Choke management strategies vary significantly among operators and no rigorous methodology exists for properly selecting choke sizes when constraints are placed on completions, wellbores and fluid pressures and velocities. Bringing a well on production too fast may significantly compromise productivity or even result in completion failure with particularly severe implications in offshore developments. Examples of constraints placed on bean-up strategies include, limiting the maximum drawdown to minimize the risk of sanding or proppant crushing. This paper presents a methodology for translating such constraints to the required choke sizes and durations i.e. a specific bean-up strategy that will respect the constraints placed on the system.

In this study, we propose a coupled wellbore-reservoir model that performs dynamic nodal analysis using integrated models for surface facilities, wellbore and reservoir simulators and allows an operator to select choke sizes as a function of time. Illustrative examples of the method are shown for a conventional and an unconventional well. Results indicate that the choke schedule strongly depends on both the reservoir and wellbore properties. As a result, empirical and general guidelines should not be used across the board. Instead a quantitative analysis is recommended for a given set of surface, wellbore and reservoir properties to ensure a successful ramp-up. This study provides an integrated and systematic approach for selecting choke sizes for oil and gas wells.