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Cementing Practices
By
Dr. Khaled Abdel Fattah
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Cement and Cementing

Reasons for Cementing Casing:
Supports vertical and radial load on casing.
Controls the formation pressure whilst drilling.
Isolates porous formations.
Helps protect against corrosion.
Restrict fluid movement.
Prevent pollution of fresh water.
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Why Use Cement

Cement is ideal for the job on hand and has
been used since the beginning of the oil
industry for the following reasons:
Low Cost
World-wide Availability
Consistent Quality
Flexible Properties
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MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTS
Cement is made of
Limestone and clay
or shale mixed in the
right proportions
Each run may be
slightly different due
to impurities
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MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTS
Cement is heated in a rotary kiln to
2600 to 2800
o
F
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MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTS
What comes out of the kiln is called
clinker
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MANUFACTURE OF CEMENTS

The resultant clinker
is mixed with 1.5 to
3% by weight
Gypsum (CaSO4 -
2H2O) which controls
rate of settling and
hardening.
The resultant is
Portland Cement.

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Properties of Cement
Portland Cement is made up of the following:
CaO SiO2
1. Principal strength producing material.
2. Slow hydrating compound which gives gradual gain in
strength.
CaO Al2O3
1. Promotes rapid hydration.
2. Controls initial set and thickening time.
3. For high sulphate resistance, use less than 3%.
CaO.Al2O3.Fe2O3
Low hydration heat.
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PORTLAND CEMENT
The major klinker compounds are:
Tricalcium silicates 3CaO.SiO2 (C3S) =50%
Dicalcium silicate 2CaO.SiO2 (C2S) =25%
Tricalcium aluminate 3CaO.Al2O3 (C3A) =10%
Tetracalcium aluminoferrite 4SiO2.Al2O3.Fe2O3
(C4AF) =10%.
The effect they have on the properties of the cement
have made it possible to develop cements for special
applications by varying the raw material used in
manufacture:
By increasing C
3
S content, a high early strength can be
obtained.
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PORTLAND CEMENT
A low heat of hydration cement is made by
decreasing both C3S and C3A.
High amounts of the mineral C3A, due to its high
reaction speed and exothermic reaction decreases the
setting time of the slurry, but it reacts with the sulfates
frequently found in the mixing and formation waters
to form a compound (Ettringite) which disrupts the set
cement.
Hydration of cements gives off considerable heat,
about 80 calories per gram of cement (80 BTU/lb) ,
maximum release of heat is obtained about 4 to 6
hours after hydration.
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PORTLAND CEMENT
The principal differences between construction
and oil well cements are that:
(1) no aggregate is added to the oil well cements.
(2) large volumes of water are used in oil well
cements in order to permit the cement slurry to
be pumped.
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Cementing
API classes of cement
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Cement Requirements
1. Low viscosity over a sufficient period.
2. Sufficient strength within a reasonably short time
in order that the waiting-on-cement time (WOC)
can be kept to a minimum. The strength must be
sufficient to avoid mechanical failure under
prevailing downhole static and dynamic loads.
3. Effective seal between the casing and the
formation.
4. Impermeable that fluids cannot flow through it
when it has set.
5. Chemically inert to any formations or fluids with
which it may come into contact.
6. Stable enough for the length of time it
will be in use, which may be many years.
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Thickening time

