Gravel Packing Ultra Slim 1.9" Inner Liners in the Long Beach Unit, Wilmington Field

PETERSON, JOHN, THUMS Long Beach Company, Long Beach, CA

In order to avoid costly redrills of wells with failed 3-1/2" wire-wrapped screen liners, THUMS Long Beach Company has begun installing and gravel-packing ultra-slim 1.9" inner liners in these wells to restore sand control and return them to production. Six jobs have been successfully completed through February 2000.

This presentation will cover basic design parameters, installation problems encountered, improvements and solutions implemented in such areas as cleaning out and stabilizing fill in the failed liners, excess hydraulic forces during gravel packing, tight crossover tool tolerances, tailpipe OD restrictions, and tailpipe tensile strength limitations.

Pre-job and post-job productivity numbers will also be presented.

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