Sand Screen Design and Optimization for Horizontal Wells Using Reservoir Grain Size Distribution Mapping

Mahmoudi, Mahdi; Roostaei, Morteza; Ghalambor, Ali

doi:10.2118/179036-ms

Cited by 19 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Sand production is also a relevant scientific challenge. This is primarily due to the need for inherent scientific research and the development of a systematic approach, which consists in the reasonable choice of the most effective technologies (4,5), as well as in the integrated simulating (numerical, physical and field) of processes occurring in the system «well-bottom hole zone».…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific and Methodological Support of Sand Management During Operation of Horizontal Wells

Tananykhin

2024

IJE

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The paper presents a new scientifically based approach for the selection of sand control technology, which is dedicated to enhance the efficiency of the development of unconsolidated reservoirs. Established laboratory and methodological complexes for physical simulating of the sand producing process were analyzed in order to obtain new knowledge and confirm the available theories. All of them have their advantages and disadvantages, but their simultaneous application revealed characteristic dependencies between the sand production and the studied parameter (grain size distribution, pressure drop, clay content, water cut, gas/oil ratio, etc.). Author proposed concepts of mathematical apparatus improvement to increase the quality of assessing the ability of formation fluids to transport particles of different grain size distribution within the formation, as well as in the inner part of tubing. The effect of each of the characterizing factors on suspended solids concertation (SSC) was studied as a result of more than 300 laboratory experiments. According to the observation, there is a sharp decrease in SSC after the first stage (sampling). Thus, the author determined that the main inflow of mechanical impurities occurs during flow stimulation and after shutdowns. In conclusion, author substantiated the method for limiting sand production using polymers with shape memory based on the results of the performed set of tests. Proposed method allows limited passage of particles with diameter less than 50 µm, which creates conditions for noncolmaticity of screen while maintaining geomechanical stability of bottom-hole formation zone.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Scientific and Methodological Support of Sand Management During Operation of Horizontal Wells

Tananykhin

2024

IJE

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“…After placing a vertical production well at the bottom and a horizontal injection well at the top, the remaining oil can be produced with the aid of the gravity of thick oil layer. Horizontal injection well has advantages of low injection pressure and large injection volume, and especially it can improve the sweep efficiency [11,12]. The gravity in thick reservoir contributes to the enhancement of vertical seepage velocity, which makes oil and water exchange sufficiently.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanistic Studies of Gravity-Assisted Water Flooding in a Thick Heavy Oil Reservoir through Horizontal Injectors Using Three-Dimensional Physical Model

Kong

Wang

Zhou

et al. 2016

Mathematical Problems in Engineering

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Laboratory experiments were conducted to investigate the mechanism(s) of water flood with horizontal injection wells. The experiment was performed using a three-dimensional (3D) physical model made by artificial sandstone of the dimension of 60 cm × 30 cm × 5 cm. The saturation profile of oil and water phases was monitored by measuring the electrical resistivity using microelectrodes. It is difficult to model a field-scale gravity-assisted water flood process in the laboratory as the gravity force is very small in the physical model. In this paper, similarity criteria, dimensional analysis, andπprinciple were used to design the model parameters. We found that the ratios of gravity force to production pressure differential, capillary force, and viscous force are the three most important similarity criteria. Based on dimensional analysis, both capillary and viscous forces were designed in the physical model to represent the capillary and bond number in the reservoir conditions. Hence, in physical model, rock permeability of 6 darcies was selected to reduce the capillary force and the fluid viscosity of 583 cp was selected to reduce the viscous force based on calculation. The use of horizontal injection well can improve the sweep efficiency by 17.2%, compared with the case of vertical injection well. To determine the optimal driving force, the ratio of gravity force and production pressure differential was varied from 1 : 1 to 1 : 16. The experiment has shown that the ratio of 1 : 8 yields the highest heavy oil recovery (44.04%).

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Effect of Near Wellbore Effective Stress on the Performance of Slotted Liner Completions in SAGD Operations

Fattahpour

Azadbakht

Mahmoudi

et al. 2016

Day 3 Wed, November 30, 2016

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In SAGD wells, the gap between the oil sand and the sand control liner closes or collapses over time due to such factors as the oil sand thermal expansion, the melting of bitumen and the ensuing loss of the apparent bonding between the grains. The result is the buildup of effective stresses and the gradual compaction of the oil sands around the liner. Current practices for the sand control design do not account for the effect of time-dependent effective stress variation around the liner on the sand control performance. In this paper, we outline the results of an experimental study on the effect of near-liner effective stress on the performance of slotted liners. This study builds on existing experimental procedures and investigates fines migration, sand production and clogging tendency of slotted liner coupons in large-scale unconsolidated sand-packs. Sand-packs with controlled properties (grain size distribution, grain shape, and mineralogy) are packed on a multi-slot sand control coupon in a triaxial cell assembly. Varying levels of stress are applied to the sand-packs in directions parallel and perpendicular to the multi-slot coupon. For each stress level, brine is injected into the sand-pack from the top surface of the sample towards the coupon. Test measurements include pressure drops across the sand-pack and the coupon as well as the produced sand/fines mass for each stress level. Post-mortem analysis is performed to measure fines/clay concentration along the sand-pack as a direct measure of fines migration. Experimental results show that under the subsequent increase in effective stresses, sand-packs experience considerable deformations in directions parallel and perpendicular to the multi-slot coupon; which result in a drastic drop in the porosity and retained permeability. Test results show that the maximum reduction in permeability occurs in the vicinity of the multi-slot coupons due to the fines accumulation and the higher compaction in that region. In comparison to experiments with no confining stress, the application of confining stress results in lower retained permeability in the sand-packs as well as reduced sand production. This paper presents, for the first time, the effect of near wellbore effective stress on clogging tendency and sand retention characteristics of slotted liner completions. The tests allow the assessment of the adequacy of the use of existing design criteria over the life cycle of the well under variable stress conditions around the liner.

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Sand Screen Design and Optimization for Horizontal Wells Using Reservoir Grain Size Distribution Mapping

Cited by 19 publications

References 25 publications

Scientific and Methodological Support of Sand Management During Operation of Horizontal Wells

Scientific and Methodological Support of Sand Management During Operation of Horizontal Wells

Mechanistic Studies of Gravity-Assisted Water Flooding in a Thick Heavy Oil Reservoir through Horizontal Injectors Using Three-Dimensional Physical Model

Effect of Near Wellbore Effective Stress on the Performance of Slotted Liner Completions in SAGD Operations

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