Laboratory work

Student: Emrah Qulubeyli

Lecturer: Professor Suleymanov Eldar Məmməd
Subject: Oil and gas wells drilling technique and
technology
Group: 272.6(E)
Course: 3rd
 Cementing Solutions

The cement sheath is vital in that it serves to protect and support the casing and deliver the
necessary zonal isolation for the life of the well. And while cementing is conventionally viewed as
the last step in drilling operations, Halliburton also designs cementing solutions as the first step in
completions. Throughout the life of the well, the cement sheath is required to withstand the
cumulative stresses from well events such as pressure testing, well testing and stimulation
treatments.
The properties of cement such as viscosity, thickening time, and strength are of prime
consideration when engineering for the highest probability of a successful primary cementing
operation. The viscosity and thickening time have to be optimized so that the slurry remains
pump-able long enough to place the cement across the desired zones and achieve top of cement
(TOC). Additionally, the cement should set as quickly as possible after pumping stops and
minimize the wait on cement (WOC) time while achieving the necessary structural integrity for
retaining zonal isolation integrity throughout the life of the well.
The physio-mechanical properties of the cement need to be optimized for the specific attributes of
each well. Each well is unique in regards to pore pressure and fracture gradient, bottomhole
temperature and temperature distribution throughout the well, bottomhole pressure, physical
properties of the formation, properties of fluids already in the wellbore, wellbore deviation, annular
space clearance, and many more variables.
Halliburton has a wide range of cementing solutions that can be designed to the demands of each
well:
 Gas Migration Prevention – addressing the potential invasion of gas or liquid from the formation
in a manner so that channels are not created in the cemented annular space between the
formation and the casing.
 Heavyweight Cement – heavyweight additives are used to increase slurry density for control of
highly pressured wells.
 Life of the Well – achieving the optimum balance of chemical and mechanical properties, tensile
and compressive strength, that enables the cement sheath to retain integrity throughout drilling,
completion, production operations and ultimately abandonment.
 Lightweight Cement – situations with lost-circulation and weak formations with low fracture
gradients require the use of low-density cement systems (<15 lb/gal) to reduce the hydrostatic
pressure of the fluid column during cement placement.
 Lost Circulation – Not to be confused with a cement slurry volume decrease due to fluid-loss
filtration, lost circulation is when a cement slurry (or drilling fluid) does not circulate back to the
surface during cementing operations and is instead lost to fractured, vulgar, cavernous or highly-
porous formations.
 Plug Cementing – cement plugs are set for a variety of reasons, most commonly for
abandonment, temporary abandonment, testing, sidetracking, lost-circulation control, or remedial
work.
 Self-Healing Cement – Halliburton offers a class of expanding cement that works on the
premise that the migrating fluids react with the cement, causing it to respond by expanding to
automatically seal the flow path, helping prevent further fluid migration.
 Squeeze Cementing – An operation involving the injection of cement into a problematic section
of the well at a desired location.
 Tuned® Cements / Slurries – Halliburton’s continuous advancements in cementing technology
includes families of slurries designed to mitigate major wellbore-condition challenges facing the
industry.
 Unconventional Reservoir Wells – To help improve well economics in unconventional
reservoirs it is important to evaluate wellbore architecture – including the cement sheath – as
integral to well performance and total recovery.

Heavyweight Solutions

Fluid density is one of the key properties of any slurry designs, and directly affects the
management of hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column. A cement slurry with a too low a density
can result in a kick or even a blowout due to hydrostatic pressure failing to overcome formation
pore pressures. However, a fluid with too high a density may result in damage to the formation if
the hydrostatic pressure of the weighted fluid exceeds the fracture gradient, inducing
fractures. Additionally, slurry properties such as compressive strength, viscosity, fluid loss and
free water are influenced by density. These properties are directly correlated to quality barrier
dependability required for wellbore integrity. Halliburton offers ore-derived and mined
heavyweight additives with specific gravities ranging from 4.2 to 5.2.

Lightweight Cement

Cementing casing across highly depleted zones and weaker formations requires low-density
cement systems capable of reducing the hydrostatic pressure of the fluid column during cement
placement. Low-density or lightweight cement systems help achieve the specified top of cement
by avoiding or minimizing lost circulation (losing cement to the formation). Halliburton offers
cement solutions made light enough to circulate in such situations while retaining the ability to
withstand downhole conditions.
Lightweight cement can be achieved in one of three ways: water extended, injection of gas
(foamed cement), or by adding low-specific-gravity microspheres or other enhancing additives.
 Water extended: adding additional water to the cement slurry is a common means of reducing
slurry density, yet it requires water-extending additives to help maintain slurry stability and
overcome slow compressive strength development and low ultimate compressive strength.
 Foamed cement: Injecting gas (nitrogen, compressed air, or gas-generating solids) into the
slurry provides the benefit of increased slurry compressibility, increase set-cement elasticity, and
the flexibility to vary density during operations.
 Microspheres:While typically bulk blended, Halliburton also offers liquid-additive beaded
systems, microspheres are available as
o solid, plastic beads of approximately 1.0 specific gravity;
o hollow-pozzlanic spheres of approximately 0.7 specific gravity;
o hollow glass bubbles of approximately 0.32 to 0.61 specific gravity.
Properly designed microsphere slurries can achieve the highest strength-to-weight ratio and
lowest permeability of any lightweight cement design. Additionally, microsphere slurries have a
reduced transition time from liquid to cement setting, helping minimize the gas migration. Some
other mechanical enhancement additives such as fibres may also assist with reduction of slurry
densities.
 Life of the Well Cementing

Cementing the casing and liner strings in place in oil and gas wells is integral to wellbore
architecture, which in turn is integral to well performance and total hydrocarbon recovery.
Conventionally, cementing is viewed as a one-time event, yet it serves as a foundation for
ultimate recovery if engineered to withstand pressure and temperature differentials during life of
the well events such as completion operations, fracture stimulation, and production cycles. In
other words, rather than simply being the last step during drilling operations, it is economically
more beneficial to view cementing as the first step in completion operations.
The cement sheath can be subject to thousands of psi (pounds per square inch) pressure
changes and hundreds of degrees of temperature changes (Fahrenheit) throughout the life of the
well. In spite of such dynamic fluctuations, the cement sheath is expected to resiliently withstand
immediate and cumulative stresses, retaining seal integrity to securely isolate producing zones
and restrain unwanted fluid production.

Today's and tomorrow's reservoirs are deeper, hotter and under higher pressure than yesterday's
easy oil. Subsequently, wellbore challenges and achieving wellbore integrity are more
complicated than ever before. These wells are likely to push or exceed the standard operating
envelopes. Thus, Halliburton offers cementing systems designed to mitigate the effects of
extreme loads imposed on the cement sheath in order to help avoid debonding from the casing or
shear deterioration in the cement sheath.