KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

Assignment: Petroleum Engineering

Submitted by: Beenish Aslam Submitted to: Sir Ahsan Jawaad 15th December, 2013. Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Bahria University, Islamabad Campus.

KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

TABLE OF CONTENTS TOPICS 1. Introduction 2. Cementing 2.1 Definition 2.2 Purpose 2.3 Cementing Jobs 2.4Cementing Types a. Portland Cement b. Blended Cements 3. References PAGE NO. 2 2 2 2 3 5 5 7 9

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KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

1. INTRODUCTION Crude oil and natural gas are mixtures of flammable hydrocarbons which can explode if air is added at the right ratio. Areas where oil and gas can escape are declared zone 1 explosion hazard areas and are assigned the highest hazard rating. Drilling for oil and natural gas is technically challenging. Pressures of up to several 100 bar can be stumbled upon in the rock formations in which drilling operates. These pressures need to be managed carefully to ensure that hydrocarbons cannot escape from the borehole. It is necessary to control these pressures because they endanger the safety of the rig members not to mention the enormous economic loss for the companies. This can be achieved with the help of a highly trained rig crew that is familiar with how to look out for danger and also how to control it.

2. KICKS 2.1 Definition:

2.2 Purpose: A cementing job done in a borehole is intended to achieve the following goals: 1. Provision of mechanical strength for the casing 2. Prevention of corrosion 3. Zonal isolation The mechanical support and protection from corrosion guarantees that the well doesnt collapse neither does it wear out after some time causing hindrance in the on-going production. On the other hand zonal isolation achieve many objectives such as preventing unwanted fluids from penetrating into the well, isolating different production zones from each other, prevent sudden blowouts, etc. 2.3 Cementing jobs:

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KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

With the oil and gas exploration expanding to as diverse an environment as deep waters and polar regions the well parameters and subsequent requirements of each and every well differ from other therefore necessitating the designing of a procedure unique for each well. The successful cement placement follows the same rules. In general there are steps for a cement placement job: i. Analysis of the well parameters and designing of a cement placement technique and appropriate cement composition defined by the needs of the well ii. iii. iv. Test the cement composed in laboratory to be sure that it meets the demands of the well Calculate the amount of the fluid required for the well Blend, mix and pump fluids into the well between the annulus and the casing using necessary equipment v. vi. Monitor the behavior of the fluid in real time and make necessary changes Evaluate the results and compare the design formulated in step 1 to design better future cement placement jobs. Fluid properties, fluid mechanics, and chemistry influence the design used for a well. The physio-mechanical properties of the cement need to be optimized for the specific attributes of each well. Depending upon factors such as temperature, pore pressure, wellbore geometry, depth of water (in offshore drilling), etc. a cementing job has different requirements. A cementing job is defined by the demands of the well and as such following are some of the cementing jobs [2] [3]: i. 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. ii. Formation Pressure control heavyweight additives are used to increase slurry density for control of highly pressured wells. iii. 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.

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KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

iv.

Accommodating Weak Formations 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 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 of unforeseen Flow paths its 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. 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. Deep Water Cement Slurry deep water cementing solution reduces waiting-oncement time because the cement system isolates the formation and develops compressive strength faster than conventional Portland cement systems. CO2-Resistantance the latest wellbore isolation technology for CO2 geological storage provides an enduring solution for zonal isolation during injection and storage and monitoring and after abandonment. This cementing can be applied for carbon capture and storage, as well as CO2 enhanced oil recovery projects.

v.

vi.

vii.

viii.

ix.

x.

xi.

xii.

Flexible Expansion -- flexible expanding cement helps ensure well integrity by resisting stresses encountered throughout the well lifecycle. Unlike conventional cement systems, this cement expands after setting, improving cement bonding and blocking hydrocarbon migration. Its low Youngs modulus allows it to absorb cement sheath stresses without cracking.

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KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

2.4 Cement types: A. Portland Cement: ASTM (American Society for Testing and Materials) standard defines Portland cement as a hydraulic cement produced by pulverizing Portland-cement clinker, and usually containing calcium sulphate and some other additives [4]. Thus, the qualities controlled as a result of mixing different proportions of additives and chemicals, are the pumpability time (thickening time), compressive strength and viscosity among others. These characters require special mention because we want a cement mixture that would require enough time to completely reach around the casing while at the same time setting quickly enough to provide structural integrity. Following is a list of some of the types of chemicals added to Portland cement to make it suitable for specific uses. Additive, Chemical or Material Accelerators

Results

Control the time for a slurry to set. Material embedded in the sheath able to seal flow paths in and around cement sheath in the event of any flow of unwanted hydrocarbons Mix more easily and lower friction during pumping. Retain proper water levels rather than allow pressure differential

Hydrocarbon responsive agents

Dispersants

Fluid loss additives

to reduce the water content, thus ensuring the integrity of the designs for viscosity, thickening time, and compressive-strength. Shorten the transition time from slurry to hard set to resist gas channeling through the unset cement. Reduce permeability of the cement sheath and improve the ability

Gel strength modifiers

Latex systems

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for solids to remain suspended in the slurry Yield slurries 25% lighter than water yet with desired mechanical properties maintained. Increase resistance to corrosion that can destabilize the bonding. Control the time for a slurry to remain fluid and pumpable. Increase cement density to restrain formation-fluid flow back while improving mud displacement and cement placement.

