Patent ID: 8210249

Claim:
A system, comprising: a blending device to prepare a slurry comprising a carrier fluid suspending a first amount of particulates from a gravel carrier, a second amount of particulates, and a third amount of particulates, wherein the carrier fluid comprises a brine and a viscosifier, wherein the viscosifier is present in an amount less than about 20 lb per 1000 gallons of carrier fluid, and wherein the sum of the mass of the particulates is greater than about 20 pounds per gallon of carrier fluid; wherein the first amount of particulates have a first average particle volume, the second amount of particulates have a second average particle volume, and the third amount of particulates have a third average particle volume; wherein the first average particle volume comprises an average particle volume between 27 and 3375 times larger than the second average particle volume, and wherein the second average particle volume comprises an average particle volume larger than the third average particle volume; and tubing to position a screen in the wellbore and a slurry pump to circulate in the wellbore the slurry from the blending device in any order such that the first amount of particulates, the second amount of particulates, and the third amount of particulates are deposited between the screen and a surface of the wellbore to form a gravel pack.