Sources of Productivity Impairment in Openhole Completions

Openhole completions are commonly used to obtain high-productivity wells in a variety of applications throughout the world. However, there is little agreement in the industry with regard to best practices for drilling and completing these wells. This is particularly true for openhole completions requiring sand control.

In part, the lack of a clear consensus regarding drilling and completion practices and products is due to the complex interaction of near-wellbore formation damage and completion impairment on well performance. As drilling and completion conditions become more demanding and well costs escalate, the risk of well failure and the associated impact on project economics becomes a major consideration. To minimize the risk of well failure and maximize well productivity, laboratory testing programs are often used to select products and optimize practices.

This presentation will examine common sources of productivity impairment in openhole completions and illustrate the impact of formation damage and completion impairment on well performance. Field case histories will be provided to link laboratory observations to well performance. Finally, recommendations will be presented for maximizing the performance of openhole completions. The presentation will show that properly designed and implemented laboratory testing programs drastically reduce the dual risks of hole instability and formation damage in openhole drilling operations and well completions.