Using local gravel to control sand production in a Saudi oil field

Sand production from oil and gas reservoirs is most commonly associated with unconsolidated and poorly cemented sandstones. Sand production problems are, generally encountered in oil reservoir and recently are detected in Saudi reservoir. This work was conducted to investigate the possibility of using gravel packs made from gravel deposited in the central province of Saudi Arabia. Optimum gravel size, shape, crushing resistance and solubility in acids were tested. Furthermore, a physical model has been constructed to simulate sand control process. The experimental results showed that sand and fluid production are affected by the gravel pack thickness, drawdown pressure and confining pressureKing Saud Universit