This paper presents a physics-based approach to predicting sand production on a well-by-well basis to inform overall sand-management design. The work flow integrates geomechanical estimates of wellbore breakout and volume of failed sand downhole, log-based prediction of the sand-particle-size variation along the well path, modeling of sand filtration based on experimental and analytical methods for specific completion options, and a natural sandpack-permeability prediction for standalone screen (SAS) completions and associated well-performance analysis.
Method
The general challenge addressed in this paper is how to predict the produced sand mass rate from any given well with a specific sand-control completion installed. A novel four-step method has been created to predict sand production from wells drilled in hydrocarbon-bearing sandstone formations with installed sand-control equipment and its associated effect on well productivity (Fig. 1 above).
This process improves the traditional sand-control completion design process, which relies on limited formation data obtained through coring programs and classified according to particle-size distribution (PSD) characteristics (D10, fines content, and uniformity coefficient). PSD is critical data for traditional sand-control analysis, and multiple cores are used to represent the varying rock characteristics expected throughout a reservoir.
