Investigating the Influence of Petrophysical Parameter in Gravel Packing Sand Control Applications

Gravel packing is a primary method for sand control in hydrocarbon wells, with its effectiveness primarily governed by gravel particle size and packing structure. Current gravel packing designs primarily rely on empirical engineering experience, while rock physics models for quantifying gravel packing permeability remain underdeveloped. This methodological gap hinders the effective design and optimization of gravel packing operations. We develop a pseudo‐gravity stacking algorithm to simulate the gravel packing process, constructing gravel packing models with varying particle sizes and packing structures. We employed the pore network model to conduct fluid flow simulations and calculate absolute permeability values of the packing models. Results indicate that permeability values decay exponentially with decreasing particle size. Critical turning points in permeability occur at 10‐mesh and 60‐mesh particle sizes. Maximum particle size predominantly controls the upper bound of permeability. When the average particle size of the packing layer remains constant, increasing the size distribution range enhances gravel pack permeability. This paper establishes quantitative models correlating gravel particle size with permeability. Based on these findings, we propose optimized design methods for gravel packing sand control applications, providing a theoretical framework for gravel packing sand control engineering.