EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATIONS AND FIELD

OBSERVATIONS ON MECHANISMS OF SOLIDS FILTRATION

USING THE MESHRITE METALLIC WOOL FILTER

P. TOMA G. KORPANY R.W. KING

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JCPT-04-07 OPERATIONS Experimental investigations and field observations on mechanisms of solids filtration using the Meshrite metallic wool filter P. TOMA, G. KORPANY Alberta Research Council and R.W. KING Esso Resources Canada Limited ABSTRACT A new sand control filter made of a prepacked s ee w 1 1 001 was designed to achieve a better control of solids influx for horizontal and vertical wells exposed to high-temperature recovery Processes- An eapertmental laboratory study using Athabasca and Lloydminister formation sampkg was
conducted in order to quantify the influence of filter depth and compression on the efficiency of the sand filtration-retention pr@ and simulate a set-through comp'e- tion. A model capable of predicting the amount of fines reta@ outWe the filter, as well a those accumulated and Produced during a standard flood process, is suggested on the basis of @nmental data using Athabasca unconsolidated formation. The modd iyfurther usedfor =wing the influence of the design of a sand control device and the near-wellformation characteristic in retaining ' d the production process.
Jine5 uring lntrocluction Controlling the production of sand in thermal and conventional unconsolidated oil fields is a critical component of engineering the wefl completion and production facilities. The high cost associated with well servicing and the considerable reduction of ofl produced due to well sanding and plugging are among the most frequently encountered production problems(1,2,3). The frequent interruption of production associated with well servi@ also @bs the th@ process and may induce unpredictable formation damage. To alleviate problems related to sand production,
new strategies are being continuously investigated. They focus on improving @ operations, consolidating the near-well formation, and finding the most suitable well completion method mcludmg gravel and screens in combination with suitable adjustments of the rates of injected and produced fltdds. Two distinct strategies have been suggested for sand control: total exclusion and partial exclusion of sand from the production system. It appears that each strategy has its own merits and drawbacks. If partial exclusion is adopted, efficient methods for e@ating the sand accumulated in the
production system, including statable Keywords: Solids control, Unconsolidated formation, Athabasca vs Lloydminister , Meshrite/metallic filter, filter formation retention, Plugging. Paper reviewed and accepted for publication by the Editorial _ 78 artificial lifting devices, are still required; erosion reduces the fife of production eqwpment considerably. It appears that a @ amount of sand production is beneficial to increasing the oil recovery, es- @y in the heavy and extra-heavy oH reservoirs where permea- bility and production increases are associated with moderate sand
production. Total exclusion achieved through sand retention in the near- wefl region and in the filtration equipment wM undoubtedly pro- tect the production system from erosion, and reduce the risk of the near-well formation collapse. However, total exclusion could result in progressive plugging of the fdter and deterioration of the productivity index. The most common methods of excluding sand utilize screening or a combination of screening and filter pack. They involve: slot- ted or screened liners; and packing of the hole with aggregate such as gravel. A basic requirement
of these methods is to design the slots to retain the gravel which has been selected to hold the formation in place. Difficulties in properly placing the gravel (especially in horizontal wells), or in avoiding a rapid dissolution of gravel in a high-temperature and alkaline environment specific to steam oper- ations, nemsitated the use of slotted or screen liners with the opening designed to directly retain the formation. The simplest formula for designing the openings of screens or slots suggests the use of twice the IO-percentile size of the formation sand or gravel measured from screen
analysis. This wM result in fme slots, expensive completions, and reduced open area. Any strategy employed for the control of sand can fail to per- form properly when significant quantities of previously dissoluted silica and clay are precipitated in the near-well region, plugging the completed zone; the process is often associated with the occurrence of high-velo(ity areas and severe erosion(l). A new filter consisting of metallic wool elastically compressed between two perforated plates or screens, was designed and tested in the laboratory and under field conditions. The new
metallic filter was primarily desi@ to e@te conventional gravel pack from the design of a completion system, and alleviate the problems related to gravel dissolution in the high-temperature, Wgh-pH envi- ronment of thermal recovery wells. Placement and transportation of gravel, especially for completion of horizontal wells, was also avoided(2). The metallic prepack filter has been designed to offer easy maintenance and removal. Board of The Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology. The Journal of Canadian Petroleum Technology
