Geomechanics Applied to Perforating Design: One Solution to Reduce the Sand Production Risk

SPE Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference

Quintero

Martin

2014

Sand production in oil and gas wells is a complex problem that requires an integral analysis of rock mechanics, mineralogy, granulometry, etc. that allows a risk management in order to make the best technical and economic decision. In this study the background, strategy used in the past and in the present to tackle the problem of sanding, and Cases of evaluation of alternatives SEM (sand exclusion and management) in the recent history of the fields Casabe, Lisama, Galán, Llanito and Bonanza, located in the basin of the Middle Magdalena Valley in Colombia, are shown. The effects of water injection and the gravel packing, in the low drainage and repression of the reservoir in the Casabe field are shown. These effects are: injected water distribution, behavior of pressure and sand cleaning jobs in packaged and unpackaged wells, production, effective injectivity and bsw before and after the gravel packings, number of wells packaged, abandoned producer wells, injectors collapsed, etc. Also mentioned are other factors that affected the low drainage and the repression of the reservoir, such as: reservoir heterogeneity, granulometry (% fines), mineralogy (migratory and swelling clays, etc.). After Casabe field experience, the problem was approached very conservatively, limited at the drawdown control and the use of special metallurgy and sand cleaning jobs, etc. Today the problem is focusing differently, considering new technologies and an integral analysis of the reservoir. To carry out the above, the methodology SEM (Sand Exclusion and Management) was developed for the selection and technical-economic evaluation of alternatives of exclusion and/or management of sand during drilling; completion and production, which including probabilistic risk analysis. The following case studies are presented in this article: Application of the methodology SEMEvaluation and implementation of sand exclusion and management technologies Chemical Consolidation (Laboratory)Chemical Treatment (Laboratory – Oil field)Screen Less Frac (Oil field)Artificial Lift Experiences With Sand ProductionAcoustic MonitoringGeomechanics applied to reduce risk of sanding during drilling, completion and productionDesign and Implementation of Software Tool Finally, conclusions and recommendations obtained in this study are shown.

A Review at the Problem of Sanding in Colombia: Evolution and Cases of Evaluation for Sand Exclusion and Management Alternatives

SPE Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference

Quintero

Martin

2014

Drawdown Management: A Technical and Economic Alternative for Sand Control in Wells: A Colombian Field Application

SPE Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference

Quintero

Contreras³

2014

One of the most common problems during the hydrocarbon production is sand production. Efficient control of the sand production without causing formation damage will depend on the knowledge that we have of the reservoir and also of the designs and estimates that we make during the drilling, completion and production. Sand production causes many problems ranging from collapses in casing, failures of subsurface equipment and surface facilities and accumulation in downhole generating continuous interventions, up to the point of making unproductive wells, thus putting in risk the future interventions of the wells and the capacity thereof in the long term. In the oil industry there is a diverse range of technologies to control and / or exclusion of sand in open hole and / or case hole that can be mechanicals or chemicals, but the selection must be done carefully, taking into account granulometric and mineralogical criteria for proper selection, because although that we choose the best alternative technique and do a good sand control, the solution may not be optimal from the economic standpoint. A good decision making process considers other alternatives for sand control, such as handling the drawdown pressure, which in some cases proves to be a technical and economic alternative, especially when the critical drawdown pressure (CDP) presents values over 40% of the reservoir pressure. A geomechanics evaluation establishes the predictive model of sand production, which allows us to determine the critical drawdown Pressure. From density logs, Vsh, sonic logs, etc. and correlations, the compressive strength (UCS), cohesion, angle of internal friction and mechanical properties of the rock (Young modulus, Poisson's ratio, etc.) are determined. With a geomechanical model (previously selected and evaluated with field and laboratory data), the pressure gradient and the mechanical properties of the rock, the predictive model of sand production is established. This study was conducted in the fields: Lisama, Galán, Llanito, Yarigui, Cantagallo and Bonanza in Colombia. This article presents the case study in the well Lisama 166, where the drawdown management became a technical and economic alternative for sand control. Finally, conclusions and recommendations obtained in this study are shown.

Modifying the Zeta Potential of Formation Fines Utilizing Chemical Treatment: An Alternative to Sand Control to Increase Productivity: A Colombian Field Application

SPE Latin America and Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference

Valencia

Bahamón

et al. 2014

Sand production in oil and gas wells is a complex problem that requires a multidisciplinary analysis to arrive at an optimal solution of the problem and thus increases the productivity of oil fields with problems of production of sand. Many operators choose as first alternative, the exclusion of sand, avoiding doing a risk management, which ultimately provides lower index of productivity and in many cases convert the wells with sand problems in unproductive wells. Therefore always be a better option the sand management and take as a last option the sand exclusion, obviously framed within a technical and economic evaluation of alternatives. In most cases when we refer to a chemical treatment for sand control, it tends to confuse with chemical consolidation treatments, however a different option, is the application of chemical treatments to modify the zeta potential of the formation fines that has been very successful. Modifying The zeta potential to optimum range, provides a strengthened attraction between the particles to optimally align proppant type, sand particles, fines, etc., allowing the formation of conglomerates of proppant, sand, fines, etc., improving conductivity and control of fines migration. This study focused on the evaluation in the laboratory of chemical treatment (compatibility, zeta potential and rock-fluid testing, etc.), mineralogical and granulometric analysis of sand and fines produced by wells with sanding problems, selection of wells and treatment zones, quantification of costs associated with sanding problems, technical and economic evaluation of the application of treatments in candidate wells, etc. This paper presents the results of the laboratory evaluation of chemical treatment (satisfactory results in compatibility and modification of the zeta potential, permeability returns of over 80%, etc.) and implementation in the well Bonanza 39, located in the Basin of the Middle Magdalena Valley in Colombia, where dropped dramatically the frequency of interventions by sanding problems. Before chemical treatment, the well had a monthly intervention and after nine months of the treatment, has not required intervention, allowing increase productivity of the well. Finally, the main findings, conclusions and recommendations obtained in this study are shown.