Lightweight Cements

Foam Cement

Foam cement is a fine dispersion of gas in a

cement slurry which contains a foaming
surfactant and foam stabilizer

Foam Cement

Current Applications

Oil and Gas Wells

Lost Circulation While Drilling
Primary Jobs Only
History of Lost Circulation in an Area
Long Column Single Stage Jobs

Future Application

Offshore
Deep Water
Geothermal Wells
Remedial Cementing

Conventional Extended Cements

Density > 8.5 ppg

Normally Extended to 11 - 12 ppg

Low Compressive Strength

High Permeability

Ultralow Density Cements

Microspheres (LW-6, LW-7-2, LW-7-4)

Density 8 - 12 ppg
4 to 10 Times More Expensive than Conventional
Slurries
Collapse Strength 2,000 - 7,000 psi
Requires Special Care when Mixing and Blending

Foam Cements

Density 6 - 11 ppg
Easier to Mix and Design than Microspheres
Higher Compressive Strength
Less Damaging to Water-Sensitive Formations
Can Reduce Annular Gas Flow

Advantages of Foam Cement

Over Conventional Lightweight Slurries

Densities Less than 8 ppg Possible

Higher Compressive Strength

Lower Fluid Loss

Compatible with All Cement Additives

Better Thermal Insulating Abilities

Less Expensive (Microspheres)

Foam Quality
Is the ratio between the volume occupied by
the gas and the total volume of the foam,
expressed as a percentage.

Characterizes Foams:
Concentrated Foam - Mostly Gas with Thin
Film Separating Bubbles (> 80% Quality)
Dilute Foam - Spherical Bubbles Separated By
Viscous Film (Normally <50% Quality)
Foam Cements are in this group.

Consideration when Using Air to

Foam Cement

Compression is Different

Oxygen is more Soluble than Nitrogen

Will Increase Potential for Corrosion of the

Casing

May Be More Convenient

Foam Densities

Base Slurries - Density Selection Dependent on

Final Slurry Property Requirements
Normal Water 14.7 to 16.5 ppg Depending on
Cement Class - Require High Gas Volume
Higher Compressive Strength
Lower Permeability

Extended Slurries - Requires Lower Gas Volume

Lower Compressive Strength
Higher Permeability

Normal Density Differential 5.0 ppg

Foam Densities 7 to 12 ppg

Compressive Strength 500 - 1200 psi

Foam Properties Approximate Conventional

Extended Slurries 2 - 3 ppg Heavier

Foam Stability

Unstable Foam Slurries

Nonspherical, Interconnected Pore Structure

Large Gas Pockets
Low Compressive Strength
High Permeability
Decrease Bonding Properties

Stable Foam Slurries

Spherical, Discrete, Disconnected Pore Structure

Well Defined Inner Structure
Higher Compressive Strength
Lower Permeability

Foam Cement Rheologies

Rotational Viscometers are not Suitable

Foams are Shear-History-Dependent
Flow is Never Steady State
Continual Deformation and Restoration of Bubbles

Dynamic Foams Behaves Like a Pseudoplastic

More Viscous than Gas or Liquid Phases
Apparent Viscosity - Decreases with Increased Shear
Rate and Temperature

Static Foams Develop Gel Strength

Gels Increase With Increased Quality
Crowding of Bubbles Foam Structure

Foam Cement Design Aspects

Laboratory Design
Ensure Cement Performance

Pre-Job Planning
Computer Generated Recommendation
Foam Schedule Generation

Proper Execution
Metering Foaming Agent
Controlling Foam Quality

Laboratory Testing

Stability
Use Modified Settling Tube

Compressive Strength
Modified Sealed Molds
Tested at BHT and Atm. Pressure

Thickening Time
Base Slurry with Foamer, Stabilizer and Additives

Fluid Loss
Difficult to Reproduce
Normally Lower

Rheologies
Normally Not Measured

Design Parameters

Wellbore Pressure
Density of all Wellbore Fluids

Mud
Preflush
Cap
Foamed Cement

Fracture Gradient
Hole Caliper
Calculations
Hydrostatic Pressure
Compressibility Laws for Nitrogen
Nitrogen Solubility in the Base Slurry

Foam Calculations

Nomenclature
HH - Hydrostatic Pressure, psi (Pressure on the
Increment)

