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The technique to plug the channels by cement has the solidification time can be controlled by adding different
following advantages: amounts of the retarder. When the amount of the retarder ranges
Low damage to the formation and can be used in large from 0.5% to 0.8%, the curing time will be prolonged 170-
quantities to plug long interval channeling wells; 350min accordingly (Seen as Table 2).
The curing time of the improved cement slurry is Since the curing time of the cement is controllable and the
adjustable and the operation is quite safe; cement has the characteristics of rapid curing solidification, the
The improved cement slurry has the characteristics of appropriate curing time can be designed in advance according to
better flow ability during the initial curing time, and then rapid the real status of the operation, which can avoid tubing strings
curing of the cement slurry, which can greatly reduce the being plugged. Meanwhile, it can to the umost prevent the fluids
possibility of interlayer channeling; from channeling between high pressure layer and low pressure
The particle diameter of ultra fine cement is small; layers. Therefore, the chance of the fluids returning back into
therefore the cement can enter into the small cracks of the the well bore decreases and the success rates of the operation
channels; increases.
After the cement is cured, its slight dilatation effect can
make the plugging more solid and obtain good results of the Strength and the permeability of gas and water after
cement plugs; curing.The improved cement has been tested for its pressure
It can avoid the very complicated process to identify the resistance strength, breaking strength, interface strength and the
channels; the working efficiency is improved; permeability of gas and water. The test results show that all
The operation process is simple, easy for the operation properties of the improved cement have been improved (Seen as
team to perform and also available for large scale application in Table 3).
the field.
Studies on the damage the cement slurry has on the cores.
Cement Properties for Channel Plugging and Lab Core flowing tests were conducted to determine the damage of
Studies the cement slurry filtrate on the formation. The test results are
To increase the success rate of cement plugs, the properties of shown in Table 4. For all of the three kinds of slurry filtrates,
the cement slurry have been improved so that they can satisfy the permeability recovery rate reaches above 88% with an
the needs of channel plugs with an overburden pressure during average of 90.8%.
the curing period. On the basis of laboratory evaluation and
analysis of different kinds of the cement properties, agents are Bridge plugging agents can effectively prevent the
added into the cement slurry to improve the slurry properties. loss of the cement slurry
For the cement slurry, adding a rapid curing agent can make The formation fractures cause a large amount of cement slurry
it have a characteristic of rapid curing solidification, while lose, so cement curing with an overburden pressure cannot be
adding the dilatant can make it slightly dilate after the cement implemented. To solve this problem, bridge plugging agents
slurry cures, and the retarder makes the curing time adjustable, were developed. The agent is made of organic and
the intensifier added into the slurry can increase the curing macromolecular material and it has favorable transformation
strength as well as the cementation strength. and condensability characteristics. Tests indicate that ineffective
loss of the cement slurry can be greatly reduced by adding this
Rapid curing solidification of the cement slurry. With a rapid kind of bridge plugging agent (Seen as Table 5). Therefore, the
curing agent, the cement slurry can keep its fluidity before the success rate of cement curing, with an overburden pressure,
initial curing happens. Meanwhile, the slurry can rapidly realize increases. The volume of the agent added should consider the
its final curing as soon as initial curing ends; this characteristic pumping capacity and not affect the rheology of the cement
is called rapid curing solidification. slurry. The bridge plugging agent can be directly added into the
The solidification curves of Portland cement slurry and cement slurry during the operation.
slurry with agents added are shown in Figure 2. The curves
indicate the agent cement slurry has the characteristics of rapid Operation Process of Channel Plugging in the Field
curing solidification. Therefore the improved slurry can to the The process the cement pluging job is as follows:
utmost prevent fluid channeling between high pressure layers (1) All the intervals with poor quality of cementation and
and low pressure layers and decrease the chance for the slurry to other targets suspected to be channeling, should be perforated.
return back into the well bore, which can improve the success The perforating charge DP30RDX-2 is usually selected. The
rate of channel plugging operation. charge has the characteristics of shallow perforating depth and
low cost.
Slight dilatation of cement slurry. To overcome the (2) Test the well pressure and measure the injectivity of the
disadvantage that the Portland cement slurry will shrink after it interval to be plugged. According to the injectivity, the cement
cures a dilatant is added into the cement slurry. The dilatability column height to be reserved is calculated. If the injectivity is
is controlled at the range of 0.01% to 0.2%. The dilatability too high, the bridging agent will be added into the plugging
comparisons between the cement with dilatant and Portland cement slurry to reduce the loss of the cement slurry.
cement can be seen in Table 1. (3) To protect the intervals not to be plugged, a sand pack or
packers can be used.
The curing time is adjustable. The initial and final curing time (4) Run the tubing 3m higher than the well bottom, and
must be prolonged to meet the needs of the operation. The inject the cement slurry.
SPE 104443 3
(5) When fluid level of cement slurry reaches the pre-set Conclusions
heights, lift the tubing above the height of cement top. Then the 1. The specific channel plugging agent has the characteristics
mud slurry, with a density a little bit smaller than that of the of rapid curing solidification, slight dilatability and it is feasible
cement slurry, is used to circulate the remaining cement slurry to add a bridge plugging agent. The operation to plug long
out of the tubing. interval channeling wells needs be performed with an
(6) Add pressure to the well bore and maintain the pressure. overburden pressure. Field experiences show that it is simple,
The pressure (supplemental pressure and fluid column static easy for the operation team to master the technique and the
pressure) should be lower than the formation fracture pressure. success rate is high.
Let the cement cure for 24 hours. 2. The technology, plugging long interval channeling wells by
(7) Drill out the cement plug in the intervals and re-perforate cement with an overburden pressure, has many advantages, such
the production zone (Shown in Figure 3). as low damage to the formation, short operation time (1.9 day
per interval on average), quite safe, no need to identify for the
Field Results channels, low cost (22.1 thousand yuan per interval on average)
Field practice on 84 wells using this method shows that the and etc. Meanwhile, it can plug long interval channeling wells
success rate of plugging long interval channeling wells is 97.1% by a single plug job (the longest one can reach more than 700m)
and the average distance between the top and lower layer of as well as to plug discontinuous multi-interval channeling wells
objective intervals is 157m. The largest length of the plugged (at most plugging 18 intervals in one well has been performed).
interval is 722.5m for a single plug job. Comparing the 3. The implementation of cement plugs can effectively bring
cementation curves before and after the channel plugging, the channeling problems under control, which can reduce casing
well intervals with cementation factors above 0.8 increased 56 damage, more formations put on production and increase the
percentages, while the well intervals below 0.4 decreased 42 recoverable reserves. It is helpful to prevent water or polymer
percentages. fluids injected to enter into non-target formations. The
technology can obtain large economic and social benefits as
well.
Table 1- Dilatability Comparisons between the Cement with the Dilatant and Portland Cements
Time 24h 48h 72h
Table 2- Relationship between the Added Amount of the Retarder and the Initial Curing Time
Retarder Amount% 0 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.8
Initial Curing Time min 35-60 90-110 150-160 170-220 250-280 300-350
High High
High
Pressure Pressure
Pressure
Low Low
Low
Pressure Pressure
Pressure
Cement slurry filled in annular Cement slurry is weightlessness, flowing into Channels Form
region by displacing the slurry low pressure layers from high pressure zones
Portland cement
Improved cement
4. Cement slurry injection 5. Displace cement slurry 6. Cement curing with 7. Drill the cement plug
with the mud slurry overburdent pressure and re-perforate