test tubular, and is then actuated to expand the wall of the test tubular radially outward, without perforating or cutting through the wall, to form a test protrusion in the wall of the test tubular.

A shaped charge closure member for encapsulating a slotted shaped charge is described. The closure member includes a body having a closed upper portion, and a lower portion opposite the upper portion. The closure member has first and second side walls, a front wall, and a back wall. Each wall tapers from the lower portion to the upper portion. A skirt having a substantially rectangular cross-section extends vertically away from each of the walls, at the lower portion of the body. The skirt engages with an open portion of a slotted shaped charge case, thereby forming an encapsulated slotted shaped charge. The encapsulated slotted shaped charge may be used in an exposed perforating gun system.

A shaped charge assembly for selectively expanding a wall of a tubular includes a housing comprising an outer surface facing away from the housing and an opposing inner surface facing an interior of the housing. First and second explosive units each includes a predetermined amount of explosive sufficient to expand, without puncturing, at least a portion of the wall of the tubular to form a protrusion extending outward into an annulus adjacent the wall of the tubular.

A booster explosive (10) comprises a canister body 12 within which is a cap well (20) having disposed therein a detonator (24). A protective sleeve (28) encloses the cap well (20) except for that portion of the cap well, the active portion (20d), which encloses the explosive end section (24a) of detonator (24). The protective sleeve serves to attenuate the force of shock waves from nearby prior explosions acting on the detonator (24). An annular air space (32) may be provided between protective sleeve (28) and cap well (20) to further attenuate the force of such shock waves. Attenuation of the shock waves reduces the likelihood of damage to detonators (24) by prior nearby explosions.

A booster explosive (10) comprises a canister body 12 within which is a cap well (20) having disposed therein a detonator (24). A protective sleeve (28) encloses the cap well (20) except for that portion of the cap well, the active portion (20d), which encloses the explosive end section (24a) of detonator (24). The protective sleeve serves to attenuate the force of shock waves from nearby prior explosions acting on the detonator (24). An annular air space (32) may be provided between protective sleeve (28) and cap well (20) to further attenuate the force of such shock waves. Attenuation of the shock waves reduces the likelihood of damage to detonators (24) by prior nearby explosions.

A shaped charge assembly for selectively expanding a wall of a tubular includes a housing comprising an outer surface facing away from the housing and an opposing inner surface facing an interior of the housing. First and second explosive units each includes a predetermined amount of explosive sufficient to expand, without puncturing, at least a portion of the wall of the tubular to form a protrusion extending outward into an annulus adjacent the wall of the tubular.

A method involves determining an expansion charge able to selectively expand, without perforating or cutting through, a wall of a tubular in a wellbore. The method includes determining conditions in the wellbore, including hydrostatic pressure bearing on the tubular in the wellbore, and a physical characteristic of the tubular. At a second location other than the wellbore, at least one of the conditions determined in the wellbore is reproduced, and a test tubular is provided at the second location. A test expansion charge able to expand, without perforating or cutting through, the wall of the test tubular, is determined based on the determined conditions. The determined test expansion charge is positioned within the test tubular, and is then actuated to expand the wall of the test tubular radially outward, without perforating or cutting through the wall, to form a test protrusion in the wall of the test tubular.

Shaped charge devices, systems, and related methods of use. A housing sheet is configurable to form at least part of a shaped charge enclosure enclosing a shaped charge and biasing an explosion in a desired direction. The housing sheet can include one or more incisions in at least one surface thereof. The housing sheet can have at least one connection mechanism integrally formed therein, and the housing sheet can be configurable to form a plurality of sizes of shaped charge housing portions. The housing sheet can also provide for forming a plurality of dimensions of the shaped charge enclosure.