Innovative Sand Control Solutions for Enhanced Hydrocarbon Extraction in Mature and Challenging Reservoirs

Hydrocarbon production in the study area is primarily dominated by biogenic gas, sourced from reservoirs discovered during the 1960s. These reservoirs are characterized by turbiditic sand bodies interbedded with hemipelagic shale layers, with lateral continuity ranging from submetric to metric scales, and occurring at depths between 1,000 and 4,000 m. Each sand layer exhibits an independent Gas-Water Contact (GWC), associated with distinct pressure regimes and production mechanisms—either water drive or depletion—resulting in a highly compartmentalized multilayer system. The intervening shale intervals commonly act as permeability barriers while also being interpreted as the primary source rock for hydrocarbons. Reservoir sandstones typically exhibit grain sizes ranging from 20 to 120 μm, with absolute permeability between 1 and 1000 mD and porosity values between 10% and 40%. Cementation is minimal, either calcareous or siliceous, and grain-to-grain contact is the dominant source of rock strength, which generally increases with depth. Due to this low intrinsic mechanical resistance, sand production was anticipated from the earliest stages of field development.[1] In the initial development phase, sand production was controlled by limiting drawdown at the sandface through conservative choke settings. While effective at reducing solids production, this strategy significantly constrained productivity and was therefore abandoned. To enhance well performance while preserving operational integrity, dedicated sand control strategies were introduced. [2]