Determining Fluidization Across Gravel Pack Completion to Confirm its Integrity

The aim of this research is to understand the relationships determining pressure drop across an undamaged gravel pack such that the velocity for non-uniform inflow from the reservoir can be determined at the screen and at the sandface. Further, this study aims at determining the minimum inflow velocity sufficient to destabilize the gravel pack bed and thus, impair it, hence determine the minimum fluidization velocity. A CFD model for such a case hasn?t been done before in the oil and gas industry. We have created a model that describes the internal gravelpack dynamics of fluid and proppant