The Art of Cement

Mahmoud F. Radwan
Subsurface & Integrity Operations Sec. Head
Presenter Name:
Mahmoud Farag Radwan

Mahmoud Radwan is a Subsurface & Integrity Operations Sec. Head at AMAL

Petroleum Company (AMAPETCO) with 12 years of experience in oil & gas
industry. Mahmoud worked in Well Intervention, Integrity & Work-over at
several companies, including Badr El-Din Pet. Co. (BAPETCO), Qarun Pet. Co.
Short
(QPC) and Wadi El-Sahel Petroleum Co. (WASPETCO). Notable is his 1 year as
Biography a Well Service Supervisor; Consultant for Badr El-Din Pet. Co. (BAPETCO)
supervising rig-less operations W/L, logging and perforation, CT, stimulation,
well testing, and well integrity tests. Mahmoud received a BSc degree in
Petroleum Engineering from Al-Azhar University in 2007

- Evaluating Sustainable Annulus Pressure (SAP) in Sour Wells and the

Possible Causes to Avoid Recurrence in the Well Integrity Annual Middle East
Conference in Abu Dhabi; UAE in Apr 2015
- Implementing NDT methods for maintenance and inspection in the Asset
Publications Integrity Management North Africa Conference in Cairo; Egypt in Nov 2015
- Feasibility Evaluation of Using Downhole Gas-water Separation Technology in
gas Reservoirs with Bottom Water; paper number: SPE-183739-MS to the 20th
Middle East Oil & Gas Show and Conference in Mar 2017
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/183739-MS
 Overview
• Cementing: Cementing is a critical part
of any well competition and subsequently
well integrity. Poor cementing is
responsible for casing outer wall
corrosion, leaks and subsequently casing
collapse.
Basics of Cementing
 Mud Removal

5 Mud Removal
Objectives of Primary Cementation

• Provide complete isolation of zones (Hydraulic

Bond) hydrodynamic
• Support the casing (Shear Bond) mechanical
• Protect casing string durability
 The Ideal Wellbore Casing
BHST at top of Annular gap
cement Minimum: 3/4”
>BHCT at TD Ideal: 1 1/2”

Properly conditioned
hole and mud

No sloughing
Gauge
diameter Uniform as possible
( no washouts or restrictions)

NO LOSSES NO FLOW

Casing centered in borehole

Thin, impermeable mud filter cake Accurate BHST and BHCT

(not gelled or unconsolidated)
 Mud Removal
• Most important aspect of a cement job
• A 3-step process before cementing

1. Hole cleaning
2. Conditioning the drilling fluid
3. Displace the drilling fluid from the
annulus
 Well Preparation
• Drill with good mud properties
– Thin filter cakes
– Low flat gel strengths
• Drill an in-gauge hole
• Drill a smooth hole with minimal doglegs
• Maintain wellbore stability
• Clean cuttings from hole
– Wiper trips
– Controlled mud properties for transport
 Well Preparation
• Hole Cleaning
• Controlled & optimized mud properties
• Wiper trips
• > 95 % Total hole volume in circulation
• Caliper log
• Conditioning Mud
• Break gel strength – circulate – interface between bulk mud and
filter cake
• Lower Ty + Pv
• Drill solids < 6 %
• Determine MPG to find Qmin for all-around flow
• Displace Mud from Annulus – START THE DESIGN
• Optimized slurry placement
• Casing centralization optimized (STO > 75 %)
• Casing movement
 Circulating and Conditioning
• Circulate minimum 1 hole volume
• Break gel strength
• Lower rheologies as much as practical
– YP = 8 - 10 lbf/100 ft2
– No barite sag
• Lower drill solids
• Satisfy MPG requirement
– Try for 100 % circulation efficiency
– Verify with a fluid caliper
 Fluid Calipers
• To determine circulation efficiency or amount of fluid which is
moving in the wellbore.
• Procedure :
• Run multi-arm open-hole caliper log and determine total hole
volume
• Circulate at cementing rate and determine mud pump efficiency
• Drop marker or tracer in staged intervals
• Monitor returns for marker
• Calculate volume circulated from rate and time (Should be ±
mechanical caliper volume)
• Increase rate and re-calculate efficiency
 Criteria for Effective Mud Removal
Cementing Operation:

