Improved Sand Management Methodology Application in Mature Field

Abstract

Sand Monitoring workflow was introduced in R field to manage and minimize the risk that sand production poses to the production facility by monitoring the sand production and its resulting erosion rate, and raise alarm immediately when these conditions violates the allowable threshold. The workflow serves as an enabler to the sand management process that are put in place at the field. By leveraging the automation from IO and complement it with additional processes, we came up with a holistic approach that is used to minimize the risk to the production facility. The defined Sand Management methodology starts with the automated workflow processing. The workflow utilizes data from field sensors and processes them to conduct risk assessments, and some mathematical calculation that are based on proven correlations. Based on these processes, the workflow will generate output of sand production risk assessment, calculated erosion rate, estimated remaining pipe thickness as a result from the erosion rate and critical drawdown monitoring. To complement the output from the workflow, additional processes that utilizes the outputs are introduced as part of the sand management process. Some of these additional processes are: Correlation calibration by comparing the estimated pipe thickness from the workflow against computerized radiography or unit thickness manual measurement.Conduct Sand Depositional modelling at the high-risk location identified from the workflow to optimize sand handling capacity and monitoring.Extend the monitoring by utilizing network modelling software to assess the erosional risk from interlink of pipelines between jackets.Choke health monitoring and estimation based on choke CV and modelling. The sand monitoring workflow has increased personnel efficiency by automating repetitive and tedious work and give out the result in an easily interpreted manner. The automated alarm has been proven to be useful in proactively engaging operations to tackle the problematic matter. Production interruption related to sand production has been effectively reduced by 50% after the implementation of the new Sand Management methodology. The introduction of the workflow into the new methodology uses marginal cost, but maximizes the return on existing asset through the realization of their production potential, as well as proving on how multidisciplinary integration and collaboration between operator and the service company can be successful in a mature field despite the risk associated.