Light-weight additives

Non-Portland systems Retarders

Weighting agents

The selection of the amount and type of the above mentioned additives and chemicals depends on individual borehole environment. However a generally classification established by the API divides the Portland cement into following types: TYPE Class A Class B Class C Class D Class E Class F Class G Class H DEPTH 6000ft 6000ft 6000ft 6000-10000ft 10000-14000ft 10000-16000ft 8000ft 8000ft CONDITIONS No special conditions High sulphate resistance High early strength High T/ High P High T/ High P Extremely High T/High P WATER % 46 46 56 38 38 38 38 38

B. Blended Cements: Blended hydraulic cement is defined as a hydraulic cement consisting of two or more inorganic constituents (at least one of which is not Portland cement or Portland cement clinker)

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KICKS: CAUSES AND CONTROL MEASURES

which separately or in combination contributes to the strength-gaining properties of the cement (made with or without other constituents) [4]. These cements may also be tailored to the specific needs of the well by use of additives and other chemicals that may enhance their properties in one way or another.

1. Pozzolan cements: A pozzolan is a siliceous or siliceous and aluminous material which, in itself, possesses little or no cementations value but which will, in finely divided form and in the presence of water, react chemically with calcium hydroxide at ordinary temperature to form compounds possessing cementations properties (ASTM). At low temperatures, the initial reactions of these cements are slower than similar reactions in Portland cements, and they are generally recommended for primary cementing at temperatures greater than 284C (140F). The merits of this type of cement are: i.Ease of retardation ii.Light weight iii.Economy iv.Strength stability at high temperatures 2. Micro-fine cements [5]: Micro-fine cements are composed of:

i. Very finely ground sulfate-resisting Portland cements ii. Portland cement blends with ground granulated blast-furnace slag iii. Alkali-activated ground granulated blast-furnace slag Such cements have a high penetrability and are ultra-rapid hardening. Applications for such cements are in consolidation of unsound formations, and in repairing casing leaks in squeeze operations, particularly tight leaks that are inaccessible to conventional cement slurries because of their penetrability.

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3. Latex cement

[5]

: Latex cement, although sometimes identified as a special cement, is

actually a blend of API Class A, G, or H with latex. In general, a latex emulsion contains only 50% latex by weight of solids, and is usually stabilized by an emulsifying surfaceactive agent. Latexes impart elasticity to the set cement, and improve the bonding strength and filtration control of the cement slurry. Latex in powdered form can be dryblended with the cement before it is transported to the well site, and is not susceptible to freezing. 4. Permafrost cement
[5]

: It is normally desirable to use quick-setting, low-heat-of-

hydration cement that will not melt the permafrost. Two cement systems that have been used successfully are calcium aluminate cement blends and gypsum cement blends. 5. Cements for CO2 resistance
[5]

: The hydration products of Portland cement are

susceptible to carbonation in the presence of moisture. Carbonation is the attack resulting from dissolved CO2 in formation waters or as a result of CO2 -injection processes. The CO2 dissolves in the aqueous pore solution of the hydrated cement, ultimately producing calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Carbonation can be minimized by the use of a specially formulated calcium phosphate cement, ThermaLock, that is resistant to both CO2 and acid. 6. Resin or plastic cements: Resin and plastic cements are specialty materials used especially in highly aggressive, acidic environments to:

i.Selectively plugging open holes ii.Squeezing perforations iii.Cementing waste disposal wells

They are usually mixtures of water, liquid resins, and a catalyst blended with API Class A, B, G, or H cement. When pressure is applied to the slurry, the resin phase may be squeezed into a permeable zone to form a seal within the formation. These specialty cements are used in wells in relatively small volumes. 3. REFERENCES 1. McGraw-Hill Science & Technology Dictionary.

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2. The science of Oil and Well gas construction, Rock Von Flatern, Senior Editor, Oilfield Review, Winter 2011/2012: 23, no.4. 3. Product and Services Catalogue, Halliburton. 4. Lea's Chemistry of Cement and Concrete by Peter Hewlett ISBN: 0750662565 Publisher: Elsevier Science & Technology Books Pub. Date: January 2004 5. API RP 10B, Recommended Practice for Testing Well Cements, 22nd edition. 1997. Washington, DC: API.

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