Conference Dates

June 22-27, 2014

Abstract

Fine rock particles is easy to be suspended and carried in loosen sandstone heavy oil reservoir due to the higher density and viscosity of heavy oil. The sand particles settle down, bridge and clog in pore and throat, as the result, the filtration resistance in reservoir will be redistributed. It significantly impacts on the well productivity. In this paper, the process of sand particles transporting and clogging in tunnels of rock is observed utilizing a microscopic visualization model with the unconsolidated sandpack. Furthermore, the mechanism of fine particles migration and clogging and the effects to percolation capacity of porous medium is investigated through the dynamic permeability changes in the weak-consolidated sandpack tube is monitored under different conditions of particles suspended fluid injection. It is shown that the performance of permeability decline with particles migration is affected by the size and sorting of mobile particles and throats, concentration of suspended particles, total amount of particles and the pressure drawdown or fluid flowing velocity, the maximum permeability reduction and the clogging transition time is determined by the minimum size of bridging particles. As a field application example, the strategy of production with moderate sanding in loosen sandstone heavy oil reservoir is discussed at the end of this paper

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