A Critical Review on Root Cause Analysis on Gravel Packing Design and Installation Issues

• Main Author: Badrul Hisham, Farah
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: IRC 2015
• Subjects: T Technology (General)
• Online Access: http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/16849/1/Dissertation%20FYP.pdf; http://utpedia.utp.edu.my/16849/

Sand control plays an important role in oil and gas industry throughout the years. The objectives of sand control are to prevent sand formation from entering the well and ensure the well reaches its highest productivity. Failure to include sand control plan in developing wells cause many problems to companies especially when dealing with unconsolidated reservoir. Among the problems that will occur are production losses, erosion of hardware, tubular blockage, sand disposal issues and many more. There are many techniques available in the industry. The most widely used sand control method is gravel packing. The fundamental of gravel pack is by placing sized particles in annular space between screen and formation. However, there are many aspects need to be considered in designing gravels and placing the gravels downhole. It is crucial to study and understand these factors and considerations to ensure gravel pack completion achieves its highest efficiency. The objectives of this paper are to identify the issues related to gravel pack design and installation in different well conditions and the factors that affecting it. By understanding the problems and causes, it will minimize the risk of gravel pack failure and consequently enhance the effectiveness of this method. Extensive study will be carried out in this project to identify the designs and installation criteria and select few case studies on different conditions