A geomechanical approach to minimising sanding risk

UDK: 622.248
Key words: geomechanics, drilling, hydrofracture, TIV-anisitropy, wellbore stability, stress, fishbone
Authors: M.M. Khasanov, V.V. Zhukov, Yu.V. Ovcharenko, T.N. Timofeeva, S.V. Lukin (Gazpromneft NTC LLC, RF, Saint-Petersburg)

The problem of sand production has existed for oil field development is often the cause of failures in the downhole equipment and leads to a decrease in productivity. The growth of soft sand zone is the root of sand production problem. Wells drilling and operation leadleads to a change in the stress state of rock. Near wellbore strains can cause the collapse of the wellbore walls under certain conditions, it leads to remove of sand from the well. In this paper we describe the geomechanical modeling algorithm for wellbore stability analysis and completion selection for soft sedimentary rocks. Algorithm consists of few stages: 1D geomechanical modeling; its application to minimizing risk of drilling fishbones; calculation of depression for cost-effective rate and minimizing sanding. 1D wellbore stability model gives a first approximation of the stresses. The next step is the finite element modeling for calculation near wellbore stress state. This paper proposes an integrated approach to sand control. The algorithm includes wellbore stability analysis for drilling horizontal and fishbone wells, 3D geomechanical modelling for near wellbore zone. The proposed algorithm allows determining the critical depression in order to reduce the volume of sand carried out of the well. We consider the geomechanical modeling for wells Vostochno- Messoyakhskoye oil field. A horizontal well in Vostochno- Messoyakhskoye oil field was drilled with a multilateral fishbone shape. Geomechanical modelling was used to determine the stable intervals for cutoffs sidetracks. Based on a complex analysis of the proposed program for the well output mode to achieve maximum period of well operation. A geomechanical approach includes research of elastic-strength properties, diagnostic fracture injection test, caliper and images of the wellbore before and after the fracturing, the finite element modeling of near wellbore space. Its application allows controlling sand production at formations with similar geological conditions.

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