Fracturing for Sand Control: Screenless Completions in the Yegua Formation

摘要

Natural completions in the Yegua formation have resulted inrnfailures caused by formation-sand production and wellborerncollapse. In the past, the most popular remedy was smallrnfracturing treatments with gravel-pack screens to control thernproduction of formation material. Designing the completionsrnspecifically for wellbore stabilization, sand control, andrnmaximizing the conductivity endurance, has resulted inrntechniques that eliminate the need for gravel-pack screens,rnhelping to simplify completion operations and minimize cost.rnField data, including logs and production history, have beenrnused extensively for the purpose of verifying this technique.rnThe completion technique includes several key components:rn1. Perforations-The interval length, along withrnperforation phasing and orientation, have shown to bernthe most important aspects of a successful completion.rn2. The use of resin-coated proppant and conductivityrnendurance modifiers (CEMs) are used to aid inrnstabilizing the proppant pack and demobilizing fines.rn3. The fracturing treatments are designed to maximizernfracture width and decrease the pressure drawdownrnnear the wellbore during production.rnSeveral wells have demonstrated the effectiveness of thisrntechnique (frac-pack stimulation without gravel-pack screens)rnby producing no formation fines or proppant. These results arerndocumented by several case histories comparing previousrntechniques to current techniques.rnThe application for this technique reaches further than thernYegua formation of east Texas to include any formation withrnsimilar properties. This technique provides extra benefits forrnwells with multiple zones by reducing the completion cost andrnminimizing the complexity of the wellbore for future entries.rnIn summary, by properly designing the completion of thernYegua Sand formation and applying curable resin-coatedrnproppant or CEM's, sand control has been achieved withoutrnthe use of screens. This technique has reduced the overallrncompletion cost, simplified the wellbore configuration,rndelayed or eliminated casing collapse in Yegua producers,rnimproved total gas recovery, and reduced well down-time.