Sand control well completion method and apparatus

Abstract

A technique includes running a sand control completion system into a well, where the system includes at least one sensor, a gravel packing service tool and a sand control section. The sand control completion system is used to perform a gravel packing-related operation in the well in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the service tool to deposit gravel near the completion section. The technique includes regulating the gravel packing-related operation based at least in part on data acquired by said at least one sensor and communicated to an Earth surface of the well while the operation is being performed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 running a sand control completion system into a well, the system comprising at least one sensor, a gravel packing service tool and a sand control section;   using the sand control completion system to perform a gravel packing operation in the well in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the service tool to deposit gravel near the completion section; and   prior to the gravel packing operation, performing a given operation in the well and regulating the given operation based at least in part on data acquired by said at least one sensor and communicated to an Earth surface of the well while the given operation is being performed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one pressure sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of an overbalance pressure, the given operation comprises the running of the sand completion operation into the well, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises selectively displacing weighted fluid at the Earth surface based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running a tubular work string into the well that has become stuck in the well during the running, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a force exerted on the string, the given operation comprises an operation to free the string, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises adjusting a force applied to the string at the Earth surface based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the given operation comprises an operation to communicate a treatment fluid into the well using an internal passageway of the service tool before a packer of the lower completion system is set, the service tool has become stuck in the well during the given operation, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a pressure inside the internal passageway of the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises from the Earth surface, adjusting a rate at which the fluid is communicated into the internal passageway to free the service tool based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lower completion section comprises a packer adapted to be set by fluid pressure, said at least one sensor comprises at least one pressure sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a pressure of fluid near the packer, the given operation comprises setting the packer, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises controlling the pressure from the Earth surface to set the packer based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the lower completion section comprises a packer comprising a seal element to form an annular seal when the packer is set, said at least one sensor comprises at least one pressure sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a differential pressure across the seal element, the given operation comprises a pressure test of the packer, and act of regulating the given operation comprises performing the pressure test of the packer based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of an acceleration or a force exerted on the string, the given operation comprises a push/pull test of the string, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises performing the push/pull test based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, the sand control completion system comprises a packer comprising slips, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of an acceleration of the string, the given operation comprises an operation to test whether the slips of the packer are set, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises performing the operation to test whether the slips are set based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, the service tool is adapted to be released from the lower completion section in response to fluid pressure being communicated to the service tool via an internal passageway of the string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a pressure inside the string near the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises controlling pressurization of the string from the Earth surface to release the service tool from the lower completion section based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a differential pressure across the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises controlling an upward force applied to the string at the Earth surface based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a motion or a position of the service tool, the given operation comprises locating the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises determining a location of the service tool based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a swabbing induced pressure on the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises regulating movement of the service tool based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, the operation comprises an operation to communicate a multiple stage fluid flow comprising pickle stages downhole via the string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement indicative of a property of the fluid flow, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises controlling pumping of the fluid flow from the Earth surface based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, the operation comprises an operation to communicate a fluid flow into the string to displace a given fluid from a given region of the well, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement indicative of a fluid property in the given region or a flow rate in the given region, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises controlling pumping of the fluid flow from the Earth surface based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a property of the well, the given operation comprises calibrating a sand treatment model, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises calibrating the sand treatment model based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement indicative of an unintended restriction present in the well, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises performing corrective action to remove the restriction. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the operation comprises an operation in which fluid is communicated into the well, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement indicative of a region of the well in which fluid is being lost during the operation, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises selectively altering the operation based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 running a sand control completion system into a well, the system comprising at least one sensor, a gravel packing service tool and a sand control section;   performing a gravel packing operation in the well, the performing comprising communicating slurry downhole through the service tool to deposit gravel near the completion section;   regulating at least one of movement of the service tool and a screenout pressure based at least in part on data acquired by said at least one sensor and communicated to an Earth surface of the well while the gravel packing operation is being performed.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 regulating roping based at least in part on the data acquired by said at least one sensor while the gravel packing operation is being performed.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 identifying formation of an unintended opening in the sand control section while the gravel packing operation is being performed.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 while the gravel packing operation is being performed, planning an operation to be conducted after conclusion of the gravel packing operation based at least in part on the data acquired by said at least one sensor.   
     
     
         22 . A method comprising:
 running a sand control completion system into a well, the system comprising at least one sensor, a gravel packing service tool and a sand control section;   using the sand control completion system to perform a gravel packing operation in the well in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the service tool to deposit gravel near the completion section; and   after the gravel packing operation, performing a given operation in the well and regulating the given operation based at least in part on data acquired by said at least one sensor and communicated to an Earth surface of the well while the given operation is being performed.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a pressure, the given operation comprises an operation to move the string to reposition the service tool, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises regulating pressure of an annulus that surrounds the string to maintain slurry fluid inside the tubular string while the service tool is being repositioned based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the running comprises running the sand control completion system into the well on a tubular string, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement of a force exerted on the string, the given operation comprises an operation to move the string and the string has become stuck in the well, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises regulating a pulling force exerted on the string to free the string based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the operation comprises an operation in which fluid is communicated into the well, said at least one sensor comprises at least one sensor adapted to acquire a measurement indicative of a region of the well in which fluid is being lost during the operation, and the act of regulating the given operation comprises selectively altering the operation based at least in part on the measurement. 
     
     
         26 . A system usable with a well, comprising:
 a sand control completion system comprising:
 a tubular string; 
 a sand control section, wherein the sand control section is adapted to be secured to the string to be run into the well and installed in the well; 
 a gravel pack service tool adapted to be run downhole as a unit with the sand control section and be released after the sand control section is installed in the well to allow the gravel pack service tool to move with respect to the sand control section; and 
 at least one sensor to be run downhole as part of the unit; and 
   a surface controller disposed at the Earth surface to communicate with said at least one sensor during a gravel packing operation in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the string and through the service tool to deposit gravel near the sand control section, the surface controller adapted to display information to an operator indicative of at least one of a screenout pressure and an unintended movement of the service tool during the gravel packing operation based at least in part on the communication.   
     
     
         27 . A system usable with a well, comprising:
 a sand control completion system comprising:
 a tubular string; 
 a sand control section, wherein the sand control section is adapted to be secured to the string to be run into the well and installed in the well; 
 a gravel pack service tool adapted to be run downhole as a unit with the sand control section and be released after the sand control section is installed in the well to allow the gravel pack service tool to move with respect to the sand control section; and 
 at least one sensor to be run downhole as part of the unit; and 
   a surface controller disposed at the Earth surface to communicate with said at least one sensor at least before a given operation that precedes a gravel packing operation in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the string and through the service tool to deposit gravel near the sand control section, the surface controller adapted to display information to an operator indicative of the given operation during the given operation to allow the operator to selectively perform corrective action in response thereto.   
     
     
         28 . A system usable with a well, comprising:
 a sand control completion system comprising:
 a tubular string; 
 a sand control section, wherein the sand control section is adapted to be secured to the string to be run into the well and installed in the well; 
 a gravel pack service tool adapted to be run downhole as a unit with the sand control section and be released after the sand control section is installed in the well to allow the gravel pack service tool to move with respect to the sand control section; and 
 at least one sensor to be run downhole as part of the unit; and 
   a surface controller disposed at the Earth surface to communicate with said at least one sensor at least after a given operation that proceeds a gravel packing operation in which a slurry is communicated downhole through the string and through the service tool to deposit gravel near the sand control section, the surface controller adapted to display information to an operator indicative of the given operation during the given operation to allow the operator to selectively perform corrective action in response thereto.