Comparison of Sand Onset and Sand Mass Models in a Field Case

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Sand production onset and mass/rate predictions are difficult to validate in the field because the field sand production data are often unreliable. To overcome this difficulty recent research has concentrated in representing as realistically as possible the field conditions in laboratory experiments and focused on the effects of fluid saturation of the test specimens and the effects of stress anisotropy. The laboratory results were used to calibrate a semi-analytical model and a numerical nonlinear finite element model for developed for sand onset and sand mass/rate prediction studies. The correlations pertain to sand production functions that depend on the fluid saturation and stress anisotropy and account for the observed physical behavior in the laboratory. The models are compared for field case analyses including parametric studies of various completion and operational parameters. They show the importance of anisotropy and fluid saturation during the upscaling from laboratory data to the field. 1. INTRODUCTION Sand management of sand producing field requires accurate predictions of sand onset and sand mass to optimize the well completion method and the drawdown and depletion during the life of the well. Research in sand production has addressed various issues in this topic by e.g., classifying sandstones according to their sand production potential, by looking at multiphase flow conditions and the effect of water breakthrough and gas flow in gas reservoirs. Recent research has concentrated in representing as realistically as possible the field conditions in laboratory experiments and focused on the effects of fluid saturation of the test specimens and the effects of stress anisotropy. The laboratory results are used to calibrate both a semi analytical model for sand onset and sand mass prediction and a numerical model with empirical correlations based on field data. Both models are used in the industry for field case analyses and sand onset and mass predictions.