Abstract:
To meet the challenge of sand bridge-induced blockages while gravel packing in horizontal wells and improve the flow area utilization and working reliability of shunted tubes, a high-flow-rate shunted screen was developed based on the principle of gravel packing technology for bypass channels. By optimizing the shunted tube structure, the packing tube in the traditional shunted screen was replaced by a sand blasting ring, and a “sand blasting ring−conveying tube” structure was formed. The surface physical model test and field test verified that compared with the traditional shunted screen, the high-flow-rate shunted screen expanded the flow area of the conveying tube by 47.1%, reduced the frictional pressure drop by 53.8% along the process, increased the packing rate by 180%, and enhanced the accumulative oil production by 31.2% within 360 days after the operation of the applied well. The results show that the high-flow-rate shunted screen has excellent bypass channel conveying capacity. It can realize rapid circulation packing, effectively reduce reservoir pollution, alleviate the mixing of gravel and formation sand, and provide a technical means to increase the production of a single well.