Well Completion and Stimulation——Chapter_7_Sand_control_newest.doc

Chapter 7 Sand Control Sand production is usually associated with wells which are completed at shallow depths of tertiary age. It can also be associated with unconsolidated formations encountered in depths of 16,000 feet or deeper. The appropriate selection of well completion practices is critical in formations that have a tendency towards sand production. Very often problems of sand production are created due to inadequate completion practices. According to Allen and Roberts, 1989 and DePriester, 1972 producing sands are solids that form part of a mechanical structure in formations. Loosely attached fines on the pore surface are always produced and are beneficial because the more they are free to move, the less likely they are to plug the pore by forming bridges across the pore channels. Most sandstone reservoirs can be described as: Solids smaller than 90 percentile are interstitial fines and are produced when production is initiated. Solids between 90 and 75 percentile range bear the smallest formation load and are likely to be produced. Solids larger than 75 percentile are load bearing solids. If a significant part of solids are produced (50-75 percentile) they will certainly present production problems. From past experience industry has developed a basic strategy for controlling sand production. For example, for oil wells in the Gulf Coast, the limit of sand production is considered to be 0.1 percent or 900 lbs/1000 bbl (28gm/m3). In wells with high GOR (10,000 scf/bbl) the limit is set at around 10lbs/100bbl (28gm/m3). In areas where costs of well operation is high, such as the North Sea, this limit is set at as low as 5 lbs/1000 bbl (14 gm/m3). There has been no norm for gas wells as it has been difficult to estimate a sand production limit. Historically, the limit for gas wells was determined based on the erosion in chokes, probes etc in flow lines. Sand production causes reduction in hydrocarbon production and reduces life of subsurface and the surface e