Gravel Placement in Wells

Abstract

Several gravel-placement techniques are available for prepacking and gravel packing wells where sand control is required. Water and viscous fluids have been used effectively to prepack gravel outside perforations; however, when an annulus is gravel packed, advantages and disadvantages of each fluid become more apparent. Research and field experience have shown that water is a more general-purpose transport fluid for gravel packing than viscous fluids, which are best suited for low well deviations and relatively short completion intervals.

Sand Control Methods

“…Inside gravel packs are used when it is necessary to exclude gas, water or shale problems. The recommendations for realization of improved productivity in inside gravel pack installations are: (1) removing of perforation debris, (2) use of proper and clean completion fluid, (3) use of smaller gravel sizes, and (4) assure squeeze packing of the perforations (Penberthy Jr and Echols 1993). The job can be executed as a single-stage or two-stage process.…”

Factors Affecting Horizontal Well Gravel Pack Efficiency

“…This is in agreement with the general acceptable practice for gravel packing horizontal wells and earlier experimental observations in the literature. 1,6,7,9,11,17 With settling effect under consideration, the result is very different. Fig.…”

“…Penberthy et al 11 provided the basis for the water packing techniques used in the majority of applications today. They reviewed testing and field experience gained in gravel packing several long horizontal wells and gravel packed over twenty wells with intervals ranging from 600-ft to 2500-ft.…”

A Review of Completions and Gravel-Pack Techniques of the Xijiang Development

“…High leakoff rates improve effective perforation packing. 13 2. Acid is effective in removing possible formation damage incurred during the drilling operations.…”