It determines the length of time the slurry can be
pumped.
Thickening time is the time necessary for the slurry
consistency to reach 100 poises under simulated
bottom hole temperature and pressure.
Thickening time is affected by the following factors:
pumping rate: eddies and currents resulting from
turbulent flow increases the thickening time.
amount of cement components that hydrate
rapidly (C3A, C3S).
fineness to which the clinker is ground
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Strength-time requirements
In oil well drilling the cement bulk surrounding the
casing is subjected to the following stresses:
Static stress: shear stresses due to the dead
weight of the pipes; compressive stresses due to
the action of fluids and formations
Dynamic stresses resulting from the drilling
operation, specially the vibrations of the drill
string.
To withstand these stresses a compressive
strength of the order of 500 psi , after 24 hours
period, is needed.
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Perforating qualities
Ordinary cements when they are completely
hardened, fracture excessively when perforated.
Low strength cements are usually less brittle
and have less tendency to shatter upon
perforating.
Shattering of cement is not desired when
perforating near an OWC or OGC.
Additives such as bentonite, pozzolan and
latex increase the ductility of set cement.
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Corrosion resistance
Set cement could be penetrated by
corrosive liquids (especially those
containing (CO2 or SO4).
Cement corrosion decreases the final
compressive strength render the cement
more permeable.
Reduction of the hardening time
improves the cements' resistance to
corrosion by corrosive fluids.
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Bond requirements
For clean surfaces (rock or metal) the bond
increases with time and moderate
temperatures.
Mud cake and dirty casing surfaces reduce
markedly the bond between casing (or rocks
) and cement.
Additives such as salt and fine sand
increases the bond between casing and the
set cement.
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Cement Additives
Various additives are mixed with cement slurry for any
of the following reasons:
To vary the density between 10.8 to 20 ppg.
To increase or decrease strength.
To accelerate or retard setting time.
To control filtration rate.
To reduce viscosity.
To increase corrosion resistance.
As lost circulation material.
To improve economics.
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Cement Additives
Calcium lignosulphate, pozzolan and CMHEC
are considered the most common retarders.
Calcium lignosulphate could exist in the drilling
fluids where it is usually used as a thinner.
Calcium chloride is the most common accelerator.
Salt water slightly reduces the thickening time.
This is of interest in areas where sea water can be
utilized as a mixing water for the slurry.
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Lightweight Additives
Extra water causes the particles to separate and
settle out.
Bentonite: For each 1% by weight add extra water
3 to 5% by weight.
Diatomaceous Earth: Similar effects to gel, less
strength reduction.
Perlite: Ground volcanic lava.
Gilzonite: 25 to 50% with cement.
Pozzolan: 50-50 with cement gives greater
strength and better sulphate resistance.
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Heavyweight Additives

Barites (S.G. 4.3 ): 35.03 ppg
Hematite (S.G. 5.05): 42.12 ppg
Ottowa Sand (S.G. 2.1): 17.51
ppg
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Accelerators

Calcium Chloride: 2%
Sodium Chloride: 2 - 2.5% (retards with
high concentrations)
Seawater
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Retarders

Calcium lignosulphonate for temperatures up
to 260F.
Calcium lignosulphonate plus organic acid
for temperatures above 260F.
Diacel LWL, i.e. Carboxymethyl-
hydroxyethyl-cellulose ( controls filtration
rate).
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Low Water Loss Slurries
Controls filtration rate especially during
squeeze jobs to prevent premature setting:
Diacel LWL
Halad 9 (Halliburton)
Halad 11 (Halliburton)
Flac (Dow Chemicals)
Liquid latex
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Lost Circulation Materials

Granular, Fibrous or Flake forms of:
1. Nut Shells and
2. Cellophane
These materials must not contain any
substances soluble in water that would
affect thickening times.
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Special Cements

High Temperature Cements: High
temperature can effect the strength of cement.
Therefore the following additives may be used:
Add 30% silica flour - prevents strength
retrogression and improves bonding. "Pozmix 140"
(Halliburton) - pozzolans-Iime+chemicals.

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Diesel oil cements

A portland cement to which a surface active
agent is added, it is designed for mixing with
diesel oil.
It will not set and harden until it comes in
contact with water.
It is used for shutting off water production
from the completion interval of a well.

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Perlite cements
Perlite cements are prepared by adding perlite
to ordinary portland.
Perlite is a light volcanic ore, when heated to
fusion it gives rise to a very low density
product (13 lb/ft3).
Bentonite is usually added to perlite cement
slurries to disperse perlite more uniformly
through the mixture.
Perlite cements are expensive.
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Latex cement
It is composed of latex, cement and water.

It is used for plug back jobs for water
exclusion.

It is especially resistant to oil and mud
contamination.

