Pilot Installation of Ceramic Coated Through Tubing Sand Screen Installation in Gas Producer Offshore Malaysia

Abstract

Well X, a gas producer located in offshore Malaysia had to be beaned down and subsequently shut in due to sand issues after 7 years of production through pressure depletion. It was completed in cased and perforated completion without any sand exclusion and has been producing since 2014. The evaluation on the sand control solution for Well X prioritizes remedial downhole sand control that is able to withstand highly erosive environment due to its high fluid velocity. As such, a ceramic coated Through Tubing Sand Screen (TTSS) was installed in 2021 and successfully reactivated the well to produce with minimal sand. A series of qualification testing was conducted during the technology evaluation to demonstrate the ceramic coated TTSS resistance towards erosion and corrosion i.e. Gas Screen Erosion Test (GSET), Corrosion Test and Mechanical Strength Test. Studies on erosional velocity, Particle Size Distribution (PSD) and production analysis were conducted to determine the wire wrapped screen slot size and ensuring the mixture velocity is within the screen operating envelope. Upon installation, the well performance was monitored using Acoustic Sand Monitoring (ASM) sensor and Online Sand Sampler (OSS) during the initial flowback and continued using manual spot sampling at the multiphase flowmeter. The screen retrieval was planned after 4 months flowing period for evaluation and the same screen was reinstalled as it was in good condition and met the inspection criteria. The installation of the ceramic coated Through Tubing Sand Screen (TTSS) at Well X has successfully demonstrated its resistance against erosion with good production and sand control performance. This paper will share on the overview of the ceramic coated TTSS including the analysis on screen design selection, screen retrieval findings and well performance post TTSS installation.