NAME: STEPHANY KWOYIGA

INDEX NUMBER: UEB0506118

GRAVEL PACK PROCESS:

Gravel packing is a sand-control method used to prevent the production of formation sand. Gravel
packing is used in conjunction with hydraulic fracturing, but at much lower pressures. Formation sand is
produced from the breakdown of formations where wells are located. This occurs particularly in
formations made of sandstone, limestone, and other similar types of rock. The main goal of gravel
packing is to stabilize the formation and maintain well productivity.

During this operation, a steel screen is placed in the well – the well is then packed with gravel of a
specific size to prevent the passage of formation sand. The operation requires slurry of properly sized
gravel, water, and various chemicals, to be pumped between a slotted liner of the casing and the wellbore.
The wire liner and gravel work together to prevent sand from entering the well stream.

GRAVEL PACK EQUIPMENT

Gravel pack base: The first step in installing a gravel-pack completion is to establish a base on which the
screen will rest. In cased-hole completions, the most common type base is a sump packer. The sump
packer is normally run into the well on an electric wireline before perforating and is set a specified
distance (5 to 10 ft) below the lowest planned perforation. The distance below the perforations must
accommodate the length of the seal assembly and production screen overlap.

Seal assembly: The seal assembly is required to establish a seal in the bore of the sump packer to prevent
gravel-pack sand from filling the bottom of the well during gravel packing. In the case of multiple gravel
packs, the seal also provides for zonal isolation. The seal assembly used to engage the sump packer is
normally a snap latch type or other type hold-down.

Gravel pack screen: The purpose of the gravel-pack screen is to create an annulus between the screen and
the casing/open hole and to hold the gravel in place during production. There are several different types
of screens.

Screen centralization: Filling the annulus between the screen/casing (or open hole) with gravel-pack sand
is essential to the control of formation sand production. To ensure that the annulus is filled completely
around the screen, centralization of the screen is required. In cased-hole completions, weld-on, blade-type
centralizers are normally used. The blades are approximately 6 in. long and are cut from a 0.25- to 0.50-
in.-thick plate or steel. The edges of the centralizers are beveled to ensure easy run-in. The centralizers
consist of four blades welded to the screen base pipe 90° apart to result in an outside diameter (OD)
approximately 0.25 in. under the inside diameter (ID) of the well’s casing. The centralizers are spaced 15
to 20 ft apart and can be positioned at the top, bottom, and/or middle of a screen joint as required.

Blank pipe centralization: As with the screen, the blank pipe must be centralized to ensure even gravel
distribution in the blank and casing annulus. Weld-on centralizers are normally used in both cased-hole
and open hole completions because the blank pipe is almost always positioned inside the casing. Bow-
spring centralizers can be used if desired or required.
Blank pipe length: Several rules of thumb exist for determining the length of blank pipe. Perhaps the most
scientific method would be to recognize that voids will occur within the length of screen wherever
nonscreen regions exist (i.e., at screen joint connections and above the gravel pack). A long-standing
guideline for gravel reserve has been to maintain a minimum of 30 ft of packed gravel in the blank pipe
above the top of the screen when packing with brine. When viscous fluids are used, blank lengths may be
as much as twice the screen length for short completion intervals. This allows for additional settling with
these fluids when the gel breaks.

Tell-tale screens: Tell-tale screens are short screen sections that are sometimes used to assist with gravel
placement and determine when the gravel pack is complete. Their benefit is questionable. There are two
types of tell-tale screens: the upper and lower versions.

 Upper tell-tale screens are used primarily with brine-pack systems. They are typically located
about 30 ft above the main gravel-pack screen. Their function is to indicate, by an increase in
pressure, when the dehydrated gravel has reached the tell-tale location. This assures that there is the
desired amount of gravel reserve.
 Lower tell-tale screens are used when gravel packing with viscous fluids. Their purpose is to
assist in ensuring that the gravel slurry reaches the bottom of the gravel pack before the slurry
dehydrates. The gravel-pack tools are usually in the lower circulating position when the tell-tale is
used in these installations.

Shear out safety joint: A shear-out safety joint is located just above the blank pipe. It consists of a top and
bottom sub connected by shear screws. This device is incorporated in most gravel pack completion
assemblies to allow retrieval of the gravel-pack packer and the gravel-pack extension independently of
the blank pipe and screen. The joint is parted with straight tension to shear the screws while pulling the
packer with a packer-retrieving tool.

Knock out isolation valve: The knock-out isolation valve is a mechanical fluid-loss device that prevents
completion fluid losses and subsequent damage to the formation after performing the gravel pack. The
downward closing flapper in the valve is held open by the gravel-pack service tools (normally the
washpipe) during the gravel pack. When the service tools are removed from the valve, the flapper closes,
preventing fluid loss to the formation. The gravel-pack service tools can be removed from the well and
the completion tubing run. When the well is producing, the flapper will open. Alternatively, the flapper is
made of a breakable material and can be broken hydraulically or mechanically before producing the well.
Gravel Pack Extension: Gravel-pack extensions are used with the gravel-pack packer and service tools to
provide a flow path from the tubing above the packer and to the screen/casing annulus below the packer.
The gravel-pack extension consists of the upper extension (which contains flow ports for the gravel pack
fluids), sealbore (sized to match the bore of the gravel-pack packer), and lower extension (to house the
gravel-pack crossover tool throughout its range of motion). The length of the gravel-pack extension is
designed to work with a particular gravel-pack packer and crossover tool. Gravel-pack extensions are
available in two types:

 Perforated
 Sliding sleeve

Gravel pack packer: At the top of the gravel-pack assembly is a gravel-pack packer. The packer may be
permanent or retrievable. However, retrievable type packers are recommended for gravel packing. A
retrievable packer expedites workover activities without the potential cost and risk of milling a permanent
packer. The retrievable packers used for gravel packing are usually sealbore type packers that can also be
used for production; therefore, the packer must be designed for the temperature, pressure, and
environmental conditions present in the well.

Other Equipment are: hydraulic setting tool, gravel pack crossover tool, washpipe.

Gravel pack Design

 Formation and sampling: The first step in gravel-pack design is to obtain a representative sample
of the formation. Failure to analyze a representative sample can lead to gravel packs that fail
because of plugging or the production of sand. Because the formation sand size is so important,
the technique used to obtain a formation sample requires attention. With knowledge of the
different sampling techniques, compensation can be made in the gravel-pack sand size selection,
if necessary.
 Sieve Analysis
 Gravel Pack sand sizing
 Gravel Pack sand
 Gravel pack sand substitutes