Advanced Sand Control Chemistry To Increase Maximum

Sand Free Rate With Improved Placement Technique - A

Case Study (SPE 2014)
Abstract

The reliability of the production is essential in offshore operations. Producing a well at its maximum
rate is important everywhere. This is often compromised by having sand and fines production which not
only plugs the wells and reduce production rate but also erode the equipment and settle in surface
vessels. This paper describes a case history where an operator was faced with a well that was rate
limited because of fines and sand production. An advanced sand control chemistry system was
proposed and a treatment was designed. In April 2013, the treatment was performed by bullheading
down the production tubing using rate diversion. Extensive engineering was involved in the candidate
selection and planning the operational aspects of the treatment. The execution of the treatment was
divided into stages – sand clean out, performing step rate test, pre-job modeling and pumping the
treatment as per the design. After the treatment, the well was flowed and tested at almost three times
the original maximum sand-free rate (MSFR) at an increased choke without sand production. The well
has now been flowing for more than a year, at significantly higher rate than the previous MSFR sand
free. This paper describes the chemistry of the sand conglomeration, design consideration, execution
and the effect on well performance.

Sand Control

Many oil and gas wells require sand control to stop sand production, either during well construction or
later in well life (often more costly). Sand control can be as follows:

1. Geomechanical methods from day 1, such as oriented or limited perforating, controlling the
drawdown on the well.
2. Traditional mechanical sand control systems such as openhole gravel packing, frac packs, high
rate water packs, high rate water fracs, standalone screens or expandable screens.
3. Other: sand consolidation, and other systems.

This paper will report on a recent sand consolidation application offshore in a gas well.

Background

Chemical sand consolidation has been available to the industry since at least the 1950s (Shaugnessy
1977) but these have generally been solvent-based and often with challenging HSE handling issues. In
the last 10 years or so, there appears to have been a resurgence of interest in such systems, with more
technical papers being published and more operational jobs being executed. One of the key factors in
this has been the development of environmentally friendly consolidation treatments. This has become
possible due to better understanding of the process involved in sand production (Vaziri 2004). One
paper cites lab data where 75 psi of additional unconfined compressive strength (UCS) can withstand a
water flowrate of 275 bwpd through a 0.5” diameter perforation tunnel (Cooper 2010). Wells with a
large number of perforations may therefore not need much additional strength imparted to them to stop
sand production.

Mild, often water based, chemicals have been used for consolidating the weak formations. The merits
of such systems are explained in various publications (Villesca 2010, Cooper 2010, Nguyen 2012, and
Bhasker 2012). That said, other systems include organosilanes, polymers, urea/urease (Kotlar 2005)
and resins (Fuller 2011).
On the 12th of April 2012, EGAS hosted a seminar introducing
Weatherford’s latest SandAid™ Sand Conglomeration Technology.
Presenting the technology was Rami Hamad, Weatherford’s MENA
Region Business Unit Manager. The seminar attracted the attendance
of several petroleum companies such as PHPC, Wastani, Melrose,
Rashpetco, Bapetco, Dapetco and Khalda Petroleum.

Weatherford’s New approach to sand control increases the maximum sand-free

rate (MSFR) to boost total reservoir performance. SandAid sand
conglomeration technology is a one-of-a-kind patented chemical that
simultaneously increases the bond between particles, reduces water cut, and
traps fines to increase maximum sand-free rate and reduces water production.
This unique technology is another big advancement in production enhancement
and sand management from Weatherford.

Tested in more than 30 wells, SandAid sand conglomeration technology has

provided lasting effectiveness in every single case. It increased sand-free flow
rates in every case for periods exceeding 16 months. Maximum sand-free rates
increased as much as 50 percent, and water cut was reduced up to 60 percent.
The benefits that can be realized include reduced lifting costs by increasing
sand-free rates and reducing water production, increased production rates by
preventing fines migration and near-wellbore damage and keeping perf tunnels
open to reduce skin damage.

In addition, the new technology contributes to the reduction of erosion and

corrosion damage to tubulars and surface equipment by more effective sand
and water control. It will also reduce the need for frac packs by preventing perf
tunnel collapse and intermixing formation sand with gravel- pack sand thus
enabling more effective high-rate water packs.

SandAid Adapts to changing reservoir stress conditions by remaining ductile

and its reconglomerating capability. It can be simply applied due to the
flexibility in mixing with power-law and Newtonian fluids, resulting in the
treatment of long intervals (up to 16 months and counting.) Under-displaced
SandAid chemistry is simply produced out of the well, unlike resin- or epoxy-
based solutions. Last but not least, rigorous core tests confirm improved
permeability with no compatibility issues

Weatherford’s pumping and chemical services group is committed to providing

the highest level of safety, service and efficiency for every job. Weatherford
offers its complete sand control services, which in addition to our SandAid
technology includes:

 Pumping services
 High-performance chemicals
 Expandable and conventional sand screens
 Gravel-pack
 Frac-pack
 Thru-tubing, gravel-pack
For more information contact us at sandcontrol@weatherford.com or visit
us online at weatherford.com/pcs for stimulating ideas for production
improvement.

By Weatherford