Abstract
Horizontal well gravel packing is the most commonly used sand control technology in offshore oil and gas fields. For extreme conditions such as deepwater, low fracture pressure formations, and long horizontal well bore length, targeted and cost-effective measures are required. According to the friction models in different stages of gravel packing process of horizontal well, the corresponding friction is calculated and compared. According to the calculation, during the entire packing process, the washpipe/screen annular friction is the largest in β wave packing stage, which reflects that higher packing pressure is required in this stage, and the formation fracture pressure is easily broken at this stage. According to the equilibrium flow velocity, the calculation method and flow chart of α -wave sand bed height were put forward. The criterion and calculation method of packing length were designed. The influencing factors of viscosity, density and leakage rate of carrier fluid on α-wave packing length were discussed. The quantitative analysis was carried out. The design and calculation method of α-β wave packing length considering the successful completion of α wave packing and the successful completion of β wave reverse packing was put forward. The corresponding software was compiled to discuss and calculate the quantitative analysis of the factors affecting the α-β wave packing length, such as the density of carrier fluid, gravel density and washpipe/screen ratio. For specific conditions, certain criteria and methods can be used to design and optimize horizontal well gravel packing length.
Highlights
With the increase of oil and natural gas demand and the progress of horizontal well drilling and completion technology, increasing the length of horizontal well to improve production has become increasingly popular, especially in the development of offshore oil and gas fields
For offshore oil and gas fields, most of them are in extreme conditions, such as deepwater, ultra-deepwater, long or ultra-long horizontal wellbore section, and unconsolidated oil and gas reservoirs with low fracture pressure gradient
The gravel concentration in wellbore/screen annulus will increase with the carrier fluid leakage along packing process, resulting in high sand bed height
Summary
With the increase of oil and natural gas demand and the progress of horizontal well drilling and completion technology, increasing the length of horizontal well to improve production has become increasingly popular, especially in the development of offshore oil and gas fields. For offshore oil and gas fields, most of them are in extreme conditions, such as deepwater, ultra-deepwater, long or ultra-long horizontal wellbore section, and unconsolidated oil and gas reservoirs with low fracture pressure gradient Most of these wells require sand control, and horizontal well gravel pack sand control is the most common completion method. Gravel particles begin to reverse pack from the toe of the wellbore in the upper part of the already formed α wave sand bed to the heel of the horizontal section This process is called the β-wave pack stage. If the pump rate is low, the carrying capacity of carrier fluid to carry gravel is insufficient Both of these conditions can lead to premature bridging and pack failure, which can make the packing process very complicated and difficult to control. For specific conditions, it is necessary to design and calculate the horizontal well gravel packing length, and analyze the influence of construction parameters on the packing length, which is of great significance for reasonable design and optimization
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
