Patent 7422060 was granted and assigned to Schlumberger on September, 2008 by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
Methods and tools are described to reduce sanding including the steps of fracturing the cement sheath in a localized zone around the casing and having the fractured zone act as sand filter between the formation and openings in the casing, with the openings being best pre-formed but temporarily blocked so as to allow a conventional primary cementing of the casing. The fracturing step can also be used for remedial operation to reopen blocked formation or screens.