New Advancements in Mitigating Sand Production in Unconsolidated Formations

Abstract

Sanding in oil production and water injection wells has been a severe problem in a sandstone formation. Many technical solutions have been evaluated by Saudi Aramco. These solutions encompass mechanical sand exclusion methods such as screen, gravel packing, and frac and pack. Various production and completion practices such as controlling the production rate and following specific well completion guidelines to minimize sand production have failed to provide satisfactory returns. Several limitations such as screen plugging and costs associated with deploying expandable screens make the current mechanical sand control practices more expensive. Chemical sand consolidation could present the most cost-effective remediation and prevention opportunity. Additionally, this would also allow the wellbore to be free of tools, screens and pack sands. With the cost benefit and technical challenges in mind, a new chemical system was developed to effectively consolidate loose sand, which has caused injectivity and productivity decline and costly clean out operations. The newly develop chemical system is based on resin backbone with a curing agent to harden under reservoir temperature. A permeability enhancing additive is incorporated in the system to achieve excellent and controllable regained permeability of the consolidated sand pack. This paper presents the new advancements in preventing wellbore sand production. The newly developed sand consolidation chemical was studied for their ability to consolidate loose sand and at the same time maintain good permeability. The new sand consolidation chemical system showed several key advantages over the current commercial products, including its easy mixing procedure and superior performance in consolidation strength and regained permeability. It was shown that the permeability enhancer incorporated in the new sand consolidation product is the key to maintain superior regained permeability. In addition, it was shown that the new product provides a controllable curing time up to several days, thereby avoiding any premature setting of the resin in the wellbore. Furthermore, the new system is also compatible with acids to eliminate any post-job production issues if the formation is acidized in the future.

Chemical Sand Consolidation: From Polymers to Nanoparticles

“…As examples of the implementation of permeability enhancing additive (PEA), Kalgaonkar et al [97] have conducted experiments using resin composing of two chemical components (donated as A and B) assisted with permeability enhancing additive (PEA), Table 17. The first chemical component is the main resin chemical while the second component is the curing agent for the resin chemical, which is used to produce a low viscosity fluid for easy pumping.…”

“…When investigating the resin with PEA they found that the consolidated sand pack yield strength is 4-6 times the compressive strength of the original core, with values exceeding 1000 psi. In addition, the new method has shown other attractive attributes, including easy mixing procedure, maintaining the permeability, and higher controllable curing time up to some days, so averting any premature setting of the resin in the wellbore [97]. Some advantages and disadvantages of permeability enhancing additive (PEA) method as reported in literature are summarized in Table 18.…”

“…Some advantages and disadvantages of permeability enhancing additive (PEA) method as reported in literature are summarized in Table 18. Kalgaonkar et al [97] a permeability enhancing additive (PEA) 1000 70% regain permeability 90 Table 18. Advantages and disadvantages of permeability enhancing additive (PEA) method.…”

“…Temperature sensitivity up to 90 °C Maintains the permeability. Can give a controllable curing time up to some days, so avoiding any premature setting of the resin in the wellbore [97].…”

Uniform Acid Cleaning Technology and Its Application in Horizontal Wells with Open Hole Screen Tube

“…(3) Incomplete acid flowback in screen tube well section and formation deficit section will lead to screen tube corrosion and affect the effective period of sand control. In order to prolong the effective period of sand control for horizontal wells in unconsolidated sandstone formation and improve the productivity of single wells, it is necessary to analyze the main factors that affect the uniform acid entering into the formation, optimize the balanced acid washing reverse drainage technology on this basis, and improve the production effect of horizontal wells [15][16][17][18][19] .…”