Evaluation of Steam Resistance of Gravel Packing Material

Carefully sized sand has been used for gravel packing for many years. With the advent of packing for many years. With the advent of steam flooding it was observed that the pack sand disappeared from the well. The realization that sand was soluble in hot water gave rise to several studies which evaluated this problem. Common proppants and other materials were evaluated but no viable packing material was found. packing material was found. This study compared the available packing material by flowing low quality steam through cell containing the gravel. Ionic Composition and concentration of the effluent were monitored throughout the flow tests. These data gave an indication of the mechanism of certain types of deterioration. Weight loss of the gravel with respect to flow volume was determined for each material. Micrographs of the packing material before and after the tests indicated that weight loss data was not sufficient for the selection of the preferred material. Most of the aluminum oxide based materials were found to selectively dissolve and reprecipitate, forming potential permeability damaging fines. While much of the gravel remained, the fines were responsible for reducing the permeability of the pack. In some cases the test call was plugged. Some of these fines are identified. Several materials which are not commonly available as proppants were evaluated. One was found to withstand the harsh conditions of the hot water flow test with minimal weight loss and no fines formation. This material is now being evaluated as a graven packing material in field trials. packing material in field trials. It is readily available and inexpensive compared to the aluminum oxide Acid solubility and crush resistance are similar to Ottawa sand but is slightly more angular. This paper presents detailed results of the laboratory testing of the packing materials including photomicrographys before and after testing. Field results available will also be included. P. 281