A new microscopic method to evaluate screen erosion in oil and gas equipment
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) has created a new, more efficient method for assessing changes in the sand control screens used in oil and gas production wells. The new assessment method provides a more comprehensive view of where erosion occurs during accelerated erosion testing on sand control screens and is being expanded to evaluate other devices in corrosive environments. trail.
In oil and gas wells, sand screens keep sand from forming and fracturing in the reservoir while allowing fluid to build up. Finely formed sand, smaller than the screen opening, periodically passes through the screen, causing screen erosion and can eventually lead to screen failure. Sand created from oil and gas in wells can cause erosion Equipment from the storage tank to the surface, causing costly production downtime and the need to complete work to replace damaged equipment.
Jessica Brysch, assistant program manager at SwRI’s Fluids, said: “Measurement of erosion in sandbars is challenging because current industry methods provide a single point value describing erosion. Actual wear and tear occurs differently in different areas.The industry is currently using two methods that provide inconsistent results.” Engineering Department. “Those methods identify only the largest gap due to corrosive flow through the sand screen, while our method identifies each gap.”
SwRI’s approach represents erosion on a sand screen graphically so that a fuller picture of erosion can be understood. This method involves examining both the screen layer and the base tube layer using a microscopic imaging device to map the removed material on the screen layer and the base tube layer.
“Our method uses a new microscope,” said Luis Gutierrez, a research engineer in SwRI’s Fluid Engineering Department. “We have developed a new visualization method to provide a spatial understanding of where erosion is occurring. Our method allows us to view maps that show the extent and location of erosion. wear experienced on both the screen layer and the base tube layer.”
The SwRI erosion model graphically represents sand screen erosion, providing a more complete picture of the impact of erosion. This erosion visualization method has also been extended to other types of equipment in harsh environment to quantify erode.
“Using our technique, the industry can more accurately predict the life of equipment under specific well conditions, rather than waiting for them to fail,” explains Brysch. “Consider the sand net as your primary defense against sand production and repair costs are extremely high, which is a significant advantage. ”
Project homepage: www.swri.org/fluid-dynamics-fl… -measurement / erosion
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Southwest Research Institute
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