Sand Management System

Sand from reservoir formations and proppant return is inevitable during oil and gas drilling, and it is estimated that more than half of wells require some form of sand management or sand control during operation. Wells with electric submersible pumps (ESPs) can be severely damaged by frac sand and other residual solids. This is especially true for unconventional well completions where multi-stage fracking sand backs up during production to cause pump erosion, sand accumulation, plugging, electrical/mechanical stresses and post-shutdown pump failures.

Many wells produce substantial amounts of sand and solids, making fallback the main cause of ESP failure in unconventional wells. Solids frequently trip or stop pumps during power failure, pump off and shutdown situations. Whenever a pump stops, previously pumped sand falls back and builds up. Restarting sand-plugged pumps leads to everything from damaged upper stages to burning motors, destroying the pumps and creating expensive workovers.

Many sand control completions use sand screens to filter solids at the end of the production strings. Variable grain sizes within a reservoir mean that even a carefully selected screen can only partially filter most of the grains. Sand screens quickly plug and erode, requiring lengthy sections downhole to ensure adequate performance. As a result, traditional sand screening options are time-consuming and expensive prospects.

In 2017, Forum acquired MultiLift’s field-proven sand management system and now offers the ultimate proactive sand control tools for the oil and gas industry. SandGuard™ and Cyclone™ ESP provide an essential over-and-under sand protection system to protect ESPs and radically improve well performance.

ESP SandGuard

Sand management system in the USA

SandGuard is a unique multi-lift solution from FET that makes it possible to eliminate potential factors that lead to ESP failures.

SandGuard is a revolutionary technology that captures and quarantines fallback sand to keep pump restarts trouble-free. Proven through thousands of installations, SandGuard has demonstrated enormous increases in ESP run times in sandy wells.

SandGuard supports multiple applications such as ESP installations, horizontal or deviated oil wells, and offshore or onshore wells.

Benefits of Using SandGuard
    • Improves ESP life up to 1,200 percent
    • Protects pumps from sand fallback via continuous auto-flush feature
    • Captures all sand and debris falling onto pumps after shutdown, creating a clean start every time
    • Provides ESPs with softer starts that significantly improve pump life
    • Eliminates communication with the annulus, resulting in zero risk of failure or fluid recirculation
    • Offers compatibility with all ESP-produced flow rates
    • Withstands the harshest downhole environments
    • Offers standard or custom connections to production tubing
Essential Features of Using SandGuard

When it comes to Forum Energy Technologies’ sand management system, it is hard to top SandGuard. It is a perfect solution to capture the fallback of solids and sand and then separate it from the pump.

Due to its flushable design, our clients continue to commend its cleanable features that pave the way for repeated use. You can use SandGuard for multiple configurations and ensure get a fitting for a specific casing size. And despite the size, you can count on the effectiveness of SandGuard.

What Makes SandGuard So Unique

SandGuard captures the essence of the Forum Multilift sand management system and offers advanced sand control. SandGuard is a revolutionary piece of technology that quarantines and captures fallback sand to ensure the pump restarts without any issues.

After thousands of installations, it has become clear that SandGuard can significantly speed up run times for sand wells. Unlike other similar products in the market, the installation of SandGuard is simple and comes down to the pump discharge.

Practical Validation of SandGuard
This case study case study unearths how effectively and dramatically SandGuard managed to increase the ESP runtime for Mississippian Lime wells as opposed to unprotected wells. With over 3,000 installations, data highlighted that SandGuard can accelerate the ESP life by over 1,200%.

PCP SandGuard

SAND AVOIDANCE AND PROTECTION EQUIPMENT OFFERING PROVEN, FAIL-SAFE SOLUTIONS TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF ARTIFICIAL LIFT EQUIPMENT

The SandGuard has become the industry leader in providing exceptional protection against the primary cause of ESP failure: Sand fallback. Continuing the legacy of the Multilift Solutions ESP SandGuard, the PCP SandGuard continues to provide the same functional quality as its predecessor, including complete isolation from the wellbore, sand diversion, and isolation within the equipment and self-flushing features.

In addition to the core features of the SandGuard platform, the PCP SandGuard allows the installation and retrieval of the PCP rotor without pulling the entire equipment string. Situated just above the PCP stator, the PCP SandGuard allows the passage of a coupling up to 2” in diameter when pulled or retrieved. Additionally, after installing the PCP rotor, the diverter conforms to the diameter of the rod ensuring efficient and effective diversion of sand to the sand chamber and eliminating sand fall-back within the pump. These features provide the entire PCP system with a soft, trouble-free start every time.

