An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Gravel Pack & Frac Pack Design
Designing Packs and Frac Packs
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
20 Dec 2027
Gravel Pack & Frac Pack Design
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Gravel Pack & Frac Pack Design - DC-GPF-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-GPF-PEA27 | 20 - 24 Dec 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours / Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Gravel Pack & Frac Pack Design
This course covers gravel pack and frac pack design and execution. Participants study formation sampling and sizing, screen and gravel selection, open hole and cased hole gravel packs, carrier fluids and placement techniques, alternate path systems, frac pack design and tip screen-out, execution and monitoring, evaluation of pack quality and troubleshooting.
Description
Gravel packs and frac packs are the main sand control completions in unconsolidated formations. A gravel pack places sized gravel between the screen and the formation to hold sand in place; a frac pack creates a short, wide propped fracture that bypasses damage and connects to the gravel pack, giving sand control and productivity together.
This course covers both in design detail. It starts with formation sampling and particle size analysis, then covers gravel and screen sizing criteria and screen type selection. It covers open hole and cased hole gravel packs, carrier fluid selection, water packs and slurry packs, alpha and beta wave placement, and alternate path and shunt tube systems. It then covers frac pack design, including tip screen-out design, fluid and proppant selection and treatment schedules, execution and real-time monitoring for both treatment types, the evaluation of pack quality and skin, and the troubleshooting of poor packs and screen-outs.
Sizing follows the formation. Gravel is sized from the formation particle size distribution so that it holds the sand while remaining permeable, and the screen is sized to hold the gravel. Get the sampling wrong, through unrepresentative or washed samples, and every downstream decision is wrong with it.
Placement is where gravel packs fail. Voids left in the annulus allow formation sand to flow and erode the screen, and in long or deviated intervals complete packing is difficult. Alpha and beta wave placement, alternate path shunt tubes and careful rate control exist to fill the annulus completely rather than partially.
Frac packs add productivity to sand control. By creating a short, wide, highly conductive fracture, the treatment bypasses near-wellbore damage and reduces the flow concentration that drives sand production, which is why frac packs often produce at lower skin than gravel packs in the same formation. The design is a fracture design constrained to stop at the right size.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Plan formation sampling and interpret particle size analysis.
- Size gravel and screens from formation data.
- Select screen types for the formation and completion.
- Design open hole and cased hole gravel packs.
- Select carrier fluids and placement techniques.
- Apply alpha and beta wave placement and alternate path systems.
- Design frac pack treatments, including tip screen-out.
- Select fluids and proppants for frac packs.
- Execute and monitor pack treatments in real time.
- Evaluate pack quality and skin and troubleshoot poor packs.
The course is instructor-led. Sizing and design are worked through with real formation data and treatment designs, and execution with job records, pressure responses and post-job evaluations. Participants design gravel packs and frac packs for given wells and diagnose failed packs from the available evidence. Participants are encouraged to bring their own designs for discussion.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Design sand control completions that control sand and produce well.
- Improve pack placement and reduce voids and screen erosion.
- Improve frac pack productivity through better design.
- Reduce sand control failures and the interventions they cause.
- Improve evaluation and feedback into future designs.
Participants will:
- Be able to size gravel and screens from formation data.
- Be able to design gravel packs and frac packs.
- Understand placement techniques and their limits.
- Be able to monitor and control treatments in real time.
- Be able to evaluate pack quality and diagnose failures.
- Completion engineers
- Production engineers in sand-prone fields
- Stimulation and sand control service engineers
- Drilling and well engineers
- Rig site supervisors on completion operations
- Reservoir engineers in unconsolidated formations
Module 1: Formation Sampling and Sizing Analysis
- Sample collection and representativeness
- Sieve and laser particle size analysis
- Interpreting distributions
- Sampling errors and their consequences
- Data required for design
Module 2: Gravel and Screen Sizing
- Gravel sizing criteria
- Screen aperture selection
- Gravel quality and specifications
- Screen types and their application
- Erosion resistance considerations
Module 3: Cased Hole Gravel Packs
- Perforating requirements for gravel packs
- Pack placement in perforations
- Carrier fluids and slurry concentration
- Workstring and crossover tools
- Design calculations
Module 4: Open Hole Gravel Packs
- Open hole completion and screen placement
- Hole condition requirements
- Placement challenges in long intervals
- Washdown and circulating techniques
- Isolation and swell packers
Module 5: Placement Techniques
- Water packs and slurry packs
- Alpha and beta wave placement
- Rate and concentration control
- Dehydration and screen-out behaviour
- Monitoring placement in real time
Module 6: Alternate Path Systems
- Shunt tube design and operation
- Applications in long and deviated intervals
- Placement with losses
- Reliability and installation considerations
Module 7: Frac Pack Design
- Objectives and productivity benefits
- Tip screen-out design
- Fluid selection and leak-off
- Proppant selection and conductivity
- Treatment schedule design
Module 8: Execution and Monitoring
- Surface equipment and layout
- Pressure monitoring and interpretation
- Real-time decisions during placement
- Screen-out management
- Flowback and clean-up
Module 9: Evaluation and Troubleshooting
- Evaluating pack placement
- Skin determination after completion
- Production performance assessment
- Diagnosing voids and screen erosion
- Remedial options
- Feeding results into future designs
Upon successful completion of this training course, delegates will be awarded an official Certificate of Completion issued by the Petroleum Engineers Association (PEA), an ISO 9001:2015 certified training organization. The certificate carries 10 Credits and formally records the total learning hours completed.
Each certificate is signed by the Course Facilitator and the CEO of the Petroleum Engineers Association, and serves as verifiable proof of professional training that delegates can present to employers and professional bodies worldwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
All course bookings made through PEA are strictly non-refundable. By registering for a course, you acknowledge and accept that all fees are payable in full and are not subject to refund under any circumstances, including changes in personal or professional commitments or partial attendance.
PEA reserves the right to make reasonable adjustments to course content, trainers, or schedules where necessary, without entitling delegates to a refund. Comprehensive details of each course — including objectives, target audience, and content — are clearly outlined before enrolment, and it is the responsibility of the delegate to ensure the course's suitability prior to booking.
For any inquiries related to cancellations or bookings, please contact our support team, who will be happy to assist you.
