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AADE-02-DFWM-HO-09 Test Device Evaluates Compatibility of Reservoir Drill-In Fluid and Production Screen
Charlie Svoboda, M-I L.L.C.

Copyright 2002 AADE Technical Conference This paper was prepared for presentation at the AADE 2002 Technology Conference “Drilling & Completion Fluids and Waste Management”, held at the Radisson Astrodome, Houston, Texas, April 2 - 3, 2002 in Houston, Texas.This conference was hosted by the Houston Chapter of the American Association of Drilling Engineers. The information presented in this paper does not reflect any position, claim or endorsement made or implied by the American Association of Drilling Engineers, their officers or members. Questions concerning the content of this paper should be directed to the individuals listed as author/s of thiswork.

Abstract Over the last decade, an increasing number of openhole completions have been used to improve productivity and reservoir drainage. A variety of stand-alone sandcontrol devices have been developed to minimize sand production when completed in this manner. Unfortunately, overall well productivity can be limited if these devices become plugged by the reservoir drill-in fluid (RDF) priorto or during production. A portable field device has been designed to evaluate the plugging potential and allow conditioning of the reservoir drill in fluid based on real-time information. The equipment has been used successfully on a number of wells throughout the world. The test apparatus was the result of a cooperative effort between operator and service company. The work initiated withfull-size flow loops and constant-flow-rate laboratory equipment. Portability was achieved by designing a constant-pressure unit. The equipment has the built-in flexibility to evaluate any number of sand control devices. This includes wire-wrapped screens, prepacked screens, premium screens and expandable screens. Quick tests can be run in the field to determine whether the reservoir drill-in fluid(water- or invert emulsion-based) is in proper condition prior to running a specific completion assembly. The field equipment and case history results will be detailed. Introduction Production screens have evolved over the years to prevent the production of sand in open-hole completions. Depending on reservoir sand size, formation integrity and expected production rates, various screens can be selectedas illustrated in Fig. 1. In order to allow the production of reservoir fluids without the production of formation particles, the production screen must avoid being plugged with any reservoir drill-in fluid (RDF) that remains in the well after drilling operations are complete. The screen must also avoid being plugged while being positioned in the well. Historically, if the screen becomes pluggedwith reservoir drill-in fluid, operators have generally relied on

the use of chemical breakers to destroy the reservoir drill-in fluid. Chemical breakers will generally destroy a sufficient amount of a water-based RDF to permit production, but the removal of reservoir drill-in fluid may not be uniform and result in isolated “hot spots” of production. Chemical breakers can also react withcompletion assemblies altering the integrity of the screen sufficiently to allow production of sand. Localized sand production may cause the screen to catastrophically fail prematurely. In addition, there are situations where a remedial treatment is not practical or effective. This can be due to the length of the horizontal section or lack of equipment in the well to permit chemical treatment placementto thoroughly contact the reservoir drill-in fluid or filter cake. In addition conventional invert emulsion RDF (oil and synthetic) are not effectively removed with most chemical treatments. When possible, in these instances, it may be better to design and maintain the RDF to prevent screen plugging and permit unimpeded flow through the screen. It is not practical to design the screen to be...