GAS MIGRATION

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 TABLE OF CONTENTS

WHAT IS IT?

GAS PERCOLATION MECHANISM

GAS LOW POTENTIAL COEFFICIENT

CONCLUSION

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 WHAT IS IT?

While the hydrostatic pressure keeps the formation fluids

inside the rock during drilling, during cementing the gas can

leak into the slurry which has not yet set and rise through this

along the annulus towards the surface, leaving a permanent

channel which can lead to serious consequences over time.

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 GAS PERCOLATION
MECHANISM

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 GAS PERCOLATION

The slurry is still

liquid
it exercises its
hydrostatic pressure
tatic
hydros

tatic
hydros
on the gas
preventing it from
leaking out of the
+ + gas zone formation
∆ ∆
P P

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 GAS PERCOLATION

The mud cake

limits the loss of slurry
filtrate
Mud cake
and blocks the leakage
of fluids and gas into the
uncased hole
gas
zone

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 GAS PERCOLATION

The slurry begins to gel

and its hydrostatic
pressure drops below the
pressure gradient of the
gas in the formation.
The gas can enter the
borehole and percolate
Gas through the slurry.
Gas

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 GAS PERCOLATION

The channel has been

formed
and the slurry has
hardened.
There is now permanent
Gas communication between
channels the gas and other
shallower formations
Gas Gas and the surface.

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 WHERE DOES THE GAS GO?

¾ Through the mud, when its hydrostatic pressure is not high enough to
keep it inside the formation
¾ Along the micro-annulus left by the detachment of the cement from the
casing or uncased borehole wall
¾ Along the channels that the gas itself created during the slurry setting
stage.

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 WHERE DOES THE GAS GO?

The gas percolates

through spaces left open,
following detachment of
the cement from the
surfaces,
and the failure of the
cement sheath,
due to thermal and
compressive stress

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 WHERE DOES THE GAS GO?

gas channel

Permanent channel formed

in the cement by the gas,
before the slurry sets.

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 HOW CAN THE PROBLEM BE PREVENTED?

¾ Displace the mud effectively

¾ Use additives that cause the cement to expand during dehydration
¾ Use slurries with excellent filtrate control
¾ Use malts with the shortest possible setting time
¾ Apply pressure to the annulus, while the slurry is setting
¾ Use ductile cements
¾ Use thixotropic cements

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 DROP IN HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE IN A
CONVENTIONAL SLURRY

Fluid Gelating The cement The cement

slurry Slurry sets hardens
initial hydrostatic
pressure of the slurry
Hydrostatic pressure

initial overpressure of the liquid slurry,

compared to the gas

pressure of the gas in the formation

Time
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 HOW CAN THE PROBLEM BE PREVENTED?

The initial ∆P of the slurry has been eliminated by the combined

effect of

• Internal gelling (resistance to motion) of the slurry

• Loss of volume of the slurry

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 THE GAS PERCOLATES THROUGH THE SLURRY ONLY AT CERTAIN
VALUES OF ITS INTERNAL RESISTANCE TO THE MOTION

600
Static G el Strength (lbs/100 ft 2 )

500
slurry too viscous to allow
the passage of the gas
400
gas flow
300
(viscous slurry)
200

100
slurry fluid, exercises
hydrostatic pressure
0
0 20 40 60 80
Time (minutes)
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 DROP IN VOLUME CAUSED BY PRESSURE LOSS

As conventional slurry is an incompressible

fluid,
small losses in volume
cause significant drops in pressure
internally and
on the walls that contain it.

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 GAS FLOW POTENTIAL COEFFICIENT

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Ò
Low flow Medium flow High flow
potential potential potential

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 LOW FLOW POTENTIAL

1 2 3 4
The problem can be solved by:

¾ careful design of the slurry

¾ using filtrate controllers

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 MEDIUM FLOW POTENTIAL

5 6 7
the problem could be solved using :

¾ thixotropic slurries
¾ expander additives

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 HIGH FLOW POTENTIAL

8 9 10
This could be solved using:

¾ additives generating gas inside the slurry

¾ slurries containing nitrogen

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 CONCLUSION

The invasion of gas in a slurry can only be stopped or reduced as

long as the cement, before setting, can exercise a pressure on the
gas formation that is at least the same as that of the gas itself.

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