 POOR IMAGE DUE TO ORIGINAL DOCUMENT QUALITY
OPERATIONS
Experimental illlvestigations and field
observatnons on mechanisms of solids filtration
using the Meshrite metallic wool filter
P.TOMA,G. KORPANY
Alberta Research Council
and
R.W. KING
Esso Resources Canada limited
ABSTRACT
A new sand control filrer made of a prepacked sleel wool was
designed to achieve a better control of solids influx for horizontal
and venical wells exposed to high-temperature recovery processes_
An experimental laboratory stud), using Athabasca and Lloyd-
minster/ormation samples ll--as conducted iT! order to quanrify the
influence oj ji/Ier depth and compre.1Sion on the efficiency of the
sand filtration-retention process and simulate a set-through comple-
rion. A model capable of predicting the amount of fines retained
outside Ihe filter, as well a those aCC1ltnulatec/ atld produced during
a standard flood process, is suggested on the basis oj experimental
data using Afhabasca unconsolidaled/onnl1lion. The model isJurther
llSed for assessing the influence of the design of a sand control d(!JJlce
and the near-l'r-ell formation charaetenst;e in retaining fines during
the production process_
Introduction
Controlling the production or sand in thennal and conventional
unconsolidated oil fields is a critical component of engineering the
weU completion and production facilities, The high COSt associared
with well servicing and the considerable reduction of oil produced
due to weU sanding and plugging are among the most frequently
encountered production problems(l,.2,3J_ The frequent interruprion
of production associated with weU servicing also disturbs the thermal
process and may induce: unpredicrable ronnation damalle.
To alleviate problems related to sand production, new ~trategies
are being continuously investigated_ They focus On improving drilling:
operations, consolidating the near-well formation, and fmding the
most suimble well completion merhod including gravel and screens
in combination \\ith suiL.1.ble adjustments or the race:; of injected and
produced fluids.
Two distinct srrategies have been suggested ror sand control:
total exclusion and partial exclusion of sand from the production
system. It appears that each strategy has its own merits and
drawbacks_
If partial exclusion is adopted, efficient methods ror eliminating
the sand accumulated in the production system. including suitable
Keywords: Solids ..:ontrol, Unconsolidated formation, Arhaba.M:a \'S Lloyd-
minsler, MeshriLe/meLallic filter, niter fonnation retention, Plugging_
Paper re'\'iewed and accepted ror publication by the Editorial Board of The Journal of Canadian Petroleum Tel:hnolng}'_
-.JcPT9/- 61-0 7
artificial lifting de"ices, are still required; erosion reduces Ihe life or
production equipment considerably_ It appears Lhat a certain amoulH
or ~and .production is beneficial to increasing the oil recovery, es-
pecIally m the heavy and extra-heavy oil reservoirs where pemlc3-
bility and production increases are associated ".,ith moderate sand
production_
Tmal exclusion achieved through sand retention in the near-
well region and in the filtration equipment will undoubtedly pro-
tect the production system rrom erosion, and reduce the risk oj
the near-well ronnatian collapse_ However, [otal exclusion could
result in progressive plugging or the filter and deterioration of Lhe
productivity index_
The most common methods of excluding sand milizc screening
or a combination or screening and filter pack. They involve: slot-
ted or screened liners; and packing of the hole with aggregaLe such
as graveL
A basic requirement of rhese methods is Lo design the slOIS LO
retain the gravel which has been selected to hold the fannaLion in
place. Difficulties in properly placing the gravel (especially in
horizomal wells), or in avoiding a rapid dissolution of gravel in a
high-temperature and alkaline environment specific LO stearn oper-
ations, n~itated the use of slotted or screen liners with the opening
designed. to directly retain the fonnation_ The simplest formula for
designing [he openings of screens or slots suggests the use of twice
(he 100percentile size of the fonnation sand or gravel measured frorn
screen analYSis_ Ths will result in fme slots, expensive completions,
and reduced open area_
Any strategy employed for the control of sand can fail Lo per·
form properly when significant quantiries of previously di::.solulcd
silica and clay are precipitated in the near-well region, plugging the
complered zone; [he procec;s is often associated with the occurrence
of high-velocity areas and se\'ere erosion!ll_
A new mter consisting of metallic wool elastically compre.~sl.'d
between two perforated plates or screens, was designed and tested
in the laboratory and under field conditions_ TIle new metallic !ilter
was primanly designed to eliminate conventiollal gravel pack
from the des.ign of a completion system, and alleviate Ihe problcm~
related to gravel dissolution in the high-temperature, high-pH envi-
ronment of thermal recovery wells_ Placemem and transportation
or gravel, especially ror completion of borizontal wells, wa~ also
avoided(l)_ The metallic prepack filter bas been designed 10 offer
easy maintenance and removaL
 POOR IMAGE DUE TO ORIGINAL DOCUMENT QUALITY