• Centralize casing – very important parameter

• Casing movement

• Scratchers

• Wiper plugs

• Washes and spacers

• Flow regime selection

 Flow Regimes
V=0

Laminar Flow
Velocity Profile V=2 x Vav
(Sliding motion)

Turbulent Flow
Velocity Profile
(Swirling motion)

Laminar and Turbulent Flow regimes are found anywhere

(pipe, concentric or eccentric annuli)
 Reynold’s Number
Dimensionless number to predict flow regime
• Newtonian fluid
V
NRe =
D
• Non-Newtonian fluid
V
NRe =
D
Turbulent flow achieved when “critical” Reynolds
number is reached
Flow Regime Comparison
Laminar

Turbulent Turbulent

Centered Annulus Eccentered Annulus

 Turbulent Displacement in Hole Cleaning

• Turbulence all around casing

• Thin radial slice at narrowest Turb

point
• Re  annular velocity
• Minm flow rate = QCRIT
• A single point in well at
specific depth • Flow rate line for QCRIT
• QCRIT (or QMIN) not necessarily
• Mistake to assume and to go
the whole well depth
to Laminar flow
• 10 min contact time - empirical
 Effective Laminar Rules in Hole Cleaning
Density hierarchy
• QCRIT flow line
• Assumes flat interface in concentric pipe
• Pumping halted – gravity takes over – 10 % difference
• Chemical washes no considered
• Give slurry priority
• Density of the displacing fluid is greater than the density of
the fluid being displaced

rspacer > 1.1 (rmud)

rcement > 1.1 (rspacer)
 Laminar Placement Simulator
• Analysis of field cases, comparison of placement
prediction with acoustic logs

Cement by-passing
the mud on the
narrow side on the
annulus due to poor
centralization
 Types of Centralizers
• Bow Spring (Spiral or Straight):
• Flexible bow springs
• Centralizer OD slightly larger than OH size
• Rigid Bow (or Positive) type:
• Non-flexible O.D. (Slightly less than previous casing
ID)
• Use inside cased-hole sections
• Effective in in-gauge OH intervals only
• Rigid Solid slip-on type:
• Solid body - no bows
• Use: as per rigid type
 Reciprocation
• Movement of casing up and down during the job

• Must be done from the start of circulation to end displacement

• 20 to 40 feet stroke

• 1 to 5 minutes per cycle

• Needs scratchers to be effective

• Casing may become stuck during movement

• Excessive swab and surge pressures may be created

• Excessive pull and buckling

• Cannot be the only method of mud removal

 Rotation
• Circular movement of pipe
• Must be done from the start of circulation to end
displacement
• 10 to 40 rpm
• Scratchers help efficiency
• Needs special rotary cement heads and power
swivels
• Torque must be very closely monitored
• Cannot be the only method of mud removal
 Scratchers
• Two types of
scratchers
– Reciprocation
– Rotation
• Most effective in well
centralized casing
• Adjacently-placed
spacers for overlap
• Establish circulation
prior to cementing
 Cement Wiper Plugs
• Keep Fluids Separate in Casing and Reduce Contamination

• Bottom Plugs

• Remove mud ahead of cement

• Prevent cement falling through lighter fluid ahead
• Wipe inner casing walls clean
• Use 2 or more if possible

• Top Plugs

• Separate cement from displacing fluid

• Positive indication of end of displacement
 Cement Wiper Plugs

• Examples of Industrial Rubber Cement Wiper Plugs

 Why Run a Bottom Plug ?
• Bottom plug wipes accumulated mud cake, scale, etc.
from inner casing walls out through float equipment into
annulus.

• Volume of debris can be significant and fill-up shoe

track if not removed ahead of the top plug.

• EXAMPLE: 9 5/8” 47 lb/ft 10,000 feet, collar at 9,820 feet

• Volume of 1/16” film?

• Height corresponding to this volume?

127.98 ft3 or 22.79 bbls!

