Advanced Sand Control Completion With Permanent Monitoring

Abstract

Abstract Permanent downhole monitoring can provide valuable information for production decisions without the need to perform an intervention to gather data. This type of technology has been excluded from sand control completions because of the complexity of placing measuring devices in the production interval. This paper describes the completion design of an openhole, horizontal, gravel-packed completion with permanent monitoring equipment in the production interval. As is typical for gravel-packed wells, the completion is run in two trips: the sandface completion is run in the first trip, and the upper completion is run in the second trip. The sandface completion includes two hydraulic lines in a U-tube configuration with a hydraulic wet connector at the top of the completion string. The completion is gravel packed using an alternate path technology that decreases the risk of a failed gravel pack placement due to hole collapse or losses. It also allows placement at lower flow rates, thus reducing the risk of damaging the hydraulic control lines. The upper completion is run and stabbed into the hydraulic wet connect. The hydraulic lines provide a continuous, environmentally protected conduit for the fiber-optic line. Once the upper completion is run and the wet connect is tested, the hydraulic lines are flushed and the fiber-optic (distributed temperature sensor) is installed.