Investigating the dynamic performance of gravel-packing in sand control wells with multicyclic steam-soaked production
Abstract
In a gravel-packed sand control well with steam-soaked production, reverse alternating displacement of steam and formation produced fluid may tend to change the dynamics at the gravel-sand interface. To investigate the effect of dynamic production conditions on gravel-pack performance, a series of experiments was performed using high temperature steam displacement apparatus with parameters similar to actual well conditions. In this research, gravel, formation sand, and screen mesh filter were combined as a sand retention media. Steam, water, and crude oil acted as the displacement fluid to simulate the alternating displacement process of steam and formation fluids. Experimental results resonate with the basic law of high temperature dissolution, adsorption blockage, and dynamic performance of the gravel-pack with the mode of steam-water and multicycle steam-oil displacement. The high temperature dissolution ratio of quartz sand was tested as 10.20% at a steam temperature of 300 ℃, which is too small to influence the sand retention effectiveness of the gravel pack. Steam flow erosion and the reverse displacement by fluid lead to gravel-sand interface migration and sand invading the gravel pack, causing its permeability to decrease. After a single alternating displacement of steam-water, the gravel permeability drops to about 80% while the displacement of steam and crude oil damages the gravel permeability to 15% through adsorption blockage. We suggest that high temperature steam injection could partly undermine permeability by oil adsorption blockage despite the permeability recovery of 93%. Whereas the damage removing effect of steam decreases with an increase in displacement cycles and the oil adsorption blockage of the gravel pack, the damage removing effect of steam is much higher than high temperature water. Our research concludes that multicyclic steam operations could potentially destabilize the gravel-sand interface, which needs careful consideration for optimal sand control to maintain gravel pack integrity.
Document Type: Article
Cited as: Wang, H., Xue, D., Dong, C., Yuan, Z. Investigating the dynamic performance of gravel-packing in sand control wells with multicyclic steam-soaked production. Sustainable Earth Resources Communications, 2025, 1(2): 26-39.
https://doi.org/10.46690/serc.2025.02.02
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.46690/serc.2025.02.02Keywords:
Thermal recovery, steam-soaked production, gravel pack, reverse alternating displacement, adsorption blockageReferences
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