Sand Production Prediction in High Rate, Perforated and Open-hole Gas Wells (2000)

Sand Production Prediction in High Rate, Perforated and Open-hole Gas Wells Seehong Ong; Seehong Ong Baker Atlas Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Rico Ramos; Rico Ramos Arco Exploration & Production Technology Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Ziqiong Zheng Ziqiong Zheng Baker Atlas Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Scholar Paper presented at the SPE International Symposium on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, February 2000. Paper Number: SPE-58721-MS https://doi.org/10.2118/58721-MS Published: February 23 2000 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Twitter LinkedIn Get Permissions Search Site Citation Ong, Seehong, Ramos, Rico, and Ziqiong Zheng. "Sand Production Prediction in High Rate, Perforated and Open-hole Gas Wells." Paper presented at the SPE International Symposium on Formation Damage Control, Lafayette, Louisiana, February 2000. doi: https://doi.org/10.2118/58721-MS Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex Search nav search search input Search input auto suggest search filter All ContentAll ProceedingsSociety of Petroleum Engineers (SPE)SPE International Conference and Exhibition on Formation Damage Control Search Advanced Search AbstractThis paper presents an analytical model for the prediction of the on-set of sand production or critical drawdown pressure (CDP) in high rate gas wells. The model describes the perforation and open-hole cavity stability incorporating both rock and fluid mechanics fundamentals. The pore pressure gradient is calculated using the non-Darcy gas flow equation and coupled with the stress-state for a perfectly Mohr-Coulomb material. Sand production is assumed to initiate when the drawdown pressure condition (i.e. atCDP) induces tensile stresses across the cavity face. Both spherical and cylindrical models are presented. The spherical model is suitable for cased and perforated applications while the cylindrical model is used for a horizontal open-hole completion.For input, the model requires cohesive strength and an internal friction angle that characterizes a Mohr-Coulomb material; preferably predicted using a log-based mechanical properties algorithm in order to generate a foot-by-foot profile of the maximum sand free drawdown for gas wells. The example GOM well illustrates a continuous profile of critical drawdown with depth, providing quick identification of potential sand producing zones. This allows a gravel pack decision to be made in the period between logging and completion. It also facilitates the design of selective perforation programs.The model demonstrates that non-Darcy flow has a considerable effect on the sanding tendency of weak but competent rock, and completion decisions in high gas-rate wells that neglect the influence of non-Darcy flow could be overly optimistic. It also shows that theCDP of a horizontal well with slotted liner is less than that of the corresponding cased and perforated completion.IntroductionHigh-rate gas well completions are common practice in offshore developments and among some of the most prolific gas fields in the world. These fields typically have reservoirs that are highly porous and permeable but weakly consolidated or cemented, and sand production is a major concern. Because of the high gas velocity in the tubing, any sand production associated with this high velocity can be extremely detrimental to the integrity of surface and downhole equipment and pose extreme safety hazards. Prediction of a maximum sand free production rate is therefore critical, not only from a safety point of view but also economically. The unnecessary application of sand controlled techniques, as a precaution against anticipated sand production, can cause an increase in completion costs and a possible reduction in well productivity. However, if operating conditions dictate the need for sand exclusion, such techniques can make a well, which otherwise could have been abandoned or not developed, extremely profitable. The ability to accurately predict CDP is, therefore, critical to optimizing the completion strategy.Two mechanisms responsible for sand production are compressive and tensile failures. Compressive failure refers to tangential stresses near the cavity wall exceeding the compressive strength of the formation. Both stress concentration and fluid withdrawal can trigger this condition. Tensile failure refers to tensile stress triggered exclusively by drawdown pressure exceeding the tensile failure criterion. Veeken et al. 's1 review noted that laboratory and production experiments support the existence of both types of failure mechanisms; with tensile failure predominating in unconsolidated sands and compressive failure in consolidated sandstone. The consensus is that near borehole stresses cause desegregation of the formation while the fluid drag forces provide the medium to remove the failed materials. Keywords: variation, flow in porous media, fluid dynamics, permeability, high rate, directional drilling, stability, application, cavity, well logging Subjects: Drilling Operations, Reservoir Characterization, Reservoir Fluid Dynamics, Formation Evaluation & Management, Directional drilling, Perforating, Flow in porous media, Open hole/cased hole log analysis, Completion Installation and Operations, Completion Operations This content is only available via PDF. 2000. 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