An Integrated Sanding Study in an HP/HT Tight-Sandstone Gas Reservoir

KS is a tight-sandstone and high-pressure-high-temperature (HPHT) gas reservoir in northwest China. It is characterized by a depth of more than 6000 m, temperature over 175°C, and pore pressure over 110 MPa. Despite the high unconfined compressive strength (UCS) of sandstone, almost half of the wells encountered sanding issues. The sanding wells exhibited low production rate, nozzle and pipeline erosion, sanding up, and even permanent closure. Investigating the sanding mechanism and developing solutions for sanding prevention are urgent needs due to the economic loss of low production. An integrated sanding study was conducted to investigate the sanding mechanism. The entire sanding process was analyzed, including stress field alteration during production, rock failure, softening, and sand grain migration. First, wells with sanding issues were identified through production characteristics and field observation. After this, analysis of laboratory tests was performed to better understand the tight-sandstone properties, especially UCS, the softening parameter, and residual strength. Based on the tests, an elastoplastic damage model was proposed to delineate rock failure and sanding behavior. Then, a finite element model was built to simulate the damage of a perforation hole with field data, including hole diameter and length, rock stiffness and strength, drawdown, depletion, and so on. More simulation scenarios were performed to investigate the continuous sanding, transient sanding, and water hammer effect. Grain migration in perforation holes and in pipelines was also studied. It was revealed that shear failure of perforation hole induced by drawdown and depletion was the root cause of sanding problem. Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that erosion and water hammer effect had very limited effect on sanding. Use of the elastoplastic damage model for the simulation of perforation hole failure enabled predicting the sand amount and determining the critical drawdown and depletion for sanding. In the end, an approach to identifying wells with high sanding risk and the key factors behind the sanding were provided, and sanding prevention suggestions were proposed. The new elastoplastic damage model explains the sanding mechanism in a tight-sandstone reservoir and enables evaluating the sand volume, which has rarely been published previously. Laboratory tests, field observation, and numerical simulation were combined effectively to investigate the sanding issue. By utilizing the model, producers can find the key factors behind sanding issues, prevent sanding with a better production strategy, and avoid the economic loss, which are critical for the long-term exploration and production of this area.