It gives a high strength bond with casing and
rocks.
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Pozzolanic cements
Pozzolan (siliceous rocks of volcanic origin) is
added to portland cements or used with lime (lime-
pozzolan cement).
Pozzolan cements have higher pumpability times
than most conventional cements.
Pozzolanic cements are light, ductile and they are
proved to be satisfactory deep well cements.
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Considerations after cementing

After cement hardens, release of pressure on the
casing permits it to contract so that the bond
with the cement may be loosened.
Release of pressure on the casing before the
cement sets eliminates this problem.
Bleed off the pressure is made if the back
pressure valve in the casing string is holding
satisfactorily.
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Types of Cementing Processes
I. Primary Cementing
1. Full String
2. Liners
3. Large Pipe
4. Stage
A. Survey and perforate
B. Stage collars
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Primary Cementing
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Types of Cementing Processes
II. Squeeze Cementing
1. Shoe
2. Casing (up-hole)
3. Open-hole (lost-circulation)
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Types of Cementing Processes
III. Plugging
1. Open-hole plug back
A. Fishing Operations
B. Abandonment
2. Casing
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Cementing
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Primary Cementing Practices

For the best cementing job, concentricity of the
pipe in the wellbore is very important.
The more concentric the pipe the easier it is to get a
cement uniformly around the pipe, thus the bond
will be complete.
Without a good bond, the cement job becomes a big
problem involving remedial practices which can be
extremely expensive.
So why not pay a little extra to ensure the primary
job is done well in the first place.
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Cement Job
Common cementing
equipment includes
Float shoe
Float collar
Centralizers
Cementing head
Scratchers
Well-bore Wipers
Top and Bottom
plugs

Cement Head
Drilling Fluid
Cement
Casing
Float Collar
Float Shoe
Centralizer
Ground Level
Rig Floor
Figure 9 Typical cementing equipment.
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Cement Head
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Cement Job
Drilling
Fluid
Spacer Fluid
Bottom Plug
Shoe Joint
Top Plug
Cement
A
B
C
Float Shoe
Float
Collar
Bottom Plug
Ruptured
Top Plug
Released
Plug
Bumped
Displacement
Fluid
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Cement Job
Cement must support the pipe and isolate
zones
Most cement mixtures will accomplish that
objective
The difficulty is in getting the cement all the
way around the pipe
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Cement Job
The industry assumes that if the cement
has a compressive strength of 500 psi it
will support the pipe
The 500 psi includes a safety factor from
two to five
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Cement Job
Cement must also isolate the zone
Hydraulic bond strengths were tested in
the laboratory and the hydraulic bond
varied with the roughness of the pipe
Sandblasting the casing was popular for a
while along with Ruff Coat (resin and sand
coated pipe)
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Cement Job
There was no correlation between
hydraulic bonding and compressive
strength
The trick is to get the cement all the way
around the pipe
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Cement Job
There are a number of things we can do to
increase the odds of getting a good cement
job
Centralization of the casing
Pipe movement - rotation and/or reciprocation
Drilling fluid condition
Hole conditions
Displacement velocity
Spacer fluids
Mud - cement density differences
Contact time
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Flow Patterns
There are three basic types of flow in the well bore:
Plug Flow.
Laminar Flow.
Turbulent Flow.
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Flow Patterns
Turbulent flow gives the best cleaning or
scouring effect.
The faster the rate of flow, the nearer to this
turbulence we are likely to be.
If the pipe is not concentric in the wellbore,
turbulent flow is difficult to attain all around the
pipe and the cement will tend to channel.
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Flow Patterns
Laminar flow should be avoided since it
promotes channeling
Some cement studies touted plug flow
while some indicated that turbulent flow
was better
Following figure summaries the studies

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Flow Patterns
It is better to pump thin cement slurries
at higher flow rates
If ECD or hole size prevents higher flow
rates, consider plug flow
For plug flow, you may have to take the
U-tube effect into account
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Effective Centralization
We have know for more than half a century
that centralizing the casing will aid in
getting a good cement job
For a non-Newtonian fluid, the velocity on
the narrow side of the annulus is slower
than the velocity on the wide side of the
annulus

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Effective Centralization

This is more critical in deviated wells than in
straight holes.

We must not use too many as we will be unable
to get the casing into the ground.
Frictional forces will be greater than the pipe
weight.
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Well Cleaners
These are used to assist in clearing the mud
cake when running the pipe by reciprocation or
rotation.

There are two types:
Scratchers
Well-bore Wipers
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Stop Collars

To secure this 'jewellery' to the pipe 'stop
collars' are sometimes required.

