Long horizontal section wells are economical requirements for heavy oil fields in deepwater environments. This article discusses the operational limits for gravel pack placement in such wells, considering the maximization of the horizontal section extension in low fracture gradient scenarios. A parametric study on the variables governing the gravel pack operations indicates that careful hydraulic design and detailed operational procedures can guarantee a successful job. Alternative strategies are proposed to extended hydraulic limits in critical conditions.

Keywords:
water depth, spe iadc 92428, divergence valve, gradient, bpm, diameter, configuration, fracture gradient, friction loss, displacement
Subjects:
Drilling Operations, Directional drilling, Gravel pack design & evaluation, Sand Control, Completion Operations
Copyright 2005, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference
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