Sand Production Prediction via Critical Drawdown Pressure

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Solution Overview

Problem

Predicting sand production in formations during well operations is challenging due to the unpredictability of sand mobilization, which affects hydrocarbon production and causes erosion and operational costs, especially in sandstone formations.

Innovation Solution

A method involving the collection of petrophysical formation evaluation (FE) and Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) data, which is input into a trained model to determine the critical drawdown pressure (CDP), allowing for the prediction of sand production by analyzing the pressure at which sand particles start to mobilize.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If pressure drawdown is increased to enhance hydrocarbon production, then productivity is improved, but sand production increases causing formation damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehydrocarbon productionVSAvoidsand production

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The method performs preliminary prediction of sand production using a trained model with petrophysical and geomechanical data before actual production operations begin. This allows operators to establish safe pressure drawdown limits in advance, preventing sand production before it occurs while still optimizing hydrocarbon recovery through informed production planning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If sand production is minimized through conservative pressure management, then formation integrity is maintained, but hydrocarbon production efficiency decreases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveformation integrityVSAvoidhydrocarbon production efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The method uses a trained model to predict the critical pressure drawdown parameter that separates safe from unsafe production conditions. By dynamically determining this parameter based on formation-specific petrophysical and geomechanical properties, the system optimizes production efficiency while maintaining formation integrity, rather than using conservative fixed limits.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Loss of energy

If proper prediction methods are implemented to prevent sand production, then operational costs are reduced, but measurement and analysis complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveoperational costsVSAvoidsand mobilization prediction

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDifficulty of detecting and measuring

Solution Approach 1:

The trained model serves multiple functions: it predicts sand production risk, determines critical pressure drawdown limits, and provides formation characterization insights all in a single integrated system. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate measurement and analysis systems, making the overall process more cost-effective despite the complexity of predictions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Data Source

PatentUS20230306164A1Method for predicting sand production in a formation

Publication Date: 2023.09.28 SAUDI ARABIAN OIL CO

AI summary

A method for predicting sand production in a formation, including the steps: drilling a well that penetrates the formation, gathering petrophysical formation evaluation (FE) data and Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) data from the well; entering the FE and MEM data as input into a trained model; determining a critical drawdown pressure (CDP) from the output of the trained model; and predicting the sand production from the CDP.