Experimental Study of Sand Agglomeration Chemical Performance Under Varying Sand Characteristics Based on Field T

Sand and fines production in Field T unconsolidated reservoirs causes severe equipment erosion and productivity decline. Traditional solutions like mechanical screens and resin consolidation often fail to retain fines (< 45 µm) or cause significant permeability impairment. The primary objective was to evaluate SAC performance under varying sand characteristics specifically ultra fine (D50 = 85.2 µm) and fine (D50 = 171 µm) particle size distributions (PSD) through 48 hours of short-term thermal aging at 90°C. Synthetic sands were developed based on Field T core samples and validated via dry sieve and laser particle size analysis (LPSA). Performance was quantified through sand retention tests (SRT), SEM, and XRD to trace polymer bridging and particle expansion. Results confirmed excellent fluid compatibility and stable SAC viscosity (< 1.0 cP). SEM, EDS and XRD imaging revealed successful polymer coating and encapsulation of aluminosilicate fines. Quantitatively, D50 increased by 1479.43% for ultra fine sand and 1162.99% for fine sand while total sand production was reduced by over 53%. However, a hydraulic trade-off occurred. Fine sand achieved an optimal balance with 89.12% retained permeability whereas ultra fine sand declined to 47.05% due to polymer bridging blockage within narrow pore networks. This research supports a polymer-based sand agglomeration chemical (SAC) as a non-damaging alternative that stabilizes the sandstone matrix through electrostatic agglomeration. Ultimately, the integration of SAC and wire-wrapped screen is a technically viable hybrid mechanical-chemical sand control solution for Field T when sand characteristics are considered to balance sand agglomeration efficiency and fluid flow capacity.