Sand Control and Completion Design

Overview

Many oil and gas reservoirs, especially young and weakly consolidated sandstones, produce sand along with hydrocarbons. Uncontrolled sand production erodes chokes, valves, pipework and separators, fills wellbores and surface vessels, damages artificial lift equipment and can lead to loss of containment. On the other hand, overly conservative sand control can choke back production and add unnecessary cost. Engineers must therefore predict when and how much sand a well will produce, decide whether active sand control is required, and select a completion method that balances productivity, reliability and cost over the life of the well.

This course provides a practical understanding of sand production and the design of sand control completions. Participants learn rock mechanics and sand failure mechanisms, sand production prediction methods, particle size analysis and the selection criteria for screens and gravel. The course covers standalone screens, expandable screens, gravel packs, frac packs, chemical consolidation and sand management without downhole control. It also explains completion design for vertical, deviated and horizontal wells, installation practices, fluid loss control, inflow control devices, sand monitoring and surface handling, and the evaluation of completion performance, using case studies from fields around the world.

Objectives

• Explain rock mechanics and the mechanisms that cause sand production
• Predict sand production risk using field data and analytical methods
• Analyse formation particle size distributions for sand control design
• Select screens, gravel and completion types for different reservoirs
• Design gravel pack and frac pack completions and their placement
• Apply sand management strategies, monitoring and surface handling
• Evaluate completion performance and diagnose sand control failures

Who should attend

Training methodology

The course combines explanation of sand failure mechanics with design exercises based on real core, log and production data. Participants estimate sanding risk, analyse particle size distributions, select screen openings and gravel sizes, and design a gravel pack and a frac pack for sample wells. Completion schematics, installation procedures and failure investigation reports from real fields are reviewed in groups. Photographs of eroded equipment and failed screens show the consequences of poor design. Case studies compare sand control strategies used by operators in different regions, with a short quiz each day.

Programme outline

Dates and fees

Certificate

Frequently asked questions