Abstract
In some Persian oil fields hydrocarbon recovery is mainly from sandstone reservoirs and sand production is a major problem in these fields. Main reason of sand production in these reservoirs is due to unconsolidated sandstone layers. The common method to decrease this problem is achieved by installing mechanical sand control systems. Previously, some techniques of sand control have been used in Persian oil fields, such as gravel packing, slotted liner and chemical consolidation. The results which have been obtained through these methods are not remarkably good enough in some cases.
Expandable sand screen (ESS) is a new technique in sand control that can result in lower skin and consequently improves reservoir inflow performance. Field tests in various conditions have shown very satisfactory results in both open and cased hole applications. This paper will discuss economic aspects of ESS and analyses well pressures. In addition it provides ESS comparison with other sand control systems through real cases and well modeling. Finally, it talks about the candidate selection step and its significance on ESS performance.
