New Computer Program to Predict Sand Production with Case Study

Abstract

Sand production is a growing concern in petroleum industry due to its severe problems and the associated technical and operational challenges. In Sudan, due to the relatively high viscose fluids, and the poor consolidated formation, sand is supposed to produce massively from many reservoirs and many problems were found in the fields due to sand production. Predicting sanding onset production allows operators to effectively manage the oil recovery operation in most technical and economical manner. The prediction requires an accurate data and calculations to insure the field critical pressure for sanding; and the most important factor is the rock elastic properties which can be estimated from well logging using Acoustic logging and density logs. In the absence of the shear wave (which is too difficult to measure in unconsolidated sand), the problem is more complicated and the calculation need accurate tools. A Computer program using MatLab programming language were developed to predict sand production through calculating the critical wellbore pressure based on In-situ stresses and rock mechanical properties using well logging data. The program estimating the shear wave based on Han, Brocher and Greenberg - Castagna empirical correlations. Also the properties can be calculated in the absence of shear wave using Anderson’s formula. The developed program was used to estimate the critical pressure for sanding through a well in Fula north oilfield; the result obtained from Anderson’s formula were compared with results using the estimated shear waves and variation were found between the different methods