An Analytical Model for the Sand Production Potential Quantification

The main characteristics of a heavy oil reservoir are its high fluid viscosity and a rock with low consolidation and strength. Producing this kind of reservoirs requires the generation of high-pressure drops around the wellbore that destabilizes the reservoir formation causing sand production. Produced sand generates wellbore and surface equipment damage involving bigger costs in workovers and implementation of sand control methods. Understanding the main variables controlling this phenomenon is not an easy task, but this could help to define the sand production potential for each stratum in the reservoir. Besides, understanding the mechanisms of sand production is of great importance to address good solutions in terms of wellbore direction, number of perforations and other completion decisions in order of saving costs. In relation with the sand production potential of a reservoir, assertive predictions can be performed having an excellent set of data and using adequate tools. For this, there are tools of both types analytic and numerical. This document presents the main variables (but not unique) involved on the sand production issue and an analytic model for predicting the sand production potential of a reservoir. The presented model is a tool that helps to take accurately decisions in terms of the completion strategies based on the CBHP results (Critical Bottom Hole Pressure), which is a lower limit to produce without associated sand production. This article shares the possible results obtained with this model, which allows comparing the sand production potential under different completions and production characteristics.