Aerated Wellbore Sandwash Experience in Binagadi Field

Abstract

The application of light fluid system for hole cleaning in the past has been restricted to drilling and completion operations. This work describes a one year investigation of wellbore sand cleaning at Binagadi field in Azerbaijan. Aerated water was used in sand cleanout with emphasis on improved sand is to suspension and transport. A total of 56 sand plugs were cleaned with aerated fluid and 74 non-aerated in 56 wells. The objective of this work is to study the effect of aeration on sand cleanout operation in sand producing wells for a pressure depleted field. The effect of aeration on sand related workovers has also been studied. Well production data were reported on a daily basis through an automatic data-transfer system. As a result of this field, it was concluded that aeration helps to reduce lost circulation and greatly improve the success of sand cleaning. Aeration coefficient increases with the decline in reservoir pressure. Reservoir pressure decline is expressed as current reservoir pressure expressed as percentage of the hydrostatic pressure. Aeration coefficient from 18 to 40 m3/m3 corresponding to reservoir pressure decline of 20 to 5:1 are considered in this paper. Aerated sandwash can be applied in field produced by artificial lift methods when sprouting does not occur and in wells that have small standing fluid columns. Keywords: Sand, aeration, cleanout, workover-life