Content Tagged: "sand control"

Covers sand control topics from rock mechanics to equipment. Emphasizes estimation and control methods. Presents gravel-pack design and placement procedures in detail, describing surface equipment used, as well as downhole screens and associated equipment.

Diagnose production problems related to formation damage and recommend appropriate solutions. Upon completion of this module, the participant should be able to: diagnose various types of formation damage and identify stimulation candidates, design a matrix acid stimulation treatment based on specific well conditions and reservoir characteristics, specify the materials, equipment and pumping schedule for a hydraulic fracturing procedure, and apply traditional and modern sand control methods to optimize well productivity.

Producing unconventional wells has its challenges. A costly challenge is sand production. Various sand control technologies are available today on th

This presentation in Spanish (slides in English) is from the 2020 SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference. Our archived 2020

A major issue facing many production engineers is sand management. There are many obstacles equipment hasn’t historically been able to overcome and

This presentation gives an overview of the various sand control techniques before discussing gravel packing in more detail, enabling the audience to better understand the placement techniques and their respective pros, cons and application windows. Real-life examples are used to highlight the importance of modelling in the proper planning and execution of such treatments, providing the audience with a systematic workflow for gravel pack placement technique selection that can be used to minimize placement risk and maximize the likelihood of treatment success.

All oil & gas wells produce sand – either a little or a lot! Conventional sand control, which includes production limits or completions, has two downsides: 1. neither method achieves maximum production 2. both methods fail at some point - allowing solids to overwhelm the surface facility Solids handling then becomes an expensive maintenance problem, HSE incident, or downtime production loss. What if the facility handled sand without interruption or equipment downtime? Even better, what if sand co-production improved recovery or restarted shut-in wells? Facilities Sand Management (FSM) skillfully handles solids to sustain production while minimizing the effects on operations. FSM methodology uses five discrete steps: Separation, Collection, Cleaning, Dewatering, and Transport. All steps must be followed, with a focus on the approach - not a piece of equipment. Separation removes sand and solids from the flow stream, while Collection gathers the solids into a central location and isolate them from the process. Cleaning, if required, removes associated oil and Dewatering removes associated liquids – both to simplify handling and minimize handling volume. Transport brings the solids to disposal location, which may be discharge, landfill, ship-to-shore, or injection. Each step is integral to simplify operations and extend equipment life, and all steps can be incorporated into new or existing facilities. Solids handling should not be viewed as a waste stream treatment problem – it is a critical flow assurance task. FSM provides a degree of skill to solids handling to sustain flow in surface operations and enhance production.

This presentation reviews the fundamental causes and impact of sand production before introducing the various sand control techniques used across the industry along with their respective advantages and challenges.

Facilities Sand Management (FSM) is tasked with the goal of ensuring sustained hydrocarbon production when particulate solids are present in well fluids, while minimizing the impact of these produced solids on surface equipment. Conventional sand management focuses on sand exclusion from the wellbore, either by production limits or completion design. Improper or failed completions result in high levels of sand production, and even proper completions will still pass some quantities of sand. An inclusion paradigm that all oil & gas wells produce sand, either now or in the future, deals with co-production of fluids and solids. A solids handling methodology incorporating separation, collection, cleaning, dewatering, transport, and disposal into new or existing facilities simplifies production operations, extends facilities life, restarts shut-in wells, can improve total hydrocarbon recovery, and allows sustainable hydrocarbon production.