Nodal Analysis, Well Problem

Analysis, Wax and Sand Control

Sanjay K. Dhiraj
Dy. SRE, G&R Deptt.
 Objectives
 Understand the components of Inflow
performance
 Understand the components of vertical
lift performance
 Understand combining inflow and vertical
lift performance
 Wax problem analysis
 Sand problem analysis
 PRODUCED FLUID
SURFACE PRESSURE

INJECTION GAS

WELL OUTFLOW
RELATIONSHIP
(VLP)

BOTTOM HOLE PRESSURE AS A FUNCTION OF FLOWRATE

PRODUCTION POTENTIAL AS A FUNCTION OF PRODUCTION RATE

SANDFACE WELL
RESERVOIR PRESSURE
PRESSURE BHFP INFLOW (IPR)
 Pressure Losses
Surface Separator
Pwh
Choke
Pdsc Psep

Safety Pdsv
Valve DP1 = Pr - Pwfs = Loss in Porous Medium
Pusv DP2 = Pwfs - Pwf = Loss across Completion
DP3 = Pur - Pdr = Loss across Restriction
DP4 = Pusv - Pdsv = Loss across Safety Valve
DP5 = Pwh - Pdsc = Loss across Surface Choke
Bottom Pdr DP6 = Pdsc - Psep = Loss in Flowline
Hole
Restriction Pur DP7 = Pwf - Pwh = Total Loss in Tubing
DP8 = Pwh - Psep = Total Loss in Flowline

_
Pwf Pwfs Pr Pe

Possible Pressure Losses in Complete Production System

 Inflow Performance Curve
3500
Inflow (Reservoir) Curve
3000
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
 Tubing Curve
3500

Tubing Curve
3000
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
 System Graph
3500
Inflow (Reservoir) Curve
3000
Tubing Curve
Flowing bottomhole pressure, psi

2500

2000

1500

1000

500

0
0 500 1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500
Production rate, STB/D
INFLOW PERFORMANCE
SEMI (PSEUDO) STEADY STATE INFLOW (using
average reservoir pressure)

kh(Pav - Pwf)
qo = -----------------------------------
141.2  oBo.[ln(re/rw) - 3/4]

where: P = pressure (psi)

k = permeability (md)
h = height (ft)
re = drainage radius (ft)
rw = wellbore radius (ft)
O = fluid viscosity (cP)
Bo = formation volume factor (bbls/stb)
INFLOW PERFORMANCE
PRODUCTIVITY INDEX

The relationship between well inflow rate and pressure

drawdown can be expressed in the form of a Productivity
Index, denoted ‘PI’ or ‘J’, where:

q
q = J(Pws - Pwf) or J = ------------------
Pws - Pwf

kh(Pav - Pwf)
qo = -----------------------------------
141.2  oBo.[ln(re/rw) - 3/4]
WELL & RESERVOIR INFLOW PERFORMANCE
( Successful design depends upon prediction of flow rate)

VOGEL

Dimensionless reference curve based on the

following equation:

Q/Qmax = 1 - 0.2(Pwf/Pws) - 0.8(Pwf/Pws)2

where: Q = the liquid production rate, stb/d
Qmax = the maximum liquid rate for 100%
drawdown
Pwf = bottom hole flowing pressure, psi
Pws = the reservoir pressure, psi
FLOW REGIMES
 FACTORS EFFECTING VLP
 VLP is a function of physical properties not inflow
• Tubing ID
• Wall roughness
• Inclination
• Liquid / gas density
• Liquid / gas viscosity
• Liquid / gas velocity
• Well depth / line lengths
• Surface pressure
• Water cut
• GOR
• Liquid surface tension
• Flowrate
 PRESSURE LOSS IN WELLBORE

TOTAL
PRESSURE GRAVITY FRICTION ACCELERATION
DIFFERENCE TERM TERM TERM

2
P/Ztotal = g/gccos + fv /2gcd + v/gc[P/Z]

P/Z
 CORRELATIONS
 Babson (1934)
 Gilbert (1939 / 1952)
 Poettmann & Carpenter (1952)
 Duns & Ros
 Hagedorn & Brown
 Orkiszewski
 Fancher & Brown
 Beggs &Brill
 Duckler Flannigan
 Gray
 Mechanistic
 Proprietary
Effect of Tubing Size on Outflow

Inflow
(IPR)
Pressure at Node

Outflow

2 3/8”
2 7/8” 3 1/2”
4 1/2”

Flowrate (stb/d)
 Produced Fluids Issues
Flowability
Scale Corrosion Erosion

Gas Water Solid Oil

Paraffin/Gel
Hydrates Emulsions
Asphaltene
 Paraffins or Waxes
“The Cholesterol of the Petroleum Industry”
Costs the industry billions of dollars annually

Wells Productivity
– Lower production
– Downtime during wax remedial jobs
– Expensive wax chemicals
Flowlines Management
– Extra insulation on flowlines
– Dual lines to enable round trip pigging
– Downtime during pigging
– Cost of chemical program
 What are Paraffins or Waxes?
• Saturated component of a crude oil – crystallizes
upon cooling
0.10
• Structure
Crude Oil Wax Deposit

Mass Distribution
0.08
CH3(CH2)nCH3
n > 20 Petroleum Wax 0.06

0.04

0.02

0
10 20 30 40 50 60
Carbon Number (n+2)

• Field Definition
A low melting point soft solid deposit that forms on cold walls of well
tubing, flowlines and oil transport pipelines
Lab and Field Observation
Fluid Behavior
 Paraffin Deposition in Flowlines

