Independent global completions service company Tendeka and diagnostic specialists TGT have agreed a partnership to mitigate the costly consequences of sand control failure in wells.

Tendeka’s Filtrex solution is a one-trip remedial system enabling sand-free production to be restored

The remedial sand control collaboration known as ‘Find Fix Confirm’, will see TGT’s Sand Flow product used to accurately identify the locations of sand ingress within the wellbore. Then, Tendeka’s Filtrex  thru-tubing sand control system is precisely situated to quickly repair the damage. Crucially, the service can confirm the effectiveness of the solution with the redeployment of TGT’s diagnostic product.

In mature basins, sand issues can account for up to 10% of all shut-in wells either due to failure of the existing downhole sand control or onset of sand production due to pressure depletion and/or water production.

Launched in 2019, Tendeka’s Filtrex solution is a one-trip remedial system enabling sand-free production to be restored effectively and efficiently. It is fully compatible with thru-tubing operations, even through the tightest of restrictions. The first of its kind, Filtrex can perform sand clean out and chemical treatments during live well deployment.

TGT’s Sand Flow product precisely locates sand entry to the wellbore and provides a qualitative sand count, clearly identifying problem zones, even in turbulent flow conditions. Delivered by the ‘True Flow’ system with ‘Chorus’ acoustic technology, Sand Flow provides the clarity and insight needed to manage sand production more effectively. Although commonly used to diagnose a known sand production issue, it is also used proactively to ensure downhole sand control measures are working correctly.

Paul Lynch, Advanced Completions Director at Tendeka said: 
“The management and control of sand production is an inherent problem in the oil and gas industry. Often, the first indication of sand issues downhole will be as a result of detrimental effects that can occur at surface, such as fill in separators or erosional damage to pipe work, ultimately resulting in a shut-in well. Existing solutions have been extremely limited due to their high cost and/or poor performance.

“Our Find Fix Confirm sand remediation service addresses both issues to offer a more effective, intervention-based solution. We believe this is the first time a specialized, integrated tool can fully understand and fix sand production issues, to ultimately maintain asset integrity and extend the product life of the asset. We are already seeing significant interest from operators around the world.”

Ken Feather, Chief Marketing Officer at TGT commented: 
“Proper diagnosis is the critical first step to any kind of well remediation planning and execution. But determining the precise location and extent of sand ingress downhole has challenged the industry for decades, as previous attempts were unable to reliably distinguish between sand and fluid flow. 

“Our Sand Flow diagnostics are powered by Chorus technology which captures and decodes the acoustic signature generated by sand particles entering the wellbore to reveal sand ingress locations and sand count. Equipped with that information, Filtrex can be targeted to repair the breach, then Chorus can be deployed again to confirm that the breach is fixed. Overall, Find Fix Confirm enables better use of resources and more reliable sand control outcomes.”

The ‘Find’ element of the solution will see TGT’s Chorus acoustic sensing platform deployed in hole on wireline to pinpoint sand entry locations utilizing time-domain analysis. By flowing from the reservoir whilst the tool is in the well, the acoustic signature of any sand within the production stream can be characterized such that the sand entry points, particle size and volume can be identified. 

The ‘Fix’ aspect will see Filtrex deployed via coiled tubing into the well and positioned across the target area. By dropping a ball from surface, a simple two stage application of pressure firstly sets the anchor, and secondly releases the compression sleeve. Upon removal of the sleeve the matrix polymer expands to contact the wellbore and the deployment string can be retrieved from the well. Filling the annular gap with the open cell matrix polymer prevents further ingress of formation solids into the wellbore whilst still allowing passage of liquids or gases.

Lastly, is the ‘Confirm’ stage. Here, the Chorus tool is deployed again but this time passed through the internal diameter of the Filtrex system to confirm that no sand is entering at that depth.

KeyFacts Energy Industry Directory: Tendeka