Mud Removal

Module CMT 018

26-Jun-00
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Objectives of Primary
Cementation
Provide complete isolation of zones

(Hydraulic Bond)
To support the casing

(Shear Bond)
Protect casing string

Mud Removal
Most important aspect of cement job
A three step process before cementing

Hole cleaning
Conditioning the drilling fluid
Displace the drilling fluid from the
annulus

Mud Removal

Hole Cleaning
Controlled & optimized mud properties
Wiper trips
> 95% Total hole volume in circulation
Caliper log
Conditioning Mud
Break gel strength
Lower ty + pv
Drill solids < 6%
Determine MPG to find qmin for all-around flow
Displace Mud from Annulus
Optimized slurry placement ---> CemCADE
Casing centralization optimized (STO > 75%)
Casing movement

Criteria for Effective Mud

Removal
Cementing Operation:

Centralize casing
Casing movement
Scratchers
Wiper plugs
Washes and spacers
Flow regime selection

The Ideal Wellbore Casing

BHST at top of
cement
>BHCT at TD

Annular gap

Minimum: 3/4
Ideal: 1 1/2

Properly conditioned
hole and mud
No sloughing

Gauge
diameter

NO LOSSES

Uniform as possible
( no washouts or restrictions)

NO FLOW

Casing centered in borehole

Thin, impermeable mud filter cake

(not gelled or unconsolidated)

Accurate BHST and BHCT

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

Influence of the Casing

Stand-Off

Di
Do

Vnar

Vwide

Newtonian Fluid - Effect of

STO

The Effect of the Casing Stand-Off on the Annular

Flow is Qualitatively Equivalent to the Following Flow
Pattern
Q

D2

D1
L

P
L
V2

V1

Laminar Flow in Eccentric

Annulus
Non-parallel plate model Ri/Ro = 0.8
1000
500

Vwide /
Vnarrow

n = 1.0
n = 0.5
n = 0.2

100
50

10
5

17

10

20

30

40

50

Stand-off %

60

70

80

90

100

Turbulent Flow in Eccentric

Annulus
1000
500

Vwide /
Vnarrow
100
50

n = 1.0
n = 0.5
n = 0.2

10
5

10

20

30

40

50

60

API Stand - Off (%)

19

70

80

90

100

Casing Centralization
Relative Variation of flow rate ratio as a function of eccentricity
18

RH

16

FLOW RATE RATIO

14

RC

12
10

8
6

% Stand-off =

w
RH - R C

X 100

2
0

20

20

40
60
API % STAND-OFF

80

100

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:

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Solid body - no bows

Use: as per rigid type

Bow Spring Centralisers

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Weatherford Spiragliders

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Reciprocation

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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

DANGER : 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

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Fluids Incompatibility
Results In:

Detrimental Interface Reactions

High Rheological Properties

Change in Cement Slurry Properties

Very high viscosities

Very high gel strengths
Thickening time altered
Increase in fluid loss
Reduction in compressive strength

Reduction in Hydraulic Bond

Prevented By:

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Wiper Plugs
Chemical Washes
Spacers
Compatibility Testing

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

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Separate cement from displacing fluid

Positive indication of end of displacement

Weatherford Non-Rotating
Plugs

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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

shoetrack if not removed ahead of the top plug.

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EXAMPLE: 9 5/8 47 lb/ft 10000 feet, collar at 9820

feet

Volume of 1/16 film?

Height corresponding to this volume?

Turbulent Flow
Displacement
Preferred and best flow regime

Critical rate depends on:

Fluid rheologies
Casing stand-off
Annular gap, casing OD and bit size
Formation fracture gradient

Use Chemical Wash and/or Mudpush XT/S spacers:

10 Min. Contact time or 750 ft (use greater volume))

Spacer density to be close to that of mud

Optimize cement slurry properties:

Minimum PV and TY without settling

Fluid loss and free water controlled

Water wet the casing and formation

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Effective Laminar Flow

Alternative flow regime when Turbulent flow is not

possible
Four criteria must be satisfied:

DENSITY DIFFERENTIAL (10%)

MINIMUM PRESSURE GRADIENT (MPG)
FRICTION PRESSURE HIERARCHY (20%)
DIFFERENTIAL VELOCITY CRITERION

Viscous spacer: Mudpush XL/XLO

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Viscosity adjustable (Change D149 concentration)

Volume to use: 500 ft or 60 bbls
Use 20 - 40 bbls chemical wash
Condition and clean mud
Viscosify cement slurry when necessary

Chemical Washes
Water based fluids, low viscosity, density of water
Easy to pump in turbulent flow
CW7 for intermediate casings, water based muds

41.5 gals water, 0.5 gals D122A

CW100 for production casings, water based muds

41.25 gals water, 0.5 gals D122A, 0.25 gals J237

CW8 for intermediate casings, oil based muds

41.25 gals water, 0.5 gals D122A, 0.25 gals F40 last

CW101 for production casings, oil based muds

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41 gals water, 0.5 gals D122A, 0.25 gals J237, 0.25 gals
F40

Family of Spacers
MUDPUSH XT

Turbulent spacer for water based muds

MUDPUSH XS

Turbulent flow spacer for water based muds in

saline (Salt) environments

MUDPUSH XL

Effective laminar flow spacer for water based muds

MUDPUSH XTO, XSO, XLO also exist

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Applications are same as above but in OIL BASED

MUDS.

Required Properties of
Spacers
Compatible with all other well fluids
Stability (good suspending capacity)
Controllable density and rheology
Good fluid loss control
Environmentally safe and easy to handle in the

field

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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 preflushes used?
The following data must be recorded on the PRISM:

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.

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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 CemCADE:

Turbulent flow preferred, or

Effective laminar flow technique

Use chemical wash pre-flushes

Control Mudpush spacer/cement slurry properties:

batch mix
Compatibility mud/cement/spacer : lab/field test

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