 Events to be Recorded
• Was the mud conditioned - rate and time?
• How many centralizers were run and where?
• Was the casing rotated and/or reciprocated?
• Where the plugs correctly dropped?
• What was the density and rheology of the spacers?
• Was the correct volume of pre-flushes used?
• The following data must be recorded:
• All densities, if possible of displacement fluid as well
• All flow rates, if possible of displacement as well
• All pressures
• Note any changes in flow rate, density, stoppages,
pressure peaks, etc.
Effective Mud Removal - Conclusions
• Condition mud prior to cementing
• Centralize to give optimum casing stand-off
• Rotate and/or Reciprocate casing
• Use cable-type scratchers when reciprocating
• Always use the bottom plugs: 2 preferred
• Optimize slurry placement using:
• Turbulent flow preferred, or
• Effective laminar flow technique
• Use chemical wash pre-flushes
• Control MUD PUSH* spacer/cement slurry properties:
batch mix
• Compatibility mud/cement/spacer : lab/field test
 Summary
• Cementing Objectives and Well Preparation
• Mud Removal
– Centralization
– Casing Movement
– Scratchers
– Wiper Plugs
– Washes and Spacers
– Flow Regime Selection
• Turbulent and Laminar Flows
 Primary Cementing

30 Mud Removal
High quality cementing objectives

– Support the pipe in place

• Further drilling
• Production
– Protect the pipe in place
• Corrosive formation fluids
– Hydraulic isolation
• No communication between different formation fluids
• No migration of formation fluids to surface
• No loss of production to thief zones
 Types of Casings

 Conductor
 Surface
 Intermediate
 Production
 Liner
 Conductor
 Purpose
 Prevents washing out under the rig
 Provides elevation for flow nipple

 Common sizes and depths:

 30” - 20” Welded
 20” - 16” Threaded
 30’ - 200’ (< 100’ common)
 Conductor
 Other Remarks:
 Plugs not used
 Careful pumping practices
 Large excess required
 Thru-drill pipe cementing common
 BOP’s not unusually connected
 Common Cements
 Accelerated Neat
 Thru-Drill Pipe Cementing

 Key Points:

 Cement contamination

 Channelling

 Displacement

 Pump until cement to surface

 Outside Cementing
 Purpose
 Bring cement to surface
 Macaroni tubing used
Tubing moved
 Max. depth 250-300 ft during job
 High friction pressures
 Non-standard connections
 Surface
Purposes:

 Protects surface fresh water formations

 Cases off unconsolidated or lost circulation areas

 Supports subsequent casing strings

 Provides primary pressure control (BOP support)

 Common sizes and depths:

 20” - 9 5/8” threaded
 100’ - 3000’ (or more)
 Surface Cementing
 Excess of 100% plus not uncommon
 Recommend thru-drill pipe method to save
 Cement
 Rig time
 Common cements:
 Lead light weight slurries with high yields
 Neat tail slurries with good compressive strength
 Reduce WOC to a minimum with accelerators
 BOP
Rotary table
Rig Floor
Mud Outlet
Annular Preventor
Choke Line
BLIND RAMS

SHEAR RAMS

PIPE RAMS

Surface Casing Head

Conductor pipe Surface Casing
Cement
 Intermediate (Also called Protection)
Purposes:

 Separates hole into workable sections

 Lost Circulation
 Salt Section
 Overpressured Zones
 Heaving Shales
 Common sizes and depths:
 13 3/8”, 10 3/4”, 9 5/8”
 3000’ to 10,000’
 Intermediate Casings
 Cemented to surface or to previous casing shoe

 Two stage jobs common

 Plugs, casing equipment, casing accessories usual

 Good cementing practices are required

 Large cement volumes

 Common Cements:
 Typically filler slurries followed by high compressive tail
 Specialised (light, heavy, salt - saturated, etc)
 Two Stage Cementing
2nd
Key Points: Stage
Stage
 Separation and Collar
isolation of zones
 Reduces hydrostatic
 Can leave zone in
the annulus
uncemented (cement
at TD and surface) 1st Stage
 Production
Purposes:
 Isolates the pay zone from other formations and the
fluids in them.
 Protective housing for production equipment.
 Subsurface artificial lift
 Multiple zone completion
 Screens for sand control
 Covers worn or damaged intermediate string.
 Common sizes:
 4 1/2”, 5”, 7”, & 9 5/8”
 Liners
Key Points:
 Requires less casing
Drill pipe
 Deeper wells Wiper Plug

