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Using coiled tubing with dual string gravel packing techniques can replace rotary rigs on many remedial jobs
Sand Control Remedial sand control options, a closer look at Vent Screen Gravel Packing techniques Use of coiled tubing with recently revived dual screen gravel packing techniques is replacing rotary rigs on many remedial well operations
Robert A. (Robbie) Picou, Engineering and Product Manager, Thru Tubing Systems, Metarie, Louisiana
Over the past 15 years, the author has been directly involved in design, development and exploitation of several techniques linked to thru-tubing/remedial sand control. During this time, several new, and many revived but older, systems have been developed and successfully employed for the purpose of rig-less installed gravel packing systems. Remedial sand control is one of the fastest growing technologies involving thru-tubing well remediations utilizing coiled tubing and/ or wireline deployment systems. The purpose of this article is to take a closer look at an older, but recently revived remedial gravel packing technique, "the Vent Screen or Dual-Screen Gravel Packing method."
THRU-TUBING GRAVEL PACKS
Although there are four separate techniques of thru-tubing gravel packs examined in this study, only the vent-screen technique will be discussed here. This is due to article length constraints, as well as the Vent-Screen Gravel Pack (VSGP) method's popularity and mystique. The other systems studied are: 1) One Trip Squeeze; 2) Vent Screen; 3) One Trip Circulation; and 4) One Trip Wash Down.
VENT SCREEN GRAVEL PACK (VSGP) SYSTEM
The Vent Screen technique uses two screen assemblies separated by blank tubing. The assembly is placed in the well with the lower screen assembly spaced out across the productive interval. A selected length of blank pipe connects the lower screen to the upper "vent screen." Gravel is packed around the lower screen assembly, and all or a portion of the blank pipe casing annulus, as shown in Fig. 1. This system allows the well to flow into the gravel-packed screen casing annulus, into the lower screen, up the blank pipe and exit out of the upper or "vent screen" attached to the top of the blank pipe. Integrity of the gravel pack is maintained by the packed gravel-pack proppant filling the blank-pipe casing annulus.
As long as the packed proppant in the blank-pipe casing annulus (BPCA)...