The 7 Sins of Managing Acoustic Sand Monitoring Systems

Abstract

Abstract It is a common misconception, upon installation of an acoustic sand monitoring system, that the acoustic systems should provide an accurate measurement of sand volumes and that all sand detection issues are immediately solved. The truth is there is more to that than just installing a piece of equipment and hoping that it would provide us a crystal ball insight to the sand produced. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to share the top 7 learnings our asset has experienced on managing acoustic sand monitoring systems. The 7 Sins that would be discussed are: Knowing if it is sand and underestimating external noise Lack of continuous calibration of the acoustic systems Trusting solely the calculated sand volumes Lack of data correlation with other available field data Understanding trends from acoustic systems does not happen overnight, practice makes perfect Not acknowledging undetected sand (fines) Not realising that acoustic systems are just a small part of the bigger sand management picture In each learning, field example cases will be presented where both positive and negative results will be described and discussed. This paper will touch upon the agreed sand management philosophy and procedures and how it has worked out for us so far. The philosophy we have adapted into the asset considers the field as a matured asset, showcasing a multidisciplinary approach. This paper will be concluded with future work moving forward on how we can perform better with our existing knowledge on the acoustic sand monitoring systems.