Alternate Path

Technology
Higher production
from gravel-packed
wells
Applications
■ Bypass premature bridging in
vertical intervals longer than
40 ft
■ Frac pack in unconsolidated
sands or high-permeability
zones
■ Gravel pack of horizontal
intervals as long as 8000 ft
■ Gravel pack in deviated wells
■ Separate completions of two
intervals in one trip
■ Control of gas or water influx
during production
Benefits
■ Improved gravel packs over
long intervals
■ Improved production from
tightly packed annulus and
perforations
■ Efficient gravel packing of
long horizontal, deviated and
vertical intervals
■ Higher conductivity in
fractured intervals
■ Reliable screen protection
for high-rate wells
■ Longer completion life
■ Single-step multizone
completions
■ Higher cash flow and
increased reserves from
higher production
Features
■ Excellent diversion over the
entire perforated interval
■ No need for premium screens
in openhole horizontal
completions
■ Multiple Alternate Path†
screen designs
■ Annular bridges bypassed
by gravel slurry
■
Various sizes of shunts and
exit ports
■ Shorter pumping times
Introduction
Services based on Alternate Path tech-
nology provide shunts with nozzles on
the outside of the gravel-pack screen.
These shunts create an alternative
flow path, allowing slurry to bypass
premature bridging and fill the voids
below. In an Alternate Path operation,
gravel placement proceeds initially in
the standard packing mode until
screenout. A pressure buildup occurs
after screenout and forces the slurry
to flow through the shunts and exit
through the nozzles to the first avail-
able void. Packing continues until all
voids are filled and a final screenout
occurs. With voids eliminated, the
gravel pack is tight and complete.
Alternate Path technology is used
in the AllPAC† standard gravel-pack
service, the combination of AllFRAC†
and Schlumberger frac and pack serv-
ices, MZ packer zone-isolation service,
and Horizontal AllPAC and AllFRAC
services for horizontal wells.
AllPAC service
AllPAC service applies Alternate Path
technology to standard gravel-pack
operations. Nozzles every 6 ft on the
shunt allow slurry to exit below a
Alternate Path technology improves gravel-packing efficiency.
50
40
Sand behind 30
the casing
(lbm/ft) 20
10
0
Conventional
gravel pack
premature bridge, filling remaining
voids. In one study, AllPAC comple-
tions averaged 42 lbm/ft of gravel
placed behind the casing, compared
to 15 lbm/ft placed by conventional
completions. AllPAC service operates
in vertical, deviated or horizontal
wells, either cased or openhole. More
gravel placed means more complete
perforation packing and fewer annular
voids. The result is a more reliable
completion with higher production.
AllFRAC service
By using larger shunts that allow for
increased pump rates, Alternate
Path technology is applied to frac
and pack operations. Fractures propa-
gate throughout the interval, not just
above a premature bridge, and prop-
pant is placed along the entire inter-
val. Fractures are tightly packed for
maximum conductivity. Multiple zones
can be fractured and packed during a
single run, saving the cost of multiple
completions. AllFRAC technology has
played an integral part in the record-
setting production from one operator’s
wells in the Gulf of Mexico.
AllPAC
gravel pack
 MZ packer zone-isolation service
AllPAC and AllFRAC services are also
used in multizone single-trip comple-
tions to control water or gas influx
during production. To extend Alternate
Path technology to this application,
one or more opposable-cup isolation
packers are added. Shunt tubes pass
through the packer cups to enable
gravel packing over multiple intervals.
The MZ packer creates a barrier
between the screen and casing. At the
end of gravel-packing operations, the
shunt tubes and nozzles are packed
off. The packed shunt tubes act as
linear flow cells, preventing fluid flow
through the shunts and effectively
isolating the intervals from each other
during production. Completions can
include fracturing one interval (usu-
ally the upper zone) and gravel pack-
