Advanced Live Well Deployment System Enables Remedial Sand Control Solution

Abstract

In producing fields in moderately consolidated sandstone reservoirs, at any given time it is possible if not likely to have wells underperforming or even shut-in due to sand production. Later in the life of these fields, this issue becomes even more significant. Often times the reserves don't justify the economics of a full rig workover or the productivity risk of well kill operations. In these cases, the only option to restore productivity is utilizing through-tubing methods, deployed into the live well. Historically these systems have presented significant limitations in terms of interval length and reliability. However, by utilizing an advanced deployment system to eliminate mechanical risks and length limitations of typical through tubing systems, and by integrating this with a detailed, analytical approach to sand control selection, the benefits of live-well deployment can be realized without sacrifice in terms of installation reliability or long-term productivity. A detailed engineering and testing process was applied to insure ruggedness and ease of use in the field on the mechanical deployment system to allow virtually any length assembly to be deployed using conventional coiled tubing BOP equipment. Concurrently, a thorough analysis is conducted to understand sanding tendencies across the interval and particle and flow characteristics in order to select and optimize sand screen characteristics as well as isolation devices to compartmentalize the interval for maximum well life. The paper will demonstrate multiple applications of the resulting system which allowed efficient installation across large producing intervals without the introduction of kill weight fluids, eliminating the associated productivity damage and risk. The operations were completed without NPT and the associated costs. The active sand control design and the detailed producing plan enabled production above targeted rates maintained to date.