As energy demand continues to grow, it is amazing that more than half of world oil production comes from fields as old as 30 years. The Cambay offshore fields off the coast of Gujarat, India started producing gas in 2002 and oil 2005. The production of Oil was possible through geophysical studies that led to incremental recoverable volumes. The oil wells with cased hole perforated completions however have a sanding problem after a few years of production leading to rapid oil production decline in the field as well as associated sand production issues.
This paper presents the result from implementing the simultaneous gravel packing and hydraulic fracturing of a well commonly known as "FracPacks" in the industry on a sanding well in the field and a comparison to 2 other wells with different completion techniques. The paper outlines the challenges faced with data collection, the design methodology, an overview of operations and execution. The outcome of the FracPack treatment was a textbook tip screen out placement leading to a 76% increase in oil production with zero water cut and sand. The results demonstrate the benefits of contacting the reservoir beyond the critical matrix even in a 2.4 Darcy formation and highlights that FracPacks can be less sensitive to the procedures used for wellbore preparations..
The lessons learned from the Cambay experience add to the growing number of case histories which show that FracPacks are effective techniques for sand management in high permeability formations. FrackPack performance is compared to other techniques such as standalone screens and gravel packs, both in terms of production as well as production longevity. This study will highlight the importance of selecting the completion technique based on the reservoir challenges and the importance of considering constraints such as nearby water, logistics and other operational concerns.
