Reservoir - Drawdown Guidelines for Sand Control Completions using flux analysis (fluid flow per unit area of screen)
This talk details a method for determining maximum safe production rates for sand control wells. This method was developed from a thorough compilation of data from over 200 sand control wells. As a result of this analysis, a simple function of flux (fluid flow per unit area of screen) proved very reliable at separating wells operating safely from those resulting in damaged screens or unacceptable amounts of produced sand.
Prior to this work, BP (and the industry) used a variety of methods to attempt to optimize production from sand control wells. Most of these prior methods use pressure drop across the completion and were loosely based on experience and rules of thumb. It is shown that these pressure based draw down limits are either ineffective for managing risk of well integrity or unnecessarily constrain well productivity.
BP is currently using this new flux-based approach as a basis of design for new wells and to open existing wells to a maximum safe operating production rate. Significant production addition has been added without any well failures as a result of opening up these artificially constrained wells. BP anticipates preventing future well failures caused by operating at too high a rate through the application of this technique.
The lunch will cost $35 to all those who pay at the door on the day of the event regardless of membership.
Location:
The Courtyard on St. James Place
1885 St. James Place
Houston
,
Texas 77056-4110