SAND CONTROL

Sand production problems are commonly associated with weak reservoir formations, high in-situ stresses, and high production rate. Sand control strategy is required prior to a production operation. A determination regarding to if and what sand control methods should be used in the fields prior to an operation spells millions of dollar to companies, and an accurate prediction on the onset of sand production is vital for economically successful operations.

On the other hand, a limited amount of sand production can improve reservoir mobility and an evaluation on sand rate becomes increasingly important.

This is particularly important for horizontal well where well clean is extremely expensive. A practical tool predicting the cumulative sand production and reservoir improvement due to sand production is useful. Both field and numerical skills are used to forecast the incipience of sand production, which allow operators to determine when and if a sand control strategy is necessary.