Gravel Pack Completions

Outline

• Gravel Pack Placement

• Gravel and Screen Design
• Productivity of Gravel Packed Wells
• Gravel Pack Evaluation
 Gravel Pack Placement
Common Types
Gravel Packing
Flowing Back
in Open-hole
Completion
Flowing Back in Cased-hole Completion
Crossover Method of Gravel Pack Placement
Gravel and Screen Design
 Schwartz’s Correlation

Dgravel, 40 = 6Dformation sand, 40

Dgravel,40
Uniformity Coeficient U c = ≤ 1 .5
Dgravel,90
which means

Dgravel,min = 0.615 Dgravel,40

Dgravel,max = 1.383Dgravel,40
 Saucier’s Correlation

Dgravel,50 = (5 or 6) Dformation sand, 50

Dgravel,40
Applying U c = ≤ 1 .5
Dgravel,90
gives

Dgravel,min = 0.667 Dgravel,50

Dgravel,max = 1.5 Dgravel,50

 Screen Sizing

Screen openings ≤ Dgravel,min

Example – California Sand

Dformation sand,50 = 0.0117

Dformation sand, 40 = 0.0135

 Schwartz’s Correlation

Dgravel, 40 = 6(0.0135) = 0.081 in.

D gravel,40
D gravel,90 = = 0 .054 in.
1 .5

Dgravel,min = 0.615(0.081) = 0.0469 in. = 16 mesh

Dgravel,max = 1.383(0.081) = 0.11 in. = 7 mesh

 Saucier’s Correlation

Dgravel, 40 = (5 or 6)(0.0117 ) = 0.059 or 0.070 in.

Dgravel,min = 0.667 (0.059 or 0.07 )

= 0.039 or 0.047 in.
= 18 mesh or 16 mesh
Dgravel,max = 1.5(0.059 or 0.07 )
= 0.088 or 0.105 in.
= 8 mesh or 7 mesh
Screen Size

Screen Openings < Dgravel,min = 0.0469 in.

 Productivity of Gravel-Packed Wells

• Theoretical models are available for

design
• The first well should be tested to confirm
well productivity
 Gravel Packed Evaluation

• Unfocused γ-ray density logs can be used