ing the second interval (usually the
lower zone).
Multizone completions have
resulted in substantial cost savings
and higher production compared to
conventional completions. This higher
production results from minimizing
the use of fluid loss pills in a single-
trip completion.
This NODAL* production system analysis for a formation with 50-mD permeability compares production
from perforations with 50% (Curve 1) and 100% packing (Curve 2).
4000
3000
Pressure
2000
(psig)
1000
0
0 1000 2000 3000
Horizontal AllPAC and AllFRAC services Shunts on the outside of the screen provide a slurry path
When gravel packing horizontal to void areas below premature bridging.
wellbores using conventional tech-
nology, significant problems are often
encountered: silt and shale sloughing,
premature bridging from high leak-
off, filter-cake cleanup problems, and
difficulty regaining permeability. Gravel
packs in these wells are often poor or
incomplete, exposing long intervals of
screen to erosion or plugging.
Completions with Alternate Path
technology avoid the conventional
problems because the pack quality is
excellent, even over long horizontal
intervals. Horizontal AllPAC and
AllFRAC services use nondamaging
carrier fluids, remove filter cake dur-
ing gravel placement and maximize
productivity. Wells completed using
this technology have a high product-
ivity index because sloughing and
premature bridging are bypassed and
the entire interval is packed. With a
complete gravel pack, ordinary wire-
wrapped screens, which are more
resistant to plugging than premium
screens, can be used even in intervals
as long as 8000 ft.
Inflow
2
1
4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 9000 10,000
Production (BOPD)
AllPAC applications AllPAC case history AllFRAC case history
■ Vertical intervals greater than In a circulating gravel-pack treatment, A STIMPAC* frac and pack treatment
40 ft long AllPAC technology was used to ensure to bypass damage was performed
■ Openhole intervals with silt complete packing of all voids. After using the AllFRAC service over a
and/or shale streaks 36 min of treatment, the pumping rate long interval containing laminated
was reduced. At the end of the treat- pay zones. Without Alternate Path
■ High-permeability unconsoli-
ment, all remaining voids were packed technology, a premature screenout
dated intervals
for 2 min at a rate of 2 bbl/min. In this would have occurred after 42 min of
■ Intervals with high rates short period 675 lbm of proppant were treatment in these zones, at the 3-ppa
of production delivered to the annulus, ensuring the stage, resulting in a less than optimal
■ Deviated wells tight and complete annular packing treatment. The AllFRAC service
that was critical to the success of this allowed the slurry to bypass the pre-
AllFRAC applications high-rate well. The resulting skin of mature bridge, diverting it through
1.1 is a significant improvement to the shunts to frac and pack the lower
■ Vertical intervals greater than
the industry average of 8 for openhole zone. Changes in temperature recorded
40 ft long
gravel packs in shaly reservoirs. Spec- by gauges in the wash pipe during the
■ Openhole intervals with silt ifications for this well and treatment operation confirmed treatment suc-
and/or shale streaks were cess. Specifications for this well and
■ High-permeability unconsoli- ■ treatment were
measured depth (MD): 12,275 ft
dated intervals ■ MD: 8806 ft
■ true vertical depth (TVD): 5800 ft
■ Intervals with high rates of ■
■ deviation: 75° deviation: 15°
production
■ interval length: 133 ft
■ interval length: 300 ft
■ Deviated wells
■ proppant design: 42,000 lbm
■ proppant design: 8000 lbm
■ proppant pumped: 37,500 lbm
■ proppant pumped: 8000 lbm
MZ packer applications
■ carrier: YF100LG fracture
■ carrier: 4% ClearFRAC* fluid.
■ Single-run completions of
treatment gel.
multiple zones with zonal
isolation
■ Control of gas or water
during production
Eccentric and concentric AllPAC and AllFRAC shunt tube geometries are shown for cased hole applications.
■ Multizone completions

