Horizontal Well Gravel Packing: Dynamic Alpha Wave Dune Height Calculation and Its Impact on Gravel Placement Job Execution

Abstract

fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractGravel packing long horizontal wells presents many challenges to completion operations. The accurate calculation of Alpha wave dune height under dynamic wellbore conditions is on the top of the list. Alpha wave dune height is critical during job planning and the afterward successful gravel placement execution. Excessive Alpha wave dune height is the cause of many early time screenout and job failures. The job parameters, including wellbore geometry, pump rate, leakoff and leakoff control, fluid density and viscosity, gravel particle size and geometry, liteProp and conventional gravel, wellbore temperature profile, bottomhole pressure distribution, will all have impact on Alpha wave height.This paper investigates and summarizes several particle transfer models, analytical and empirical ones, their applications in Alpha wave dune height calculations, their limitations and effective application windows. The paper also provides dynamic Alpha wave height calculation methodology to account for dynamic bottomhole conditions, especially the fluid leakoff to formation and to screen wash pipe annulus, bottomhole in-situ gravel concentration, and their impact on Alpha wave dune height calculation. The sensitivities of these models under different job conditions are also studied.Several job designs and application histories are presented in the paper to demonstrate the application of different particle transport models. Guidelines are provided for operators to make proper adjustment when an undesired condition is present during gravel placement.