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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Use of bauxite as packing material in steam injection wells

Conference ·
OSTI ID:229584
Cyclic steam injection, also known as steam soak, has proven to be the most efficient method for producing heavy crude oil and bitumen from unconsolidated sands. The application of steam injection may, however, generate sand production, causing, among other things, a decrease in production. The gravel pack technique is the most efficient way to prevent fines production from cold producing wells. But, once they are steam stimulated, a dissolution of quartz containing gravel material takes place reducing greatly the packing permeability and eventually sand production. Different types of packing material have been used to avoid sand production after cyclic steam injection, such as gravel, ceramics, bauxite, coated resin, and American sand. This paper presents the results of field test, using sinterized bauxite as a packing material, carried out in Venezuela`s heavy oil operations as a part of a comprehensive program aimed at increasing the packing durability and reducing sand production. This paper also verify the results of laboratory tests in which Bauxite was found to be less soluble than other packing material when steam injected.
OSTI ID:
229584
Report Number(s):
CONF-9502114--Vol.2
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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