Abstract: Statistical Analysis Leads to New Sand Control Guidelines in the Long Beach Unit, Wilmington Field

MAYS, PATRICK, THUMS Long Beach Company, Long Beach, CA

In 1999 a statistical analysis was performed on all production liners installed in the Long Beach Unit from 1965 to 1999. The study utilized data from 1,389 primary and secondary (inner-liner) completions, focusing on wellbore, formation, and reservoir characteristics.

The study consisted of three primary goals. First, identify high-risk completion practices within the Unit and implement recommendations to reduce failures. Second, use historical trends to forecast expected liner run lives for economic evaluation. Third, develop best practices and standardize the type and style of liners to run in the unit to increase operating efficiency.

This presentation will review the history of completion techniques at THUMS, specifically addressing the following issues:

Review the historical and recent trends of various completion techniques;
Identify high-risk completion techniques;
Review the conclusions drawn from analyzing the statistical data;
Present point forward recommendations for completion practices; and
Develop optimum inventory management while using the best completion practices for the Unit.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90911©2000 AAPG Pacific Section and Western Region Society of Petroleum Engineers, Long Beach, California