BEWARE! Too much jewellery can cause
the pipe to 'hang up' in the well bore.
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Cement Contamination

To prevent contamination, washes and plugs are
often pumped ahead of slurry.
The washing water and chemicals assist in
cleaning the wellbore as well as acting as a spacer.
If too much water is pumped, the hydrostatic
pressure can be dangerously lowered and a kick
may occur up the outside of the casing.
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The first wiper plug cleans the inside of the
casing and landing in the float collar, the
diaphragm bursts and allows the cement to be
pumped out of the casing.
The final plug separates the cement from the
displacing mud and signals displacement
complete, when it 'bumps' on the first plug.
The casing, from the float to the shoe will be full
of cement, if there is any contaminated cement
collected by the final plug it will be inside this
portion.
The cement around the shoe joint must be of the
best quality.
In the float and the shoe are ball valves on
springs which will not allow the cement to back
flow.
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Evaluation of Cement Job.
In the past, cement jobs have been assumed to be
good, unless there was immediate evidence to the
contrary.
Now, however, cement evaluation logs are
becoming more and more prevalent.
CBL (cement bond log) is normally run on
wireline after drilling the next hole section.
It might be necessary to perforate and squeeze if
these logs show that the primary job is not all that
it might be.
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Stage Cementing
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Stage Cementing
This technique is used for cementing two or
more separate sections behind a casing
string. Used for the following reasons:
1. When a long cement column could not be used
without breakdown of the formation behind the
string.
2. When it is necessary to reduce the pumping
pressure at the surface, especially in cementing
deep wells.
3. When slurries of different compositions are used
for cementing distinct sections.
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Inner String Cementing

When it is necessary to cement pipe with diameters
of 16 inch, 18 inch, 20 inch, or larger, tubing or
drill pipe is commonly used as an inner string in
the placement of the cement.
The tubing, or drill string, is stabbed into a
specially designed float collar or guide shoe.
This procedure reduces the cementing time and the
volume required to pump the cementing plug.
It also avoids having to displace a large volume of
cement that would be in the large casing if
channeling should occur.
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Deep Well Liner Cementing
Deep wells usually start with 20 to 30-inch conductor
casing and are ultimately completed with 5, 5-1/2 or 7-
inch liners.
In some of the deep wells, it is common to set two liners
(a drilling liner and a production liner) before reaching the
ultimate drilling objective.
The wear and tear on the intermediate liner during drilling
often requires the setting of a tie-back string before the
well is completed.
The tie-back string stabilizes and reinforces the
intermediate liner and intermediate casing, which may
have been weakened during the drilling process.
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Plug Back Cementing
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Plug Back Cementing
Reasons for plugging
1. Zone Isolation
2. Lost Circulation
3. Directional Drilling
4. Abandonment
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Placement Methods

The four common methods of setting a cement
plug are:
1. balanced,
2. dump bailer,
3. two-plug, and
4. modified two-plug.
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Balanced Plug
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Balanced Plug
The balanced plug method is the one most frequently
used.
It is a simple method and requires no equipment other
than a cementing service unit.
Placing a desired quantity of slurry into the work
string and displacing it near the bottom of the work
string.
Keep displacing until the level of cement outside of
the work string balances with the level inside the work
string.
Last of all, you pull the work string up out of the
slurry.
This leaves the cement plug in place.
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Balanced Plug
Two disadvantages of the balanced plug method
are:
1. mud contamination and
2. movement of the plug.
Mud contamination is especially possible when
you use small quantities of cement.
The excess cement used when the hole size is
uncertain may create fluid loss below the plug and
allow the plug to move downward.
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Dump Bailer
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Dump Bailer
The dump bailer method was the first technique
used in production cementing.
The cement was dumped by the bailer at the
bottom of the hole.
Casing was then run and set into the cement plug.
Later the cement inside the casing was drilled out
and the well completed below the casing seat.
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Dump Bailer
Today, the dump bailer method usually involves
setting a cement basket, permanent bridge plug, or
sand pack below the desired plug location.
The bailer then dumps the cement above the
basket, bridge plug or sand pack.
The dump bailer method is generally used at
shallower depths.
Present day retarders, however, have increased the
depth range to over 12,000 feet.
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Dump Bailer
The advantages of this method are: low cost and
depth control since the bailer is run on a
wireline.