T - Temperature at Increment, F
ND - Nitrogen Density, ppg (from Table 1)
PFCD - Prefoamed Cement Density, ppg
FCD - Foamed Cement Density, ppg
CY - Composite Yield (N2 + Slurry Yield), BBLS
NVF - Nitrogen Volume Factor, SCF/BBL of Space
(from Table 2)

NCR - Nitrogen to Cement Ratio, SCF/BBL of Cement

Wellbore Diagram

1000
2000

Mud (9.0 ppg)

Cement Cap (15.8 ppg)

2500
4000 of Foam Cement Broken
Down into 20 (200) Increments
each Having a Density
of 8.5 ppg
6500
Tail Cement (15.8 ppg)
7000

Example Calculations for One

Increment

HH = 1347 psi
2000 x 9.0ppg x 0.052 =
936 psi
500 x 15.8ppg x 0.052 =
410.8 psi
936 + 410.8 =1347 psi

Temp. = 117F
(2500/100) x 1.5 + 80 =
117F

ND = 0.802 ppg
Extrapolated from Table 1
(at HH & T)

PFCD = 15.8 ppg

FCD = 8.5 ppg
CY = 1.948
(15.8 - 0.802) / (8.5 - 0.802)
= 1.948

NVF = 459 scf/BBL

Extrapolated from Table 2
(at HH & T)

NCR = 435 scf/BBL of Cmt.

459 x (1.948 - 1) = 435

Foam Generator T
Unfoamed
Cement
Slurry

Holes (Atomizes Nitrogen

Uniformly into Cement Slurry)

Foamed
Cement
Slurry

Nitrogen
Inlet

Requires 2500 psi Back-Pressure

Generates Stable, Uniform Foam in 4 of 2.5 Pipe

Convention Nitrogen Layout

Bulk Truck

Cement Pump

Foamer Injection
& Metering Unit

N2 Pump

Foam Tee

Batch Mixer

Check Valve
Bypass Line

Choke,
Pits

WellHead

Automated Foam Cement System

(AFCS)
Primarily for Offshore Application
First System Tested in Qatar for Mobil
Based on Cement Slurry Rate,
System Automatically Monitors and Control:
Nitrogen Rate
Foamer Additive
Stabilizer Additive (Optional)

High Pressure (5600 psi) Mass Flowmeter

Accurately Measures Rate in SCFM
Master Control Box Provides Automatic and Manual
Operation
Adaptable to any Nitrogen Unit with Hydraulic Drive

Liquid Additive System with AFS

Hydraulically Driven Positive

Displacement Pump
Mass Flowmeters for Accurate Metering
of Additives
Additives Injected into Pacemaker Pump
Suction Manifold
Ball and Check Valves Isolate Additive
Lines

AFS - Monitor and Control Equipment

MCM-1008 - Monitors and Controls Nitrogen and Liquid

Additive Rates:
Ratio Mode - Ratios Nitrogen (SCFM/BBL) and Additives
(Gal/Sack) to Base Slurry Rate
Flow Mode - Constant Rate (Operator Input)
Ramp Mode - Variable Ratio to Stage Endpoint
Up to 50 Stages Can be Programmed to Individual Set Points and
Stage Volumes

Existing ADC Module Controls Cement Density

Existing 3305 Monitors Cement Density and Rate
3600 Monitor Records All Job Parameters

Receives Nitrogen and Additive Info. from MCM-1008

Receives Cement Rate and Density from 3305
D/H Pressure Input Directly to 3600
Can Output Directly to Computer for Real Time Application

Additional Equipment Requirements

RAM Cement Unit w / ADC-II Control

Modify to Add Magnetic Flowmeter

Nitrogen Unit w /Hydrostatic Transmission

(Hydraulically Driven)
Modify to Add Control Box, MCM-1008, HDC

Nitrogen Tank(s)
460V 3-Phase Power for HPU
110V 60Hz Power for Instrumentation

Other Potential Uses for

AFS

Automated Liquid Additive System Can Be

Used for any Liquid Additives
Automated Nitrogen System Can Be
Employed with:
Foamed Solvents
Foamed Acid
Any Application Where Nitrogen Rate Control
is Required

Automated Foam System Overview

MCM-1008 Unit

To Cement
Head
Relief Valve
(5600 psi)

Bleed
Valve
Foam Tee

Automated
Nitrogen Skid

Sampling
Valve

Mass
Flowmeter
Check
Valves

Job Monitor
w / 3600 &
MCM-1008
Remote

Automated Liquid
Additive System

Foamer Line

35-8-5 RAM Unit

with ADC-II

D/H Pressure
Transducer