Abstract
From the earliest days of oil and gas production, solids mixed in with the flowing medium have caused problems. The origins of this “sand” or solids in the flow can be attributed to formation particles, corrosion products, scale, solids introduced into the well such as drilling mud and frac sand, and any other solids. With the newer methods of horizontal well drilling and completion, the probability of sand flow is much higher today. Because of larger finds the velocities of today often surpass 100 feet per second. This velocity causes erosion. In addition, the financial payback time for individual wells and platforms is shorter than in the past. Therefore more product must be attained in a shorter time frame exacerbating the sand problem.
If the production of formation sand is not minimized formation damage can occur, downhole well equipment can be damaged, surface production equipment can be damaged and plugging of monitors can occur. The damage to the equipment alone can be expensive and downtime costs add significantly to the overall cost of sand related failures. The possibility of failures due to sand erosion can be catastrophic especially when produced fluids and gases escape into the atmosphere.
In order to control the flow of solids it is necessary to have an early indication of when the solids flow begins or if sudden changes occur in the flow patterns. This paper will give a brief overview of the history of sand monitoring and the latest acoustic technology available for the detection of solids flow.
