Abstract:
This paper reviews the latestadvances of numerical simulation for gravel packing in horizontal wells.The discussions focus on the following topics: gravel packing processmechanism and technology; calculation model for equilibrium bankheight and critical velocity in packing. A description is made on slurry flow inscreen/wellbore annuli, carried fluid flow in wash-pipe/screen annuli andfluid transfer between two flow system and fluid leak-off into formation.The mathematical model for bank height in \alpha wavepacking, factors affecting horizontal well gravel-packefficiency and existing problems are also discussed.