Sand Management Audit: Digital Simulation for Metal Loss and Deposition Risk Analysis, Prediction and Validation - A Case Study
Authors: Gupta Abhishek , Sivakumar Vinnavadi C. Babu , Dwivedi Gaurav , Bhardwaj Kashish , Ahmed Rehan , Mahmud Yusoff , Wahid Ariff Bin Mohd. Abdul , Yusop Addy , Ali Ariff 
Published: February 2024

The objective of the paper is to present a thorough digital analysis of corrosion, erosion, and depositional risks i.e., the challenges in identifying metal loss and deposition hotspots in the specific field that was severely sand prone and to develop an algorithm for prediction. The algorithms were developed, and the predictions made by the digital simulator were verified by the operator against the on-field actual measurements using thickness sensors, choke inspection data and deposition data. The accuracy of prediction suggested absolute reliability of the algorithms developed and is seen to be applicable to the entire field.

The well, facilities and choke health curves were modelled in the simulator and comprehensive Erosion, Corrosion, Sand Deposition and Handling Risks were studied for one of the fields with gas-lift production and dual completions, using the software’s advanced sand travel logics, unique features and multi-level sensitivity analysis. The next step was to identify and quantify metal loss, deposition hotspots and generating performance curves for choke health estimation. Simulations were then run to make future predictions using advanced time-based logics for these hotspots which were later validated. Recommendations for efficient risk management, cost saving and reduced deferred production were presented.

Results from the study are listed as follows:Identification and validation of Metal Loss Hotspots in the flowlines.Validation of Choke Health Analysis Results and development of choke health management strategy.Determined the complimentary effects of Corrosion on Sand Erosion.Identifying deposition severity in each well with dual completion and correlating it with Metal loss values of surface flowlines.Determining Sand Fill-up rate to ascertain the sand cleanout frequencies by generating sand Handling curves.Critical Rate for incremental opportunities and Erosion Determination, for each particle of PSD.Development of a Metal Loss Algorithm, considering all the variables related to Reservoir parameters, sand control, incoming PSD and Concentration etc.Using novel and unique feature of time-based analysis to establish the algorithm for the rate of change of Hydraulic Diameter due to deposition and make the metal Loss/health data visualized on a real-time basis, hence a more pro-active approach to tackle the integrity issues.

The Value Creation and Conclusion:Substantial revenue increment and expenditure reduction by focusing the metal loss surveys to the hotspots only and by reviving the wells shut-in due to high sand deposits.Quantification of Carbon Footprint Reduction due to Lower interventions.Simulations and predictions were later validated with real values, delivering a highly reliable metal loss and deposition prediction model for XY field.

This Simulator has many first in the industry feature which provide anew outlook to the sand management and can be highly beneficial to the industry as it covers a holistic approach covering entire cradle to grave life period of a field.