 Small annular clearance

 Specialized equipment Liner

Running Hanger
Tool
Shear Liner Wiper
Pin Plug
 Casing
 API Casing Specs
 OD 9 5/8”
 Weight 53.5 lbs/ft (determines ID)
 Grade C75 (yield point allowable tension)
 Burst pressure 7430 PSI
 Collapse pressure 6380 PSI
 Thread Buttress
 Tapered string used to minimize well cost.
 Casing program for well based on :
 Burst Pressure
 Collapse Pressure
 Tensile Load
Thread Types
 8 Round
 Seals on threads
 Use of couplings
 Buttress
 Seals on threads
 Use of couplings
 VAM
 Seals on threads &
shoulder
 Use of couplings
 Hydrill
 Seals on threads &
shoulder
 Integral
 2 sets of threads
 Running Casing
 Inspection of Casing
 Tuboscope

 Pipe tally

 Hole Preparation
 Mud condition

 Clearance

 Running
 Casing crews

 Too fast

 Landing Casing

 Nippling up
 Job Procedures
 Pre Job:
 Check calculations with co-man
 Rig up
 Stem 1 on equipment
 Check materials
 Safety and organization meeting
 Prepare mix fluids, spacers and washes
 Job Procedures
The Job:
 Test lines
 Load plugs
 Pump Washes / Spacers
 Drop bottom plug
 Mix and pump cement
 Drop top plug
 Displace
 Bump plug and check returns
 Job Procedures
Post Job:
 Wash up
 Rig down
 Stem equipment
 Paper work
Cementing Process
 For oil well cement design… you need water

With more water

you have: but you also have:
 longer working time.
 lower density.
 lower compressive
 lower viscosity. strength.
 higher permeability.

Good slurry properties  Good mechanical properties

 Factors limiting squeeze success in
narrow gaps
Particles must be 3 - 5 times
smaller than gap

Slurry must have: Set cement must have:

low viscosity for high compressive strength
placement pressures high shear bond strength
excellent fluid loss low permeability
control
Gas Migration Control
 Gas Migration
Gas Migration is the invasion of formation fluids into the annulus, due to a
pressure imbalance at the formation face (loss of Hydrostatic pressure)

Pf > Ph
When P Formation > P Hydrostatic
Gas will Migrate
 The Consequences
 POOR ZONE ISOLATION:
– Lost production
– Stimulation out of zone
– Contamination of nearby formations
– Over pressured shallow formations
 BLOW-OUT:
– Lost production
– Danger to personnel
– Lost rig
 The Consequences
 REPAIR REQUIRED (safety & regulations):
– Damaged well equipment
– Squeeze for zone isolation
– Casing corrosion
– Efficiency not guaranteed
 ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE:
– Freshwater aquifers
– Surface
 A Path for Gas
 A channel
– Failure to effectively displace the drilling fluid.
 An invasion during cement placement
– Insufficient or excessive loss of hydrostatic
pressure.
 Set cement failure
– Failure at the cement to casing and/or cement to
formation interface.
 A Path for Gas - Channel
 A channel can be cause by
– Failure to effectively displace the drilling fluid
 Poor mud removal
– Excessive Free Fluid in Inclined Wells
 A Path for Gas – Invasion
(Hydrostatic Loss)
 When the cement is in fluid and transition
state:
– Fluid-loss during and after placement
– Chemical shrinkage
– Gel strength development
– Free Fluid
– Highly Permeable Slurry

Marketing
Gas Invasion during Setting
Cement
 Fluid Loss
 Dynamic
– Increased rheology
– Change in other slurry properties
 Static
– Loss of overbalance
– Promote early gelation
– Bridging
– Accelerated hydration kinetics
Recommended fluid loss: < 50 mL/30 min
 A Path for Gas – Set cement
Failure
 Set Cement may crack or de-bond:
– Down hole stresses
 Change in Temperature
 Change in Pressure
– Poor Interfacial Bonding (Micro-annulus)
– High Shrinkage
 Successful Cementing of Gas
Wells
GAS MIGRATION CONTROL – A complex problem with a
corresponding .
hierarchy of solutions

