Eavesdrop during sand cleanout well intervention with distributed acoustic sensing Available to Purchase

The increasing deployment of Distributed Fiber Optic Sensing (DFOS) in the wellbore unlocks unprecedented potential for continuous well surveillance. We took the opportunity to actively support sand cleanout intervention activity with Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS). Continuous surveillance throughout the operation enabled us to look ahead of the coiled tubing as it descends the wellbore to provide crucial information on well-related behaviors, i.e., potential obstructions, pinpoint the location of unexpected pressure fluctuations, unexpected inflow, etc. Despite the plethora of events observed during the well intervention, we focused on identifying sand bridges formed during the year-long shut-in after several historical sanding events. The ability to anticipate the location of potential sand plugs reduces the uncertainty of unexpected operational delays that impact non-productive time (NPT). To fully understand the signature of DAS data, it is essential to integrate multiple sources of information to paint a complete picture of the wellbore conditions and processes.