Several downhole-sand-control failures in Okwori subsea oil producers triggered a significant overhaul of the downholesand-control method and a review of topside sand management. Because the eventuality of further downhole-sand-control failures in existing producers could not be ignored, a surfacesand-handling and -management facility was designed. For the future development producers, the downhole-sand-control method was re-engineered to increase its reliability. The initial multizone, fully selective sand-control-completion system, with expanded sand screens inside the casing, was abandoned. A revised openhole sand control was designed with similar completion selectivity. The new completion system implied a change in drilling practices, in reservoir drill-in fluid, and in filter-cake-cleanup techniques that required simultaneous engineering. These revisions were validated and implemented only a few months after encountering the first major sand-control failure. The Okwori floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel was not expected to deal with sand production. Temporary sand traps were installed to minimize production downtime and to determine flow regimes that minimized sand production. Severe-service adjustable chokes were introduced to avoid valve erosion and stabilize production rates. Finally, a long-term topside-sand-management solution was designed and recommended for implementation.
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