The disadvantages are adapting the method for
setting deep plugs, contaminating the cement, and
the slowness of the method.
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Testing A Cement Plug

The most common technique used to test a plug is setting
the weight from the workstring onto the top of the plug,
(10000-15000 lb)
Another method of testing a cement plug involves the use
of drill stem testing tools.
Run the testing tools and expand the open hole packer as
near to the top of the plug as possible.
When the tool opens, you can use the hydrostatic loading
of the anchor pipe to determine if the plug will slide down
the hole or if it is still soft.
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SQUEEZE CEMENTING
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SQUEEZE CEMENTING
Definition: the process of applying hydraulic
pressure to force or squeeze a cement slurry into a
formation void or against a porous zone.
It is the most common type of down-hole remedial
cementing.
Its objective is to obtain a seal between the casing
and the formation.
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Purposes of squeeze cementing

Control high GOR's. By isolating the oil zone from
an adjacent gas zone.
To control excessive water or gas. Water or gas
sands can be squeezed off below the oil sand to
help decrease water/oil or gas/oil ratios.
Independent water or gas zones can usually be
squeezed to eliminate water or gas intrusion.
To repair casing leaks. Cement can be squeezed
through corrosion holes in casing.
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Purposes of squeeze cementing
To seal off thief zones or lost-circulation zones.
To protect against fluid migration into a producing
zone (block squeezing).
To isolate zone in permanent completions.
To correct a defective primary cementing job.
To prevent fluid migration from abandoned zones
or wells.
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SQUEEZE TERMINOLOGY

Squeeze Pressure-Squeeze cementing objectives are
usually defined by pressure requirements.
The "high-pressure" technique involves breaking down
the formation and pumping cement slurry or cement
filtrate into the formation until a specific surface pressure
can be maintained without bleed off.
The 'low-pressure" technique involves placing cement
over the interval to be squeezed and applying a pressure
sufficient to form a filter cake of dehydrated cement in
perforations, channels, or fractures that may be open.
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SQUEEZE TERMINOLOGY
Block Squeezing - block squeeze is to perforate above
and below the pay section and then squeeze cement
through the perforations. It is used to isolate the producing
zone before completing a well. The technique normally
involves two perforating steps, two squeeze steps, and
drilling out.
Breakdown Pressure - Breakdown pressure is the
pressure necessary to break down or fracture the
formation so that it will accept fluid.
In high-pressure squeezing, this is the pressure that must
be achieved before putting cement slurry or cement filtrate
into a formation.
With the low- pressure technique, a satisfactory squeeze
can be performed without breaking down the formation.
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SQUEEZE TERMINOLOGY
Fracture Gradient -Fracture gradient is usually defined
as the pressure per foot of depth required to initiate a
fracture. Less pressure is required to extend and prop a
fracture than to create it.
Bottom-Hole Treating Pressure: It is the pressure
exerted on the formation during a squeeze operation.
It is the surface pressure plus the hydrostatic pressure of
well fluids minus the frictional pressure.
To fracture a formation, this pressure must be exceeded.
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SQUEEZE TERMINOLOGY
Cement Dehydration - The water is squeezed
form the cement slurry and a filter cake of solid
particles forms on the face of the formation.
If excessive pressure is exerted, the formation will
fracture and some slurry will be forced into the
fractures during the squeeze.
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Squeeze Methods Techniques
Bradenhead squeeze method
The original method of squeezing was the
bradenhead method, which is accomplished
through tubing or drillpipe without the use of a
packer.
A predetermined amount of slurry is mixed and
pumped to a specific height outside the tubing or
drillpipe.
The tubing or drillpipe is then pulled out of the
slurry and the wellhead is packed off at the
surface.

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Bradenhead squeeze method
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Bradenhead squeeze method
Displacing fluid is pumped down the tubing until
the desired squeeze pressure is reached or until a
specific amount of the fluid has been pumped.
The wellhead is closed at the surface.
As pumping continues, the cement slurry is forced
to move into or against zones of weakness since it
can no longer circulate up the annulus.
This method is used extensively in squeezing
shallow wells, in plugging, and sometimes in
squeezing off zones of partially lost circulation
during drilling.