Features

  • Complete isolation of sand fallback
  • Effective abrasion avoidance and diversion
  • Self-cleaning feature on startup
  • PCP rotor passage through tool
  • Simple and quick installation procedures
  • Overall protection against broken shafts, excessive wear to stator and stress on electrical system
Unique Challenges Require Unique Solutions

The PCP Sandguard overcomes the challenges of a through-tubing installation required of PCP equipment by utilizing the unique sand diverter system which allows a PCP rotor and coupling (up to 2”) to be passed through the tool by expanding to accommodate the larger diameter. Following installation, the diverter system returns to the original diameter, conforming to the outside diameter of the rod during production.

Cyclone

Cyclone ESP leverages proven vortex technology as part of a superior sand protection system. Applicable to onshore, offshore, deviated or horizontal wells, it prevents sand damage, extends pump run life and dramatically lowers lease operating expenses.

With one size for all flow rates, Cyclone easily retrofits to any ESP well. Because it rests directly below the pump, installation requires no downhole preparation. The high-efficiency centrifugal action separates a wider range of grain size than sand screens, sending de-sanded fluid to the pump and solids to a tailpipe below. With special metallurgical construction and no moving parts, Cyclone’s vortex technology avoids the erosion and plugging issues of traditional sand screens to provide exceptional sand control.

Features and Benefits
  • Protects ESPs from sand damage.
  • Extends run life to dramatically lower lease operating expenses.
  • Minimizes or eliminates costly workovers, ESP replacements and lost production.
  • Installs easily, featuring high reusability and one-size-fits-all casing weights.
  • Allows field change of rubber elements.
  • Enables quick change and rerun without leaving rig floor.
  • Eliminates need to rotate motor or tailpipe.

Pump Saver

Forum Multilift Solution’s Pump Saver protects downhole rod lifted pumps by separating sand prior to entering the rod lift system.

 

Features

  • Multiple connections and configurations available for virtually all Rodlift applications and low flow ESP applications
  • Configured for optimal sand separation in low flow applications and for intermittent flow (i.e. Rod lift applications)
  • Uniquely designed to minimize erosion and maximize longevity of artificial lift equipment

 

Benefits

  • Prevents rod pump wear by reducing sand laden fluid from entering rod pump
  • Extends rod pump life and minimizes costly workovers caused by production of sand laden fluid
  • Improves up-time and minimizes lost production

 

Applications

  • Rod lift installations
  • Onshore wells
  • Sand laden reservoirs or hydraulically fractured wells
  • Deviated or horizontal oil or gas wells

Pump Saver Plus

With rod pumps being used in over 65% of today’s world’s oil production methods, artificial lift protection is critical, now more than ever before. There are multi-tool systems available, but these antiquated units pose long-term issues that ultimately cause operators more money and downtime. Designing an innovative solution, the FET Multilift Solutions Pump Saver Plus delivers an all-in-one gas and sand separator that is proven to extend Rod Pump run life and eliminate the need for multiple tools and connections to make up the Rod Pump BHA.

Features

  • Separates gas and sand without any impact or effect on pump function
  • Negligible pressure drop through the tool
  • No sand re-circulation
  • Reduces costly workovers due to gas lock and sand obstruction
  • Improves pump efficiency
  • Extends run-life
  • Enhances production and operating envelope

Benefits

  • Reduces chance of gas lock, increasing uptime and production
  • Reduces chance of abrasive wear and mechanical failure, reducing workover and equipment costs
  • Increases run life of the rod pump and the integrity of artificial lift equipment
  • No moving components, reducing the possibility of failure

Applications

  • Sucker Rod
  • High abrasive conditions
  • High GOR and GLR wells

Eddy Features

  • In a column of fluid, liquid falls around gas bubbles faster than bubble rises through static fluid
  • The angled flow ports allow fluid to fall into the tool, rather than the pump drawing fluid in through a 90° intake port
  • The motion creates eddy currents at specific points in the flow ports allowing the tool to naturally regulate and trap gas bubbles
  • Gas bubbles remain situated high in the gas chamber and provides quick discharge and separation during the pumping unit down stroke
  • Increases gas separation efficiency and pump fillage

From impressive design to the automated self-flushing feature, SandGuard exceeds user expectations. Contact us to learn more information about SandGuard and how you can reap its benefits.

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