Numerical Simulation of Pulsed Gravel Packing Completion in Horizontal Wells

Zhenxiang Zhang, Jin Yang, Shengnan Chen, Qibin Ou, Yichi Zhang, Ximo Qu and Yafei Guo
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Zhenxiang Zhang: College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Jin Yang: College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Shengnan Chen: Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
Qibin Ou: College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Yichi Zhang: College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Ximo Qu: College of Safety and Ocean Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China
Yafei Guo: SINOPEC Yanshan Company, Beijing 102500, China

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 2, 1-18

Abstract: The gravel packing completion method for horizontal wells has the advantages of maintaining high oil production for a long time, maintaining wellbore stability, and preventing sand production, so it has become the preferred completion method for horizontal wells. At present, this technology still faces the problems of high sand bed height and poor gravel migration. In order to improve the efficiency of gravel packing in horizontal wells, pulsed gravel packing technology for horizontal wells is proposed for the first time. Based on the mechanism of hydraulic pulse, the Eulerian–Eulerian model, k-ε model based on the renormalization group theory (RNG k-ε model), and Fluent are used to simulate the solid-liquid two-phase flow. By optimizing the parameters such as frequency and amplitude of pulse waveform, the optimal pulse waveform of pulsed gravel packing in horizontal wells is determined. The effects of parameters such as sand-carrying fluid displacement, sand-carrying fluid viscosity, sand-carrying ratio, gravel particle size, and string eccentricity on pulsed gravel packing in horizontal wells are studied, and the distribution law of gravel migration velocity and volume fraction in horizontal wells is obtained. According to the results, it can be seen that with the increase of displacement and viscosity of carrier fluid, the volume fraction of fixed bed and moving bed decreases gradually, while that of suspension bed increases gradually. With the increase of sand-carrying ratio, gravel particle size, and string eccentricity, the volume fraction of fixed bed and moving bed increases gradually, while that of suspended bed decreases gradually. Comparing the effects of conventional gravel packing and pulsed gravel packing in horizontal wells, it can be concluded that the efficiency of pulsed gravel packing in horizontal wells is higher. The volume fraction of fixed bed and moving bed decreased by 30% and 40% respectively, while the volume fraction of suspended bed increased by 20%. The migration velocity of moving bed and suspended bed increased by 40% and 25%, respectively, and the migration ability of gravel improved obviously.

Keywords: horizontal well; pulsed gravel packing; completion; solid-liquid two-phase flow (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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