Experimental investigation of factors affecting gravel pack efficiency for thermal recovery wells in Bohai Bay, China

Sand production from unconsolidated formations is a common problem of thermal recovery wells in Bohai Bay, China. In order to select and optimize the method of sand control, statistics of the formation properties of the major sand production zones is first reported in this paper. Next, laboratory experiments are carried out to investigate the effects of several controllable production parameters on the performance of the gravel packing sand control method, which is the most widely used sand control technique in Bohai Bay. Both oil and sand production rates for different gravel packing parameters are investigated. Based on the experimental results, an empirical formula of Oil Productivity Index Per Meter (OPIPM), a parameter used to quantify the oil production rate with sand control treatments, is obtained for this area. Finally, implications of this study on sand control design and optimization of oil production rate are discussed.