Warm Cooled
Crude oil Crude oil

Heat loss to surrounding

Toil @wall

Wax Appearance Temperature

Location from oil wellhead

Current Methods of
Paraffin Control
 Chemical Inhibition
 Thermal Insulation
 Hot Solvent Treatment
 Mechanical Removal
 Chemical Inhibitors for
Paraffin Control
• Chemical performance is crude
specific
• Need a rigorous laboratory testing
program to qualify a chemical
• Screening of wax inhibitors using
cold fingers or flow loops
Paraffin Control for Production Wells
 Wax inhibitors, hot solvent / dispersants
Wellhead

4000
750 ft
Oil Rate (BOPD)

3000

2000

1000

0
11 22 33 44 55 Time66 (Months)
77 88 9
9 10
10 11
11 12
12
Time (Months)
Warm

Singh et al., SPE Drilling and Completions, 2007
Coiled tubing access and wire line Reservoir
Fluid
 Heat retention using Vacuum Insulated Tubulars (VIT)
 Heating cable strap onto tubing string
 Mechanical Methods
for Wax Remediation
 Pigging – Hard pigs, Scraper pigs, By-pass
pigs, Multi-diameter
 Coiled tubing – limited reach

SPE 77573

Improved pig design to lower the stuck pig risk

 Sand Control
 What is meant by sand production?
 Production of solids - type?
– Formation sand grains
– Formation fines
• Clay and Silica
• Compaction/detrital material
 How much?
– 1-10 lbs/1000bbls or 1MMSCF
– In heavy oil, amounts could be very large
 How much sand is tolerable?
– Depends on well location – offshore/onshore
– Fluid type - gas or oil
– Well type - subsea/platform/onshore
– Facilities for separation/handling/disposal
 Causes of Sand Production
 Sandstone strength linked to degree of cementation.
Cementation increases over time →older sediments
are more consolidated.

• Sand production more common in younger and

shallower sediments.

 Effects of production (pressure reduction and fluid

movement) contribute to formation breakdown due to
inertial and viscous forces.

• Pressure depletion increases grain to grain forces →

potential to exceed compressive strength→ failure.
 Causes of Sand Production
 Inertial and viscous forces vary depending on the fluid
e.g. gas or heavy oil → potential to exceed tensile
strength→ failure.

 There is a critical flow rate (drawdown) below which

sand production can be minimized.

 Relative permeability effects change the capillary forces

within the grain structure (cohesion).

 Impact on cementation - chemical attack reduces

strength → increased risk of sand production.
 Problems associated with sand
production
 Erosion - downhole and surface
 Plugging ?
– Sump and flowlines
– Perforations
– Pore space - fines!
 Near wellbore compaction
– Slumping of casing
– Subsidence
– Loss of productivity ( increased apparent skin)
 Filling of separators – poor efficiency
 Removal difficulties
 Disposal of contaminated sand
Effects of Sand Production
 Establishing Critical
Rate/Drawdown
 Well is “beaned up” progressively and sand production is
monitored

 Concerns?
– Rock is tested to failure - does this weaken the rock -
hysteresis?
– Is the failure affected by fluid type/saturation?
– Is QMSF an economic rate?

 Prediction
– For a gas well, QMSF depends on (drawdown)0.5
– For an oil well, QMSF depends on : drawdown
/strength / fluid saturation
 Sand Management options
 Production Rate Control
 Rate control is achieved by gradually beaning up a well and monitoring for
sand production. There are two principal values which characterise the technique:
– – Maximum Sand Free Rate (MSFR)
– – Maximum Allowable Sand Rate (MASR)
 The onset of sand production in a well directly related to increasing production
rate → implies there is critical rate below which sand production will not occur. This is
the MSFR.

 Establishing the MSFR involves well rate manipulation to the point where sand
is noted. This rate is kept constant until equilibrium is reached, at which point the
rate is reduced back to a sand free rate.

 The MASR is the rate at which sand production can be tolerated through the
production system without affecting its integrity.
 Economic decision as the rate which corresponds with the MASR may not be
commercially viable (also applies to MSFR).

 Rate control has some advantages;

– Generally lower CAPEX (unless major topsides modifications are required) and
flexibility
to incorporate workovers if required.
– Appropriate for situations where rates must be limited for water or gas ingress.
 Sand exclusion options
• Screenless exclusion
– Orientated perforating
– Sand consolidation
– Frac packs
• Physical exclusion - bridging
– Standalone Screens
• Standard
• Premium
• Expandable
– Gravel packs
Oriented Perforation
 Frac Packing
• Tend to use in heterogeneous,
fine grained formations

• Optimal perforation design is

central to success of fracturing
treatment.

• Perforations aligned with

maximum stress direction
optimize impact of initiation and
propagation pressures.

• Use of resin coated proppant

(RCP) may further help stabilize
formation
 Consolidation
• Treat formation in immediate vicinity of wellbore to bond
sand grains.
– Formation must be treated through all perforations;
Consolidated sand mass must remain permeable to well
fluids; Consolidation should remain constant over time

• Two principal types of treatment;

– Epoxy resin (3 stage treatment) – isopropyl alcohol pre-
flush, then resin is pumped followed by viscous oil to
displace resin from the pore space). Limitations - only 20 ft
at a time, temperature maximum of 100ｰC, max clay
content 20%.
– Furan, phenolic resins & alkoxysilane– have higher
temperature range than epoxy but consolidation may
experience brittle failure. Difficult chemicals to handle
safely.
 Screens - Principles
• Sand control using installed screens is designed
to exclude all but the finest formation
particles from being produced into the wellbore.
• Effective design of screens requires acquisition of
core samples for particle size analysis. Seeking to
induce particle bridging and dynamic filtration.
THANK YOU