Completion and Production Results From Alternate-Path Gravel-Packed Wells

Abstract

Summary A successful gravel pack requires two things: perforations packed with gravel-pack sand and a completely packed annulus. Failure to obtain either one can result in low productivity and/or a sand-producing gravel pack. Alternate-path gravel packing ensures that the annulus will be completely packed and that all perforations taking fluid will be packed with gravel-pack sand. Alternate-path gravel packing has provided long and highly productive completions without any sand production. This paper presents completion data and production results from 39 wells completed with the alternate-path gravel-pack technique. The completion data include completion length, net perforations, carrier fluid, sand placement outside casing, workover fluid, and return rate during packing. Production results include qualitative discussion of all completions with quantitative results, including permeability-thickness product and skin on select completions.