Important Rule: Prevention is better than cure

Aug-04 Marketing
 No easy Paths for Gas
Good Mud Removal is a key factor in the Prevention of Gas
Migration
– Centralization
– Conditioning of mud to follow the
density and viscosity hierarchy
– Pipe movement during placement
– Displacement regime and rate
– Spacers/Pre-flushes
 No Path for Gas during cement setting
Ideal Slurry Properties minimize the gas migration during
cement setting
During Placement After Placement
– Appropriate Rheology for – Low Fluid Loss to avoid early
good mud/spacer removal gelation
– Short transition time from 100
– Zero Free Fluid (Inclined to 500 lb/100 ft2
Section) – Pore throat plugging materials
– Fluid Loss less than 50
mL/30 min
 Methods for Prevention
 Improvement of cement placement
practices
 Physical means
 Cement slurry optimization
 Low gel strength development slurries
 Short transition times from 100 to 500
lbf/100 ft2
 Special techniques
 Right Angle Set Cement
 Concept
– Slurry sets so rapidly, no time for gas to invade,
shorten transition period
 Methods
– Accelerated hydration kinetics
 Disadvantage
– Difficult to accomplish < 120 degC (250 degF)
 Competitors Systems
– Gas Stop
 Right Angle Set Cement

100

Gelified
Slurry
Bc Units

50

RAS
Slurry

Time
Gas Flow Analyzer

Piston Displacement Leak-Off Volume

Hydrostatic Pressure
= 700 psi

P
Fluid loss grid Slurry
Slurry Pressure

Heating jacket

Gas Pressure = 200 psi

GasFlowrate
Successful Test – No Gas Migration
Failed Test – Gas Migrated
Squeeze Cementing
 Definition
packer

 Injection of Cement Slurry tubing

FORMATION
 Perforations, Casing Leak, casing
DEHYDRATED
CEMENT
cement
 Channels slurry

 Below or above fracture

PRIMARY
pressure cement
CEMENT
nodes
CHANNEL BEHIND
CASING
 Applications
 Primary cement job repair
 Zonal Isolation
 Zone Abandonment
 Casing Leaks
 Lost Circulation
 Basic Concept
 Filtration Process
FORMATION
– Differential pressure applied casing PRIMARY
CEMENT

– Porous medium
DEHYDRATED
CEMENT

– Filter cake deposition cement

nodes
Effect of Fluid Loss Control

Completely bridged casing

Partially bridged casing

Completely filled perforations

Partially filled perforations

 Squeeze Techniques

Squeeze Techniques

Placement Pumping Application

Low Pressure High Pressure Running Hesitation Bradenhead Squeeze Tools

 LP Squeeze
 Applications

 Squeeze pressure below fracture

 Small slurry volumes

 Special precautions
 HP Squeeze
 Applications

 Squeeze pressure above fracture

 Large slurry volumes

 Special precautions
 Running Squeeze
 Continuous pumping

 Final squeeze
pressure attained

 Large slurry volumes

 Low or high pressure squeeze

 Running Squeeze
 Continuous pumping

 Final squeeze
pressure attained

Pressure ( psi )
 Large slurry volumes

 Low or high pressure

squeeze Time (min..)
 Hesitation Squeeze
 Intermittent pumping

 Low pump-rates

 High initial leak-off

 Small slurry volumes

 Long job times

 Hesitation Squeeze
 Intermittent pumping

Pressure (psi)
 Low pumprates

B C D
 High initial leak-off

A
 Small slurry volumes

 Long job times Time (min..)

 Bradenhead Squeeze
BOP
 Poor boy squeeze

 No downhole tools
50'

CEMENT
 Exposed casing and
wellhead 10' Sand

BRIDGE PLUG

 Job procedure
 Squeeze Tool Technique
 Retrievable tools
 Positrieve Packer
 Hurricane Packer
 Shorty Squeeze Tool
 RBP
 Drillable tools
 Cement Retainer
 Drillable Bridge Plug
 Packer with tailpipe Squeeze
 Downhole Isolation tool
Packer
– Casing and wellhead
Tail Pipe
protection
– Tailpipe for placement
CEMENT
– Long intervals
– Multiple setting of packer
 Packer without tailpipe Squeeze
 Downhole Isolation tool

 Casing and wellhead

protection Packer

CEMENT

 Short intervals

 No tailpipe

 Suicide squeeze
 Cement Retainer Squeeze

 Drillable Isolation Tool

 Similar to packer without

tailpipe
CEMENT
RETAINER

CEMENT
 Applications
10' Sand

 Squeeze pressure trapped BRIDGE PLUG

 Job Procedure
 CT Squeeze
 Applications
 Producing wells
 Through tubing
 Advantages
 Cost
 Accurate placement
 Critical slurry design

 Job procedure
Thank You