Title: Modelling and simulation of gravel-pack damage due to particle transport by single phase flow in cased hole completion

Authors: Behnam Mirshekari; M. Dadvar; H. Modares; B. Dabir

Addresses: Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Hafez Avenue, No. 424, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Hafez Avenue, No. 424, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Hafez Avenue, No. 424, Tehran, Iran ' Department of Chemical Engineering, Amirkabir University of Technology, Hafez Avenue, No. 424, Tehran, Iran

Abstract: Migration of formation fines into a gravel pack frequently causes a severe reduction of gravel pack permeability and consequently affects well's productivity. In sand-producing formations, a cased hole gravel-pack is usually the preferred completion method. The unsteady state migration of formation fines into gravel-filled perforations during single phase flow has not been included in previous models. In this study, a new approach is proposed to predict gravel-pack permeability reduction due to fine migration considering non-Darcy flow and particle transport in gravel filled perforation. The model focuses on mobilisation of formation fines from the pore wall and simultaneous deposition on to gravel filled perforations. The non-linear differential momentum and continuity equations have been discretised by means of an implicit finite difference scheme. Results can be used to predict any impairment to gravel-pack permeability and to evaluate the skin factor outside the casing. The selective perforating effect on a well's performance is also studied and gravel-pack permeability reduction is determined for a given perforation design. The results indicate that perforation parameters including perforation density, perforation diameter and perforation phase angle are the most dominant parameters in controlling the long-term performance of gravel filled perforated wells.

Keywords: gravel filled perforation; permeability impairment; non-Darcy flow; skin factor; gravel pack damage; modelling; particle transport; single phase flow; cased hole completion; well productivity; formation fines; implicit finite difference; perforation density; perforation diameter; perforation phase angle; perforated wells.

DOI: 10.1504/IJOGCT.2014.059278

International Journal of Oil, Gas and Coal Technology, 2014 Vol.7 No.2, pp.152 - 168

Received: 18 Apr 2012
Accepted: 23 Dec 2012
Published online: 24 May 2014 *

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