Mechanics of Gravel Placement and Packing: A Design and Evaluation Approach

Summary Much has been written, researched, and applied toward the advancement of improving gravel-packing technology in the past 10 to 15 years. Still, gravel packing is not a routinely successful completion method to control sand production from weakly consolidated formations. One of the principal reasons for this lack of consistency is an incomplete understanding of the mechanisms involved in achieving efficient gravel placement and packing. The objectives of this study are to discuss the fundamentals of liquid/solid transport and to present the structure of a pseudo-three-dimensional (pseudo-3D) mathematical model used for aiding in the design and evaluation of gravel-packing treatments. Also presented is the validation of the mathematical algorithm in comparison to large-scale, high-pressure, deviated physical wellbore studies and actual field case histories.