An Interactive 5-Day Training Course
Sand Control Design & Installation
Preventing and Managing Sand Production
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Duration
5 Days
Price
$ 3,500
Starting From
29 Nov 2027
Sand Control Design & Installation
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Sand Control Design & Installation - DC-SND-PEA27
| Code | Date | Time | Duration | Location | Currency | Early Bird Fee Per Person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DC-SND-PEA27 | 29 Nov - 03 Dec 2027 | 10 AM CST | 4 Hours / Day |
Online |
USD |
3500 |
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Sand Control Design & Installation
This course covers sand production and its control. Participants study sand production mechanisms and prediction, sanding management strategies, screen and gravel pack design, frac packing, chemical consolidation, gravel pack placement and evaluation, and the operation and troubleshooting of sand control completions.
Description
Sand production erodes equipment, fills wellbores, damages pumps and chokes, and can lead to casing collapse. In weak formations it is a design problem that has to be solved before the well is completed, because retrofitting sand control is expensive and often unsuccessful. This course covers both the prediction of sand production and the full range of control methods.
It starts with rock strength and failure mechanisms, sanding prediction and critical drawdown, and the option of managing rather than excluding sand. It then covers screens and their selection, open hole and cased hole gravel packs, gravel and screen sizing from formation particle size distribution, carrier fluids and placement techniques, and frac packing for higher permeability and damage bypass. The course closes with chemical consolidation, placement evaluation and the operation, surveillance and troubleshooting of sand control completions over well life.
Sand production begins when the stress around the wellbore exceeds the strength of the formation and the flowing fluid carries the failed material into the well. Whether that happens depends on rock strength, in-situ stress, drawdown, depletion, water cut and flow rate, and almost all of those change over the life of the well. A well that produces clean for years can start making sand after water breakthrough or after significant depletion.
Control methods fall into three families: manage the sand by limiting drawdown and handling what is produced, exclude it mechanically with screens and gravel packs, or stabilise the formation chemically. The right choice depends on formation strength and uniformity, permeability, completion type, well deviation, expected rates and the cost of intervention if the method fails.
Common errors include sizing gravel and screens from poor or unrepresentative particle size data, ignoring the effect of depletion on sanding onset, placing gravel packs badly and leaving voids, and choosing sand control that prevents any future intervention. This course covers the analysis and design practice that avoids these.
By the end of this training, participants will be able to:
- Explain the mechanisms of sand production and formation failure around the wellbore.
- Predict sanding onset and critical drawdown from rock strength and stress data.
- Assess the effect of depletion, water cut and rate changes on sand production.
- Compare sand management, mechanical exclusion and chemical consolidation strategies.
- Select screen types and size screens and gravel from formation particle size distributions.
- Design open hole and cased hole gravel packs, including carrier fluids and placement technique.
- Design frac pack treatments and explain when they are preferred.
- Evaluate gravel pack placement and completion effectiveness.
- Operate, monitor and troubleshoot sand control completions over well life.
The course is instructor-led. Sanding prediction and gravel and screen sizing are covered with worked examples using core, log and particle size data. Placement techniques and job execution are taught through field procedures and job records, and troubleshooting through failure cases from real wells. Participants are encouraged to bring their own formation data and sand problems for discussion.
Organisations sending participants to this training will:
- Identify sanding risk before wells are completed.
- Select sand control methods suited to the formation and the well.
- Reduce sand control failures and the interventions they cause.
- Protect production equipment from erosion and plugging.
- Maintain production from weak formations over the life of the field.
Participants will:
- Understand why and when formations produce sand.
- Be able to predict sanding onset and critical drawdown.
- Be able to size screens and gravel and design gravel packs.
- Understand frac packing and chemical consolidation.
- Be able to diagnose and respond to sand control failures.
- Completion engineers
- Production engineers
- Drilling and well engineering staff
- Reservoir engineers working in weak formations
- Well intervention engineers
- Operations engineers in sand-prone fields
Module 1: Sand Production Mechanisms
- Rock strength and in-situ stress
- Failure around the wellbore and perforations
- Effect of drawdown, depletion and water cut
- Transport of failed material into the well
Module 2: Sanding Prediction
- Core and log-based strength estimation
- Critical drawdown and critical rate methods
- Sanding risk over field life
- Field observations and calibration
Module 3: Sand Management Strategies
- Producing within critical drawdown
- Surface sand handling and separation
- Erosion monitoring
- When management is preferable to exclusion
Module 4: Formation Sampling and Sizing Analysis
- Sample collection and representativeness
- Sieve and laser particle size analysis
- Interpretation of particle size distributions
- Sizing criteria for gravel and screens
Module 5: Screens
- Wire wrapped screens
- Premium and multi-layer screens
- Expandable screens
- Slotted liners
- Screen selection and erosion resistance
Module 6: Gravel Packing
- Open hole gravel packs
- Cased hole gravel packs
- Carrier fluids: water pack and slurry pack
- Alpha and beta wave placement
- Shunt tubes and alternate path technology
Module 7: Frac Packing
- Objectives of frac packing
- Treatment design and tip screen-out
- Proppant selection
- Execution and quality control
Module 8: Chemical Consolidation
- Resin systems and application
- Placement and curing
- Strength and permeability effects
- Application limits
Module 9: Evaluation, Operation and Troubleshooting
- Evaluating pack placement and completion efficiency
- Skin in sand control completions
- Monitoring sand production
- Screen erosion, plugging and failure
- Remedial options and their limitations
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.
