Link for citation:  Khabibullin M. Ya. Mechanism of filtration of formation liquid in a filter in contact with rock. Bulletin of the Tomsk Polytechnic University. Geo Аssets Engineering, 2021, vol. 332, no. 11, рр. 58-67. In Rus.

The relevance of the study is caused by the need to prevent the introduction of a volume of rock with greater homogeneity and larger size into the near-filter zone compared to the coarse fraction of formation sand – an attempt to improve the filtration properties of the near-filter zone, i. e. decrease in ζ_2фк and ζ_2n. The design of the gravel pack should simultaneously exclude the removal of formation particles into the well. The solution to this problem will improve the work of filtration of formation fluid from the formation into the well and reduce the cost of additional application of methods for stimulating the inflow of formation fluid to the well. Purpose: to develop a methodology that allows, when choosing a filter design, simultaneously with the ability to provide them with a reliable hydraulic connection in the reservoir-filter system, preventing sand removal into the well. Objects. To prevent the flow of sand from the formation and retain gravel at the bottom of the well, when creating gravel packs, slot, wire, ring, titanium, cermet and other filters are used. These screens, installed in the casing perforation interval without the formation of gravel outer annular packing (and this is how screens are installed in most wells in Russian fields), are very often clogged with formation sand, which leads to a decrease in well productivity. If slot filters are used to retain sand, then the effectiveness of their application depends on the correspondence of the slot size to the granulometric composition of the sand being removed. Filters with shell packing are more effective, but they also do not always meet the set goal, since the strength and quality of shell rock pumped into the near-wellbore part of the formation are rather low. In addition, wire filters used in the fields do not have fixation of each turn, as a result of which, if one of the turns is mechanically damaged, the entire winding breaks down. Methods. When applying the proposed technique, the results of experimental work on evaluating ways to reduce sand production from unconsolidated heterogeneous formations show that the use of filters in a cased hole requires the creation of gravel packing in the annular gap between the filter and the string, in the perforated channel and behind the casing. Moreover, the size of the gravel should be chosen so as to exclude the mixing of the gravel packing with the formation sand due to the migration and intrusion of sand, i.e. D/d=4–5. A decrease in well productivity can in this case be avoided by increasing the size and number of perforations. It should be noted that sand avoidance means that under optimal steady state well operation, the filter retains formation backbone particles, but allows fines and clay particles to pass through. During the well start-up, the picture is somewhat different - part of the skeletal particles is also passed through until a natural filter of sorted coarse fractions is formed on the filtering casing. Results. The particles that make up the rock structure should not be carried out of the formation by applying a filter. In practice, this means that the filter should not pass 75–85 % (by weight) of the larger sand fractions. To maintain the overall stability of the formation skeleton, it is possible to allow the removal of small particles not more than 15–25 % (in weight).