Evaluating the screen performance in sand control design by laboratory sand retention test

Abstract

To produce oil and gas from unconsolidated sandstone reservoirs, sand screens are necessary to control sand flowing from the formation into the wells, causing well pluggings. In open hole completion, stand-alone sand screen is an essential component to prevent sand production, thus, selection of suitable sand screens is critical to minimize sand production and optimize the well’s production life.   Nowadays, premium screens with steel meshes make the openings of the screen slots complex in shape, resulting in a very different effect of sand retention compared to the traditional screens. The sand retention test is considered a standard and must be conducted to select screen opening and size, which decides the sand prevention capacity of the screen.  The paper presents the factors affecting the results of laboratory sand retention tests and proposes solution in the direction of considering the data trend rather than relying completely on the output results. The paper also brings about the evaluation method through the change the screen’s permeability to have better qualitative results compared to the traditional methods.