The Impact of Sand and Asphaltic Production Problems on Pressure Behavior and Flow Regimes

Abstract

Abstract Asphaltic and sand production problems are common production challenges in the petroleum industry. Asphaltic problem results from the depositions of heavy material (asphaltene) in the vicinity of the well which may cause severe formation damage. Asphaltic materials are expected to deposit in all type of reservoirs. Sand production refers to the phenomenon of solid particles being produced together with the petroleum fluids. These two problems represent a major concern in oil and gas production systems either in the wellbore section or in the surface treatment facilities. Production data, well logging, laboratory testing, acoustic, intrusive sand monitoring devices, and analogy are different techniques used to predict sand production. This paper introduces a new technique to predict and quantify the skin factor resulting from asphaltene deposition and/or sand production using pressure transient analysis. Pressure behavior and flow regimes in the vicinity of horizontal wellbore are extremely influenced by this skin factor. Analytical models for predicting this problem and determining how many zones of the horizontal well that are affected by sand production or asphaltic deposition have been introduced in this study. These models have been derived based on the assumption that wellbore can be divided into multi-subsequent segments of producing and non-producing intervals. Producing intervals represent free flowing zones while non producing intervals represent zones where perforations are closed because of sand or asphaltic deposits. The effective length of the segments of a horizontal well where sand and/or asphaltene are significantly closing the perforations can be calculated either from the early radial or linear flow. Similarly, the effective length of the undamaged segments can be determined from these two flow regimes. The numbers of the damaged and undamaged zones can be calculated either from the intermediate radial (secondary radial) or linear flow if they are observed. If both flow regimes are not observed, the zones can be calculated using type curve matching technique. The paper will include the main type-curves, step-by-step procedure for interpreting the pressure test without using type curve matching technique when all necessary flow regimes are observed. A step-by-step procedure for analyzing pressure tests using the type-curve matching technique will also be presented. The procedure will be illustrated by several numerical examples.