Publications

In the past, sand consolidation by chemical means has not been widely accepted because of two major problems: cost and permeability loss. A new process has been developed which helps overcome these problems. This process uses a chemical system that is cost effective and is thermally stable up to 700'F. In addition, the final chemical bonding material is nontoxic and nonhazardous.In the new process, the treatment chemical and catalyst are injected directly into the steam line (rate1400 BWPD Cold Water Equivalent) during a routine steam stimulation. The chemical injection rate is approximately 1/2 gallon per minute. The recommended treatment level is 112 gallon per foot of interval. The chemical cost per foot of treated interval is less than $4.35. Consolidation is completed in a few minutes without additional shut-in time required. Upon completion of the job, the treated well is put back on production.The process is much less expensive to apply than a slotted liner. In an area where slotted liners cost $27.47 per foot to install (including the cost of materials), this system costs approximately $6.00 per foot. This means the system can be reapplied several times before incurring the cost of running a liner. An added benefit to the system is that since any chemical consolidation will eventually break down, any loss in permeability due to misapplication will not be permanent.Field testing has been initiated and to date seven wells have been treated. The initial response to treatment on these wells was a significant sand reduction (> 70%) with no loss of gross production. These wells have now been monitored for 12 months following their treatments. During this time period there has been no increase in sand production. Future work will be directed at further reducing sand production in treated wells.