Agenda

This session will focus on the characterization and impacts of produced solids on the reservoir, wellbore productivity and injectivity. Additionally, solid production prevention and remediation strategies associated with the reservoir characteristics and/or offset activity will be discussed. 

In this session, we will discuss solid production mechanism and explore the various methods of sand prevention and control strategies from a downhole reservoir perspective, as well as from the perspective of the equipment and methodologies used. The application and effectiveness of these methods and strategies will also be discussed. 

This session will focus on transport and deposition of produced solids in the wellbore lateral section and potential remediation strategies. Special attention will be given to downhole equipment, flow behavior over time, and wellbore geometry. 

In this session, we will explore the various methods of artificial lift as they apply to the sand production life cycle. What critical parameters surround the selection of an artificial lift system and what operational criteria determine when to change from one lift method to another. Some of the inherent limitations of each system in regards to sand production may also be discussed. 

Sand production in unconventional resource plays is inevitable. In many cases, this produced sand drives incremental operational cost in physical damage to surface equipment and can even pose environmental risks in the event of a release from an eroded component. Further, equipment damage and sand deposits in vessels can result in lost production if wells need to be shut in to allow for replacement and/or cleaning. In this session, you will hear from operators and service companies that will share technologies and best practices for managing sand at surface to mitigate these challenges. 

Sand production in unconventional resource plays is inevitable. In many cases, this produced sand drives incremental operational cost in physical damage to surface equipment and can even pose environmental risks in the event of a release from an eroded component. Further, equipment damage and sand deposits in vessels can result in lost production if wells need to be shut in to allow for replacement and/or cleaning. In this session, you will hear from operators and service companies that will share technologies and best practices for managing sand at surface to mitigate these challenges. 

Developing and implementing a risk-based approach for sand management - either subsurface or surface related - requires data-based evaluation and decision making. In order to develop the data to drive these quality decisions, quantification of sand is a key requirement. Attendees will hear from operators, service companies and technology providers on the challenges, technologies, approaches, and best practices for measuring sand production to drive better decisions. 

Erosion is the major threat caused by sand to safety and equipment integrity. We will discuss how to manage erosion in oil and gas operations, how to predict and mitigate the erosion threat and how to monitor and inspect for erosion damage. Computational Fluid Dynamics as well as mechanistic models for predicting erosion rates will be discussed along with remedies to reduce possible erosion damage. 

With the advent of longer lateral completion design to significantly increase overall hydrocarbon yield, adequate management of flowback operation is critical to exploit full potential of the well. Advances in automation and digital technologies are helping reduce cost while reducing flaring and man-power for flowback operations. This session will share learnings from field trial of new digital technologies to allow automated desanding and flowback operations. 

Now that you have it, what do you do with it? The ultimate disposition for produced sand drives the planning and implementation of equipment and handling for sand cleaning and disposal or re-use. Attendees will hear about the methods, opportunities, and challenges in the final piece of sand management.