Abstract: Accelerating the construction of domestic gas storage reservoirs is an urgent requirement for China to ensure energy security and address international challenges. A safe and effective anti-sand design is a key guarantee for the stable operation of gas storage facilities. Currently, most anti-sand completion designs for gas storage reservoirs are based on conventional sand production theories from oil and gas reservoirs. However, there is no systematic study on the sand production laws and mechanisms under the cyclic injection-production conditions typical of gas storage reservoirs, leading to a lack of targeted support for reservoir construction plans. This study uses core samples from red sandstone outcrops in the Hutubi gas storage area of Xinjiang to conduct sand production simulation experiments under both conventional and cyclic loading conditions. The research explores the sand production patterns, characteristics, and pore damage mechanisms under different conditions. Single-axis compression and cyclic loading-unloading mechanical experiments were designed to reveal the sand production mechanisms under cyclic loading in gas storage reservoirs. The results indicate that the amount of sand production under cyclic conditions is approximately 2 to 3 times higher than under conventional gas reservoir production conditions. The cyclic loading reduces the critical sand production pressure of the core and leads to continuous sand production. Under cyclic loading, the proportion of large particle sand production is lower, and the particle size is about 0.62 to 0.77 times that of the conventional production conditions. Optical microscope observations show that under cyclic conditions, the aggregates consist of fewer particles and are more thoroughly crushed, leading to a decrease in overall particle size. After sand production, the pore structure exhibits symmetrical "V"-shaped damage, and the area of cavity fracture under cyclic loading is 2.2 to 3 times larger than under conventional conditions, with a greater vertical extension and more severe sand production. The cyclic loading-unloading experiments show that in the later stages of cyclic loading, the radial plastic strain of the core increases rapidly as the rock forms cemented fractures, with movable discrete sand particles detaching at the fractures. This is the critical condition for sand production in gas storage reservoir conditions. The presence of cyclic loading promotes internal cementation and frictional damage of particles, resulting in a finer grain size than under conventional conditions. These findings should be considered in the design of anti-sand measures for gas storage reservoirs. The study provides theoretical guidance for reservoir design and anti-sand parameter optimization.