Hanging Screen Evaluation to Unlock Marginal Sandy Reservoir: Case Study of Peciko Gas Field, Indonesia

Abstract

Peciko Field currently produces gas from multilayer sand-prone shallow reservoirs. Therefore, it needs sand control method to unlock these marginal reservoirs through low-cost intervention. Hanging screen has been reviewed as an alternative solution to minimize sand control cost while maintaining its robustness to maximize the recovery. This paper will present and evaluate the hanging screen installation and performance from subsurface to surface elements in Peciko field. Hanging screen implementation in Peciko will be evaluated in terms of ease of installation to its performance during production phase. Peciko wells are equipped with real-time monitoring system including Acoustic Sand Detector. Therefore, sand problems could be easily identified. Any indication of screen failure will be confirmed by checking the surface equipment like chokes and intrusive probes. Further intervention to retrieve the screen and perform visual check at surface can be executed to extend the verification. Filter size, placement method, clean-up, and sand sieve result will be gathered to identify the root cause and determine the best method to apply hanging screen as reliable sand control method. Nine installations in 2019 conclude that screen plugging, liquid loading, and combination of both are main issues in production phase. With three plugging cases from well Fx and E2x, it was found that excessive drawdown pressure triggers high gas velocity in perforation tunnel and causing excessive sand production that plugged the screen. These cases also prove that self-unloading by choke movement can lead to plugging if the drawdown pressure and gas rate are not monitored carefully. Commingle production in Ax becomes an issue in lifting performance when reservoir pressure declines and liquid was produced from several reservoirs. Limiting drawdown pressure gives smaller gas rate to lift the liquid and make the well died from liquid loading easily. Massive sand production in well E2x and E2y cause an increase in Top of Sediment (TOS) and lead to inaccessible screen even with multiple bailing attempts. A series of screen design, choke configuration, proper clean-up and continuous monitoring are critical steps to be performed prior and after screen installation to maintain production lifetime. With average stakes of 0.2 Bcf per well, hanging screen has proven to produce 67% of the well reserves in shallow reservoirs. This value creation led to the conclusion that hanging screen is an economically-feasible-sand control method to be implemented in Peciko.