This presentation tackles one of the problem in oil industry, which is sand that is produced in the oil wells. Brief description about the problem, its causes, effects and solutions are proposed.

1. Sand Production in Oil Wells
Ahmad Al-Khalifah
200571730

2. Outline
 Background.
 Economic Impact.
 Effects of Sand Produced with Oil.
 Sand Control.
 Summary.

3. Background
 As reservoir rocks go, porous and permeable sand
formations filled with large volumes of hydrocarbons that
flow easily into an oil well are every petroleum engineer’s
dream.
 When that sand formation turns out to be so poorly
cemented together that sand grains flow into the well
along with the oil, that dream can sometimes become a
nightmare.

4. Economic Impact
 Sophisticated controlling tools.
 Horizontal wells.
 Offshore wells.
 Severe conditions.
 Delay of oil production.

5. Erosion
 Sand control was
not implemented.
 Large quantities of
sand flowing.
 Damage of pipe,
tubing or others.

6. Blockage of Flow Lines
 Accumulation of sand.
 Lowers the production.
 Plugging flow lines.
 High amounts will block
pipes leading to non-
productive time.

7. Three-Phase Separator
 Separators work at certain Production rate.
 Sand could take up a valuable volume.
 Reduction in the Separators efficiency.
 Reduction in oil flow rate.
 Helps in the formation of unwanted emulsions between
oil and water.

8. Three-Phase Separator

9. Sand Control
 Proper solution depends on well location and formation
properties.
 Each well may require a unique sand treatment.
 Review previous experience from nearby wells.
 Predict whether sand production will occur or not.
 Predict the quantity of produced amounts.
 Core Analysis.

10. Down Hole Solutions
 Equipments installed in deep underground to obstacle
sand from production along with oil.
 Example of those equipments:
o Gravel Packing.
o Frac and Pack.
o Expandable Sand Screens.

11. Sand Control Completions

12. Expandable Sand Screens
 New equipment.
 Installing in a way to
support the hole from
collapsing.
 Prevent sand production.
 Powerful in soft
formations.

13. Other Solutions
 Chemical treatments: consolidate the formation which in
turn holds sand in place.
 The simplest solution is to establish and maintain
production parameters such as flow rate and drawdown
at levels do not excite the sand to be produced.

14. Summary
 Sand produced with oil.
 Economic Impact.
 Effects:
o Erosion.
o Blockage of Flow Lines.
o Three-Phase separator Problems.
 Sand Control.
o Installing completions.
o Other treatments such as chemical and production control.