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Gravel Packing

Gravel packing is a sand-control method used to stabilize formations and maintain well productivity by preventing the production of formation sand during hydraulic fracturing. This technique involves placing a steel screen in the well and packing it with specifically sized gravel to block sand passage. First used in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1980s, gravel packing has been applied in Southern California's Inglewood Oil Field since 2003, with 830 uses reported, effectively exceeding the fracture gradient of the surrounding formation.

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29 views1 page

Gravel Packing

Gravel packing is a sand-control method used to stabilize formations and maintain well productivity by preventing the production of formation sand during hydraulic fracturing. This technique involves placing a steel screen in the well and packing it with specifically sized gravel to block sand passage. First used in the Gulf of Mexico in the 1980s, gravel packing has been applied in Southern California's Inglewood Oil Field since 2003, with 830 uses reported, effectively exceeding the fracture gradient of the surrounding formation.

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tiganatilson2024
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Gravel Packing

Gravel packing is a sand-control method used to prevent the production of formation sand. Gravel
packing is used in conjunction with hydraulic fracturing, but at much lower pressures. Formation sand is
produced from the breakdown of formations where wells are located. This occurs particularly in
formations made of sandstone, limestone, and other similar types of rock. The main goal of gravel
packing is to stabilize the formation and maintain well productivity.

During this operation, a steel screen is placed in the well – the well is then packed with gravel of a
specific size to prevent the passage of formation sand. The operation requires slurry of properly sized
gravel, water, and various chemicals, to be pumped between a slotted liner of the casing and the
wellbore. The wire liner and gravel work together to prevent sand from entering the well stream.

Use as a well stimulation technique

Gravel packing as a well stimulation technique, also known as “frac packs,” was first used in the Gulf of
Mexico in the early 1980s. The process involves simultaneous fracking and the placement of a gravel
pack. The fracture is created using a high-viscosity fluid, to boost production rates, and prevent
formation sand from being produced, while the associated screens stop the gravel from entering the
produced fluids.

Frac packs have been used in Southern California’s Inglewood Oil Field since 2003. According to the
Baldwin Hills Oil Watch, it has been used a total of 830 times since then, and was the first technique to
exceed the fracture gradient in the surrounding formation. The fracture gradient is the pressure per unit
of the depth of the well, usually measured in pounds per square inch (psi). When the pressure is greater
than the surrounding rock, the rock cracks, and the fracture fluid moves further into the rock, extending
the cracks further.

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