An actuation member for use in fracking operations, which immediately prior to fracking locates a sand screen at a desired location along a tubing liner and eliminates having to trip out the frac string prior to commencing production. The actuation member comprises a cylindrical hollow collet sleeve, with one or more radially-outwardly biased protuberances forming a unique profile which further matingly engages a corresponding mating profile on one of a plurality of sliding sleeve members in the tubular liner. A longitudinally-extending sand screen is provided, longitudinally slidable on the actuation member. A spring member, adapted to be forcibly compressed by the sand screen member when pressurized fluid is applied, and decompressed upon removal of pressurized fluid, is further provided on the actuation member.

Hydrocarbon wells including crosslinked polymer granules in sand control structures and/or methods of completing the hydrocarbon wells. The hydrocarbon wells include a wellbore that extends within a subsurface region and a downhole tubular that extends within the wellbore, defines a tubular conduit, and includes a fluid-permeable segment. The hydrocarbon wells also include a sand control structure that is positioned within an annular space that extends between the wellbore and the fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular. The sand control structure is configured to restrict migration of formation sands from the subsurface region and into the tubular conduit via the fluid-permeable segment and includes a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules. The methods include positioning a downhole tubular within a wellbore and providing a plurality of crosslinked polymer granules to an annular space that extends between the wellbore and a fluid-permeable segment of the downhole tubular.

A sand consolidation composition includes a hydrocarbon mixture comprising asphaltene, bitumen, or tar, and a binding agent, where the binding agent is an amino silane, and where the composition has a viscosity ranging from 5 to 20 cP at 20 to 25° C. A method of sand consolidation includes introducing the sand consolidation composition in a wellbore, contacting sand downhole with the sand consolidation composition, maintaining the wellbore such that a viscosity of the sand consolidation composition and the sand increases from an initial viscosity of the sand consolidation composition, introducing a thermochemical reagent comprising sodium nitrite and ammonium chloride such that it intimately intermingles downhole with the sand consolidation composition and releases a gas, and after a period, forming a productive consolidated sand.

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method of consolidating sands in a subterranean formation penetrated by a wellbore may comprise contacting sand particles in the subterranean formation with a treatment fluid to form coated sands; where the treatment fluid comprises a multicomponent epoxy, a base fluid, and an amine hardening agent, the multicomponent epoxy comprising a diglycidyl ether resin and a monoglycidyl ether resin. The method further allowing the amine hardening agent to cure the multicomponent epoxy and form the consolidated sands.

Methods and apparatus for forming platforms and flow control features in underground wells is described, using modified thermite reactions to form a ceramic plug in place. The reactive package is engineered to expand laterally, filling the well, and may be used to form a ceramic bridge plug, porous ceramic screen sections, or mitigate lost circulation of drilling fluids. These objectives are achieved through the design of the reactive package and through use of carefully chosen reaction additives that control the molten product rheology, solidification temperature, and pore generations and sustainment.

Methods and apparatus for forming platforms and flow control features in underground wells is described, using modified thermite reactions to form a ceramic plug in place. The reactive package is engineered to expand laterally, filling the well, and may be used to form a ceramic bridge plug, porous ceramic screen sections, or mitigate lost circulation of drilling fluids. These objectives are achieved through the design of the reactive package and through use of carefully chosen reaction additives that control the molten product rheology, solidification temperature, and pore generations and sustainment.

A method and system for supporting unstable geologic materials surrounding a borehole after the borehole is drilled, while reducing the vertical migration in a sand pack behind a slotted screen in the casing. An annulus is defined between a drill casing and a continuous screened casing. Alternating sand fills and sealing layers are deposed in the annulus along a length of the borehole. The length of the sealed interval between the screened casing and the hole wall is reduced, allowing flow connection between the surrounding geologic formation and the interior of the casing over most of the casing length. The sand pack design between the screen and the borehole wall has a sufficient number of sealed barriers to vertical flow to approximate an ideal sand backpacking, which has a vertical conductivity no greater than that of the formation and a relatively low impedance to horizontal flow through the sand pack.

Methods of treating a subterranean formation include obtaining or providing compositions that include an alkenoate ester. The compositions also includes at least one of a dialkenyldihydrocarbylammonium halide and an N,N-dihydrocarbyl-substituted alkenamide. The methods also include placing the composition in a subterranean formation downhole. Methods of treating a subterranean formation include using a composition including a polymer that is a reaction product of a mixture including an alkenoate ester and at least one of a dialkenyldihydrocarbylammonium halide and an N,N-dihydrocarbyl-substituted alkenamide.

Systems and methods for sealing a problem zone of a subterranean well include a wire mesh member with a tubular shape and a plurality of openings. The wire mesh member has an initial orientation with an initial outer diameter that is greater than an inner diameter of the wellbore, a reduced orientation with a reduced outer diameter that is less than the inner diameter of the wellbore and an induced bending stress, and an installed orientation with an installed outer diameter that is generally equal to the inner diameter of the wellbore and a residual bending stress. The wire mesh member is positioned within the problem zone and moved to the installed orientation so that an outer surface of the wire mesh member engages an inner surface of the wellbore. The plurality of openings are plugged to prevent a flow of fluid radially through the wire mesh member.

A sand lift tool for use in a subterranean well can include an outer housing, an inner production tube positioned in the outer housing, and a dart received in the inner production tube. An annulus is positioned between the outer housing and the inner production tube. The dart can reciprocate in the inner production tube in response to variations in fluid flow between the annulus and an interior of the inner production tube. Another sand lift tool can include an outer housing, an inner production tube, and a sand collection annulus between the outer housing and the inner production tube. A flow area for fluid flow between the annulus and an interior of the inner production tube increases in response to an increase in a flow rate of the fluid flow.