.:~ ~-- . :.
, .. ~.

I .

...

f •.

,, .

FIGURE 1. The Mesthrile filter. [U.s. PaL 4,434.054 - m:muflll:ll1n'!d (ro~· Endium/Slle Tool. CuIg:iQ)j.

Depending on the required strength, it is possible to achieve up

to 30070 open area with steel wool fIlters, without increasing the ·,.. .... 'EI,.. ..
_-
lI.nn

-
E."
cost of the completion. This is a substantial improvement over the
, .......... ...................
_ ... ""T~_.,..-...".,........,

open area of 60/0 to 12% which is considered to be the upper fimj[

for slotted or wire-wedged screens. , ' . . . .<... ".~,
...... ~.""'"
LaboraJory investigalions{1) indica!fd that the retention capacity of
the filter can be adjusted by changing the density of the precom-
pressed wool. During previous experiments, a standard method for
testing the filter was developed and used to find suitable design criteria
The standard laboratory test for simulating. set-through oomple-
lA, WVhVo-
1'0.0 " .... B,
W.OI
f'-- A -J\f\ .:

tion, employs • lead-sleeved unoonsolidated sand pack exposed to

an overburden pressure; and in difect contact to a solids control
device, the pressurizJ:d pack is exposed to a oonstant inje::tion, frontal
advance process. Results were assessed by measuring the amoWlt of ,..
~

sand and fines produced and accumulated during the test. On the
basis of laboratory tests, it was concluded that a minimwn density
of the metallic wool is required to achieve the total exclusion con-
ditions.
Subsequently, a steel-wool filter 95 mm (V. in.) thick and com-
pressed at a compression factor of CF=20 (density 0.61 glcm3) FIGURE 2. Velocity air prome through a metallic weD e."'Posed to
an enhanced steam p~.
was designed and tested Wlder various field conditions. Figure 1
illustrates the "Meshrite" (fexaoo - Steel Wool Cloth - SWC filter
manufactured by Endiem/Site Tool - Calgary - U.S. Pat.
4,434,053 - Livesey, D., and Toma, P.). The filter, oonsisting of sand control when a prepack steel wool filter is used. The results
a compressed metallic wool which is sandwiched between [\\'0 metal- are presented in this paper and they allow for a better evaluation
lic perforated or heavy gauge cylinders from 90 mm OD (3V, in.) of the retention and production of solids as a function of filter wool
to 184 mm (7'14 in.)_ So far, the standard depth of compressed wool compression and depth. : <-':.
was chosen to 9.5 mm (VB in} A medium size wool (approximately -- '.

84 mm) was selected. Several fdters were recovered and investigated.

after being exposed for 3 to 12 months to • thermal recovery process.
An improved. fIlter was then manufactured and field tested.
Between 1986 and 19B8, the steel-wool fLIter was tested in more
than fifty different locations in conventional and thermal-recovery
fields as well as in some gas fields with histories of solids produc-
tion. In all situations the filter was designed as a total-exdusion
device and sand production was stopped. after the new metallic filter
replaced the conventional completion previously used at each loca-
tion. At some locations, however, a significant increase of the pres-
sure drop in the wellbore area and a reduction in production
Observations on Wells Removed from Field
In the laboratory, a profde was obtained of the amoWlt of deposited
fInes and sand in the body of a 10 m length of steel wool fIlter
which had been exposed for approximately three months to an in-
tense stearndrive process in the McMurray oil sand formation
(Ath.basca). Fu-st, the oil was extracted from the filter without dis-
turbing the accumulated solids. Then an air source was placed in-
side the fIlter and the local velocity of air jetting outside (at 5 em
from the fLlter) was measured using a hot-wire anemometer. The
longitudinal variations of velocity indicate non-wtifonnities in the . ~:

occurred, indicating a large accumulation of fmes in a cake-like for-
mation aroWld and in the filter. To alleviate this problem, the total-
exclusion strategy should be revised to allow a certain amount of
fmes to be produced.
In a few cases the filter was removed from the well and examined
to determine the amount and distribution of sand accwnulated in
the body of the fIlter wool. This provided important information
about the mechanism of sand transpon in the near well region and
the fIlter.
Following the field observations, a new series of laboratory
experiments wa~ initiated to better characterize the mechanism of
amount of sand accumulated in the body of the fIlter. .:.;.::., '."'::>
. ....
Figures 2a and 2b indicate the exit velocity profile obtained along
the north (N) and east (E) directions of the well. A low average
air velocity of 0.08 mls is observed for the E direction whereas
in the N direction the average is 0.33 mls. This indicates a rela-
tively advanced plugging process in the well exposed to the E direc-
tion, (where the steam injector was situated) whereas the well
exposed to the N indicates an incipient plugging process. A new,
unexposed fLlter of similar design was used to calibrate the meas-
urement and then to obtain the baseline penneability profile around
the exposed wen. A linear conversion scale based on Darcy's flow

July-August 1991, Volume 30, NO.4 79