Innovative Technique to Control Sanding Tendency of Oil and Gas Wells

Sand production is a worldwide problem facing thousands of oil and gas fields. A huge cost is directed annually to predict and control sand production and fix and replace equipment affected. This study aims to develop a new sand control technique that utilizes local low cost materials to build a form of high permeability filter that can prevent sand with minimum effect on formation productivity. Different mixtures of cement, sand and perlite were prepared to fabricate different filters. Petrophysical and mechanical properties of prepared filters were used to determine the optimum filter composition. Mixture of 69.4%, 11.6%, 5.2% and 13.8% by weight of perlite, class C Portland cement, sand and fresh water respectively was selected as the optimum filter compositions for the experimental conditions. The strength and durability of the filter were tested by aging it in reservoir fluids at 70 ο C for several weeks. No mechanical deterioration was observed with time and tested filter remain intact with the same unconfined compressive strength and petrophysical properties. The proposed sand control technique was tested experimentally at various major conditions known to elevate sand production including sand size, displacement rate and displacing fluid viscosity. The proposed technique was very effective in controlling sand production with minimum flow restriction except for the case of 90 cp crude displacement in medium size sand pack. Sand packs permeability in most of the experiment was not affected and remains close to initial packs permeability, proving the filter efficiency. Preliminary economic feasibility study was conducted to compare the cost of using the proposed filter with conventional gravel pack sand control method commonly used in petroleum and water wells. Outcomes indicate that after further testing in pilot scale, the cost effectiveness of the proposed technique makes it an attractive choice. • A low-cost local filter prevents sand production with minimal impact on well flow. • Optimized perlite-cement mix keeps high flow capacity and strength under downhole conditions. • The filter eliminates the necessity for traditional screens and gravel packs, thereby reducing completion expenses. • Tests indicate no sand production at various flow rates and fluid viscosities. • This method utilizes readily available materials, providing a sustainable and field-ready solution for sand control.