A preliminary experimental study on sand production under true triaxial stress conditions
Ahmadreza Younessi A and Vamegh Rasouli ACurtin University of Technology
The APPEA Journal 51(1) 567-576 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ10040
Published: 2011
Abstract
Sand production prediction is becoming a regular study in reservoirs with weak or unconsolidated sands. Three main approaches for sanding prediction are analytical, numerical and experimental methods. Laboratory experiments have proven to provide more realistic results, with these being used to understand sanding mechanisms and validate analytical and numerical methods.
A large number of experimental studies have been carried out by researchers worldwide—most of which have been performed on cylindrical-shape samples under uniaxial (i.e. σ1 ≠ 0, σ2 = σ3 = 0) or triaxial (i.e. σ1 ≠ 0, σ2 = σ3 ≠ 0) stress conditions. In general, a sanding experiment under true-triaxial stresses (i.e. σ1 ≠ σ2 ≠ σ3 ≠ 0) is more realistic in simulating downhole conditions. This stress condition can be simulated in the laboratory on a cubic sample.
The first part of this paper provides a comprehensive but brief literature review on past sanding laboratory experiments. This will be followed by the introducition of a unique true-triaxial stress cell (TTSC) which was modified and used for sanding simulations in the laboratory. The applied modifications will be illustrated and the test procedure described. The sample preparation for testing synthetic samples will be explained and some preliminary results obtained will be presented.
Ahmadreza is a PhD student of petroleum engineering at Curtin University of Technology. After completing his master of science in rock mechanics engineering in 2006 from Amirkabir University of Technology, Tehran, Ahmadreza started his carrier as a geomechanics engineer in Schlumberger's Data and Consulting Services (DCS). He was in charge of developing the geomechanics business in IRG. He was involved with several consulting projects such as geomechanical modeling, wellbore stability analysis and real-time pore pressure prediction in Iran, India, Australia and Malaysia untill 2009. Ahmadreza was also trained as a wireline field engineer during his career in Schlumberger. Ahmadreza started his PhD in 2009 focusing on sand production prediction methodologies under true triaxial stress conditions. He is still involved in consultant geomechanics projects in Australia conducted from Petroleum Geomechanics Group of Curtin (PGGC). Ahmadreza.YounessiSinaki@postgrad.curtin.edu.au |
Vamegh Rasouli is an associate professor at the department of petroleum engineering. He is a Chartered Professional Engineer (CPEng) and is a registered engineer with the National Professional Engineers Register (NPER) of Australia. After completing his PhD in 2002 from Imperial College, London, Vamegh took up the position of assistant professor in the department of petroleum engineering at Amirkabir University of Technology (Iran). In 2006 Vamegh joined the department of petroleum engineering at Curtin University to support the delivery of the department’s master of petroleum well engineering—and to carry out research in his specialist area of wellbore stability, sanding, hydraulic fracturing, etctera. He established the Curtin Petroleum Geomechanics Group (CPGG); it has completed number of successful research and consulting projects. He now supervises six PhD students and numerous master students. Vamegh has also been a consulting engineer on various geomechanics-related projects with Schlumberger’s Data and Consulting Services (DCS) in Perth. V.Rasouli@curtin.edu.au |
