The paper addresses issues related to selection of sand control systems applied when producing heavy oil from unconsolidated rocks. A sharp productivity reduction was noticed during the operation of wells with filters. A methodology accounting for subsurface features has been developed for laboratory testing of well-completion systems to reduce uncertainties. Damage related to undesirable drop in flow rate was analyzed. As a result, corrections were promptly introduced to the size of filters used in well completions, which led to increased productivity of newly commissioned wells.

Keywords:
bitumen, Directional Drilling, oil sand, drilling fluids and materials, drilling fluid chemistry, drilling fluid property, drilling fluid selection and formulation, heavy oil production, Well Productivity, bottomhole
Subjects:
Drilling Operations, Drilling Fluids and Materials, Unconventional and Complex Reservoirs, Directional drilling, Drilling fluid selection and formulation (chemistry, properties), Oil sand, oil shale, bitumen, Sand Control
Copyright 2017, Society of Petroleum Engineers
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