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Bradenhead squeeze method
In deeper wells, the cement maybe spotted halfway
down the tubing before the casing valve at the
surface is closed.
The applicability of bradenhead squeezing is
restricted because the casing must be pressure tight
above the point of squeezing and because
maximum pressures are limited by the burst
strength of casing.
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Squeeze-packer method

The squeeze -packer method uses a retrievable or a
non retrievable tool run on tubing to a position near
the top of the zone to be squeezed.
This technique is generally considered superior to
the bradenhead method since it confines pressures to
a specific point in the hole.
Before the cement is placed, a pressure test is
conducted to determine the formation breakdown
pressure.
The section below the perforations to be squeezed
must be isolated with a bridge plug.
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Squeeze-packer method

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Squeeze-packer method

When the desired squeeze pressure is obtained, the
remaining slurry is reversed out.
Squeezing objectives and zonal conditions will
govern whether high pressures or low pressures are
used.
The high-pressure technique uses a quantity of salt
water (or chemical wash ) to determine the
breakdown pressure of the formation to be squeezed.
Mud should not be used as a breakdown fluid as it
can plug or damage the formation.
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Squeeze-packer method

The use of squeeze packers makes it possible to
apply higher pressure to satisfy down-hole points
than can be applied with the bradenhead method.
The two commonly used packers are the drillable
and the retrievable.
Drillable packers, which are expendable, are left in
the well and can be drilled out after the squeeze
operation.
The retrievable packer is rented on a job basis
and, after the squeeze job, is removed from the
well.
While each packer has its specific application , the
ratio of usage is approximately 40/60

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SQUEEZE PRESSURE REQUIREMENTS

After breakdown, a slurry of cement and water
is spotted near the formation and pumped at a
low rate.
As pumping continues, injection pressures
begin to build up until surface pressure
indicates that either cement dehydration or a
squeeze has occurred.
Pressure is held momentarily on the formation
to verify static conditions and then released to
determine if the cement will stay in place.
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SQUEEZE PRESSURE REQUIREMENTS
If the desired squeeze pressure is not obtained, a
hesitation is often employed.
This method involves mixing one batch of cement
( 30 to 100 sack), placing it against the formation,
waiting at least until the initial set, and repeating
the operation as many times as required.
The low-pressure technique has become the more
efficient method of squeezing with the
development of controlled-fluid-loss cements and
retrievable packers.
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SQUEEZING FRACTURED ZONES

In squeezing fractured limestone and dolomite formations,
greater emphasis must be placed on effectively sealing the
fracture network or channel system behind the casing.
It is necessary to modify the slurry design from that used
to squeeze permeable sandstones, where the prime interest
is slurry behavior within the perforations.
In squeezing a fractured carbonate formation it is more
important that the cement fill the fracture or channels than
that it build up a filter cake.
Larger volumes of slurry are required than for squeezing
permeable sand stone reservoirs.
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Slurry Design
The volume of cement slurry to be squeezed cannot be
controlled precisely, and experience in the vicinity of the
job is the best guide. However, there are some useful
indexes and rules of thumb:
The volume should not exceed the capacity of the run-in
string.
Two sacks of cement should be used per foot of perforated
interval.
The minimum volume should be 100 sk if an injection rate
of 2 bbl/min. can be achieved after break-down; otherwise
it should be 50 sk.
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Workover fluids
Where well conditions permit and where it is obtainable,
salt water or fresh water is the preferred work-over
fluid for both low-pressure and high-pressure squeeze
jobs.
However, even if clean fluids are used and pressures are
great enough to fracture the formation , if a well has been
perforated in mud, or if perforations have ever been
contacted by mud, some mud plugs may remain and more
than one squeeze job may be needed.
Should squeezing be necessary in mud filled or partially
plugged perforations, one of the best ways to insure a
uniform deposit of cement is to run a weak hydrochloric
or acetic acid solution ahead of the cement. The acid
shrinks the clay particles and allows the cement slurry to
penetrate farther.
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TESTING SQUEEZE JOBS
The apparent success or failure of a squeeze job should be
confirmed by applying pressure to the set cement.
Although squeeze jobs are most commonly tested by-
pump pressure, a better way is to create a pressure
differential in the wellbore.
This can be accomplished by swabbing, by artificially
lifting fluid from the well, or by circulating oil or a lighter
fluid down the tubing and closing the circulating ports
above the packer.
This differential pressure should not exceed the drawdown
expected in the well when it is put on production.
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END