Horizontal AllPAC applications

■ Intervals as long as 8000 ft
■ Heterogeneous intervals with AllPAC AllFRAC
silt and/or shale streaks
■ Intervals with areas of high Pipe OD Pipe OD
Screen Screen
leakoff shunt ring
shunt ring
■ Wellbores having difficulty 1 in.
regaining permeability or
filter-cake cleanup problems 1.5 in.

■
93

Openhole wellbores drilled

with oil-base fluids
Screen
Screen OD
0.5 in.
OD

0.75 in.

Fishing OD Fishing OD
Joint
connector
Joint Joint
connector connector
OD OD
AllPAC technology provided a low-skin completion in this high-rate well.

2500 6

Rate

5
2000
2500 6

2000 5
4 4
1500
1500 3
1000
2
Pressure 500 1 3 Rate
(psi) (bbl/min)
0 0
33 35 36 38 39
1000

Pressure
500
1

0 0
0 7 15 22 29 36 42
Time (min)

AllFRAC technology diverted the slurry past the annular bridge to the lower zone, resulting in a complete frac and pack of the interval.

Upper gauge
12,840 10,000 16
14
8,000
12,860 12
Surface
6,000 pressure 10 Rate
Pressure (bbl/min) or
(psi) Rate 8
12,880 concentration
4,000 6
(ppa)
Concentration 4
12,900 2,000
2
0 0
12,920 0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (min)
12,940
8000 190
12,960 7500 Temperature, 180
Bottomhole lower gauge
7000 pressure, upper 170
12,980 6500 and lower Diversion
Pressure gauges 160 Temperature
(psi) 6000 (°F)
150
13,000 5500
5000 Temperature, 140
upper gauge
13,020 4500 130
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Lower gauge Time (min)
Complementary fluids Multizone completion case history This multizone completion technique
and services In a multizone completion, an AllFRAC produced oil from the lower zone that
The following fluids and treat- frac and pack treatment on the upper would have otherwise remained in
ment solutions are available for interval and AllPAC gravel-pack treat- place. Specifications for this well
wells completed using Alternate ment on the lower zone were con- and treatments were
Path technology. ducted sequentially. After the fracture ■ MD: 8608 ft
■ ClearFRAC fluid—This polymer- treatment, returns were taken to force ■ deviation: 25°
free viscoelastic (VES) surfac- all the slurry to the lower zone for the ■ length of interval: 155 ft
tant-based carrier fluid is used gravel pack. The AllPAC shunts lim-
■ proppant design: 85,000 lbm
for gravel packing, fracturing ited the rates below the MZ packer,
preventing fracture propagation in the ■ proppant pumped: 95,000 lbm
applications and horizontal
completions. lower zone. A shale interval prevented ■ carrier: low-guar borate crosslinked
growth of the fracture downward. water-base polymer fluid.
■ ClearPAC* fluid—A polymer-
free VES fluid, it is especially
designed for gravel-pack opera-
tions in weighted brines and
elevated temperatures.
■ OILPAC* fluid—An oil-external
emulsion, this fluid is used for
well-control operations in cir-
culating packs using oil-base
drilling fluids.
■ HEC fluids—Hydroxyethyl-
cellulose polymer-based fluids
are used as gravel-pack
carriers.
■ Xanvis® fluid—This fluid is
a biopolymer gravel-pack The flexibility of the shunt configurations enabled successful treating and fracturing of the upper zone and
carrier fluid. gravel packing of the lower zone, which was close to a water contact.

■ MudSOLV* filter-cake removal

service—This engineered clean- 0.7 in.
up technique enables filter-cake 27 ft
removal concurrent with the
sand-control treatment.
MudSOLV service maximizes
the filter-cake removal treat-
ment. Filter-cake removal is a
key factor in optimizing the MZ packer
production from or injection
into openhole gravel packs.
140 lbm/ft

6000 30
A Pack
5000 B 25

4000 20
Well Fracture Rate
pressure 3000 15 (bbl/min) or
(psi) concentration
2000 10 (ppa)

1000 5

0 0
0 20 40 60
Time (min)
Horizontal completion case history Changes in downhole conditions do not jeopardize the success of a completion using Alternate Path technology.
An openhole circulating gravel pack
was pumped after the slurry was
mixed. Before the slurry reached the
6000 10
openhole section, the return rates Pressure
began to decrease. A premature bridge Rate in 9
formed in the annulus, making it nec- Rate out
5000 Sand concentration
essary to divert the flow through the 8
shunted screen. After the flow by-
passed the area of high leakoff, the 7
returns increased until the well was 4000
completely packed. Specifications Return rate 6
for this well and treatment were 6-ppa concentration increasing
Pressure 3000 5 Rate
■ MD: 5000 ft (psi) (bbl/min)
■ deviation: 90°
4
■ length of interval: 1200 ft
2000
■ proppant design: 45,000 lbm 3
■ proppant pumped: 40,000 lbm Start shunting 2
■ carrier: MudSOLV filter-cake 1000
removal treatment fluid. Slurry at crossover 1
ports at 52 min
0 0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80
Time (min)

Horizontal AllPAC and AllFRAC services provide technology for complete gravel packing of horizontal intervals as long as 8000 ft.

Transport tube

QUANTUM* 93

packer

Packing tube

Gas-bearing layer

Hydrocarbon-bearing layer

Water layer
www.connect.slb.com
TSL-4551 ©Schlumberger
May 2001 *Mark of Schlumberger
†Marks of ExxonMobil Corp; technology licensed exclusively to Schlumberger

®Xanvis is a registered trademark of Monsanto Company.