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Strategic Sand Management: Minimising Downtime, Maximising Output
14 May 2025
It can be said that Sand Management is very much like a game of chess; a methodical approach is required to ensure that you don’t overexpose your most valuable assets and you must always think multiple steps ahead of your opponent.
Sand production, either indigenous or artificial, in the oil and gas industry causes operational issues that will not only affect your company’s bottom line but will impact your asset’s capacity to safely produce.
The life cycle, and overall performance, of your field (or project) will in some respect be affiliated with your ability to manage sand production and corrosion issues. Your understanding of these issues will have an appreciable impact branching across numerous departments and disciplines within your organisation. Where there are gaps in knowledge and expertise it is often quicker and more cost effective to collaborate with a specialist consultancy company.
Whether it’s lost production due to the unplanned downtime required to manually shovel sand out of a separator or shutting in your highly anticipated well because it’s producing unmanageable sand; SMS has the capability and expertise to work with you to overcome such problems.
SMS was recently involved with a major North Sea project orientated towards production uplift that required a “boots on the ground” approach. SMS were brought in to assist the Operator reach their bold production targets, whilst still adhering to industry best practice and regulations.
The Operator had the foresight and awareness early in the project to identify that the increased threat from sand production required appropriate specialist management. Due to the ongoing successful relationship between SMS and this international Operator, we were the ideal choice to join the team and help plan the successful implementation of the project.
As the engineer based in-house, I was required to work with total transparency and impartiality with the Operator’s best interests at the forefront of my day-to-day work. The benefits of being based in-house ensured that SMS was viewed as a valued part of the team, sharing the burden of project work.
Together, we conducted sand management risk assessments utilising our SMS industry-approved erosion modelling software. The outcomes of these assessments highlighted areas of the plant that required modifications and safeguards to be put in place to ensure the project was achieved. This progressed further and resulted in the implementation of comprehensive and robust asset-specific sand management strategies. The sand management strategies in turn are used to provide technical guidance to both onshore and offshore employees to manage sand production within defined safe operating boundaries; whilst demonstrating the Operator’s compliance with HSE best practices.
SMS engineered, procured and installed several wireless sensor array packages in collaboration with a monitoring specialist. This was carried out under the Operator’s management of change procedure to safeguard areas of the plant at risk of sand production and corrosion. These wireless ultrasonic wall thickness sensors continuously measure the wall thicknesses of locations susceptible to erosion/corrosion damage mechanisms (deemed “hot spots”) which allows the operator to have confidence flowing under the new operating conditions.
Wells was brought online under the guidance of the Production and Integrity teams. Acoustic sand monitors were utilised to optimise and analyse well performance. Ultimately, there is a fine line between maintaining asset integrity and achieving production targets. The team found a balance, applying sand management best practices whilst having live data to make informed decisions, ensuring the successful delivery of the project, and maintaining the integrity of the assets.
The overall project was delivered on time, within budget with the production targets realised. SMS’s reactivity to the project was acknowledged. Both the Operator and SMS mutually benefited from having an engineer based in-house able to provide immediate operational sand management support.
SMS is uniquely placed to advise, procure, and engineer new sensing technological solutions to sand and corrosion management issues earning your trust, with the aim of being viewed as a worthy partner in your ongoing struggle between maintaining your asset’s integrity against the synergetic effects of sand production and corrosion.
It can be said that Sand Management is very much like a game of chess; a methodical approach is required to ensure that you don’t overexpose your most valuable assets and you must always think multiple steps ahead of your opponent.
Sand production, either indigenous or artificial, in the oil and gas industry causes operational issues that will not only affect your company’s bottom line but will impact your asset’s capacity to safely produce.
The life cycle, and overall performance, of your field (or project) will in some respect be affiliated with your ability to manage sand production and corrosion issues. Your understanding of these issues will have an appreciable impact branching across numerous departments and disciplines within your organisation. Where there are gaps in knowledge and expertise it is often quicker and more cost effective to collaborate with a specialist consultancy company.
Whether it’s lost production due to the unplanned downtime required to manually shovel sand out of a separator or shutting in your highly anticipated well because it’s producing unmanageable sand; SMS has the capability and expertise to work with you to overcome such problems.
SMS was recently involved with a major North Sea project orientated towards production uplift that required a “boots on the ground” approach. SMS were brought in to assist the Operator reach their bold production targets, whilst still adhering to industry best practice and regulations.
The Operator had the foresight and awareness early in the project to identify that the increased threat from sand production required appropriate specialist management. Due to the ongoing successful relationship between SMS and this international Operator, we were the ideal choice to join the team and help plan the successful implementation of the project.
As the engineer based in-house, I was required to work with total transparency and impartiality with the Operator’s best interests at the forefront of my day-to-day work. The benefits of being based in-house ensured that SMS was viewed as a valued part of the team, sharing the burden of project work.
Together, we conducted sand management risk assessments utilising our SMS industry-approved erosion modelling software. The outcomes of these assessments highlighted areas of the plant that required modifications and safeguards to be put in place to ensure the project was achieved. This progressed further and resulted in the implementation of comprehensive and robust asset-specific sand management strategies. The sand management strategies in turn are used to provide technical guidance to both onshore and offshore employees to manage sand production within defined safe operating boundaries; whilst demonstrating the Operator’s compliance with HSE best practices.
SMS engineered, procured and installed several wireless sensor array packages in collaboration with a monitoring specialist. This was carried out under the Operator’s management of change procedure to safeguard areas of the plant at risk of sand production and corrosion. These wireless ultrasonic wall thickness sensors continuously measure the wall thicknesses of locations susceptible to erosion/corrosion damage mechanisms (deemed “hot spots”) which allows the operator to have confidence flowing under the new operating conditions.
Wells was brought online under the guidance of the Production and Integrity teams. Acoustic sand monitors were utilised to optimise and analyse well performance. Ultimately, there is a fine line between maintaining asset integrity and achieving production targets. The team found a balance, applying sand management best practices whilst having live data to make informed decisions, ensuring the successful delivery of the project, and maintaining the integrity of the assets.
The overall project was delivered on time, within budget with the production targets realised. SMS’s reactivity to the project was acknowledged. Both the Operator and SMS mutually benefited from having an engineer based in-house able to provide immediate operational sand management support.
SMS is uniquely placed to advise, procure, and engineer new sensing technological solutions to sand and corrosion management issues earning your trust, with the aim of being viewed as a worthy partner in your ongoing struggle between maintaining your asset’s integrity against the synergetic effects of sand production and corrosion.
