Optimum ST Plugs

Setting effective side track plugs
Open and cased holes

Charles Ingold, Mikhail Popov
1- Abstract
2- Background
3- Main reasons for side track plug failures
4- Side track plugs history
5- Modern challenges in setting Side track plugs
6- The questions to ask before setting a side track plug
7- Cement evolution
8- Side tracks plugs with DPs and tubings
9- Side tracks plugs with special tools
10- Various procedures to set a cement plug
11- Procedures to initiate a side track
12- Field examples and writing reports
13- Other cement plug considerations
14- Tricks, tips and economics
15- Cased holes applications
16- Surface equipment and field specific problems
17- Conclusions
18- Epilog (Specific Schlumberger techniques)
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This information is CONFIDENTIAL and must not be copied in whole or any part and should be filed
accordingly by the addressee. It must not be shown to or discussed with anyone outside the
SCHLUMBERGER organization.
Setting effective sidetrack plugs
C. Ingold, M. Popov
1- Abstract:
Setting cement plugs to abandon a well or cure losses is usually simple. Setting a side track
plug to kick off or to get away from a casing is more difficult. Modern drilling patterns often require
higher quality plugs especially in hard formations. No cement can match the compressive strength of
the hardest formations. New cementing blends allow compressive strengths unthinkable 15 years ago
but require more planning and preparation.
Nothing should be left to improvisation even though creativity may be needed with limited
local resources.
This document is a recap of most techniques associated with side track plugs and comes in
addition to two other papers (Soft science of Side track part 1 and 2).
We are indebted to people from different Schlumberger segments who have contributed. This
paper should help rig supervisors, cementers and directional drillers what to recommend and when.
Side track plugs can be improved both on surface (procedures, equipment, blends) and
downhole (placement tools and procedures)
.
2- Background:
When side tracks are unplanned unbudgeted events, clients just want to get back to drilling
quickly and tend to take short cuts. Spending 6 hours extra time or 50000 dollars for an extra product
is a fraction of the cost implications of a plug failure.
When looking at older manuals, one can realize the changes that have occurred. There is a
wider variety of hole sizes and more than three sizes of DP. Profiles are more challenging and plugs
may be set at high inclinations. Setting good side track plugs in oil base mud, in hot holes and hard
formations is difficult. Cement placement, running in and out safely or leaving chunks of cement in
the drill string (MWD jamming) require special attention. Clients expect to use one BHA and one bit
to drill an entire phase where applicable. Setting a cement plug may therefore be more complex.
Good procedures and execution do not mean success when excessive rig time is needed. A
side track requiring an extra trip to run an aggressive deflection technique is a partial failure.
When a cement plug is softer than the formation (99% of cases), the success of the operation
relies on the directional driller’s shoulder. The deal is to define how soft is “too soft”.
The best plugs can reach over 10000 PSI compressive strength versus 19000 PSI and above for
a “quartz based sandstone”. Sidetracking is very easy when the cement is harder than the formation.
Rock compressive strength is hard to evaluate. In practice, the drillability of the cement versus
the formation is what you go by.
In most cases, the directional driller rarely knows the plug quality when picking up the BHA.
In the past, when a plug was dressed with a slick BHA there were more options. Clients should
therefore spare no effort to allocate the right resources to do it right the first time.
Note: Any bit will drill cement. Cement can be drilled by any drilling mechanism (crushing, hitting, digging, scrapping
etc...). On the other hand a diamond bit may drill cement but will ball up on a plastic formation. Models to determine rock
compressive strength exist but would be hard to apply (in one case, a drill bit, an estimate of rock ductility of a particular
subterranean formation in conjunction with WOB, RPM, and ROPis used as input. US Patent 4914591).
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3- Main reasons for side track plugs failures:

Defining a failure is controversial. A cement plug 5 times softer than a formation may be good
enough with an aggressive deflection technique. A good side track plug may become brittle allowing
chunks falling in, resulting in stuck pipe.
A plug can be contaminated from the bottom, the top and the side. Oil contained in the mud
cake and the formation may migrate and will ruin the cement. There are cases where a cement plug
(set in oil base mud) is acceptable inside casing and very soft in the “open hole” section below.
Generally speaking, the main reasons for failure are contamination and inadequate procedures.
A plug may fail when cement sets prematurely, because of fluid displacement, slippage or excessive
ECD while circulating. The team effort (drilling engineer, cementer, directional driller) is also a
factor. Finally, reports found in “In Touch” rarely describe failures and do not describe the job from
all sides i.e. cementing and directional drilling.
Note: Available statistics are hard to interpret when dealing with plug failures. The use of plug catcher
and the software named “plug advisor” have helped reduce the failure rate.
Extreme conditions such as performing a side track at 25000 ft in hard rock are bound to be
difficult even though the operation is flawless. The common denominators for failures seem to be
deep holes, oil base mud and plugs set off bottom.
Note: A plug good enough when side tracking with a motor may be inadequate with a modern
rotary steerable. A motor set on a high bend will get off in a shorter distance than a rotary steerable.
Cased holes:
Cement plug failures may be identical in the case of section milled windows. A motor can kick
off from a shorter section than modern rotary steerables. Consequently if a motor has to be used first it
means an extra trip. In the case of a whipstock, the quality of the cement bond is of prime importance
as “casing tracking” may happen. A high quality cement plug set as a remedial action will be very
important and will present its own challenges.
A cement plug set inside casing and on top of a plug should not be subjected to slippage. A
cement plug set to fix casing tracking below a whipstock should also be less susceptible to slippage.
On the other hand, a side track performed from or inside a casing is more limited in space. It is
usually a one shot option. The cost of a failure will be felt immediately resulting in downtime.
A high quality cement plug across a section milled window is more important when a rotary
steerable is used as a deflection tool.
Notes:
A superior cement plug may be a key selling point for clients wishing to drill an entire phase with
a single BHA.
Section milled window are longer when rotary steerables are used (about 40 ft for motors and 60
to 80 ft with rotary steerables).
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4- Side track plugs history

In the 80’s, side tracks were mostly performed with motors and bent subs. This technique
required a minimum of three trips in the best case scenario. A “bent sub motor” cannot be rotated.
BHA description with Motor and bent subs (80’s):

- One slick BHA was used to dress off the cement and evaluate drillability
- One run with a motor and bent sub (sometimes with a very aggressive bent sub)
- One or several runs with a rotary BHA to drill ahead
BHA description with Steerable motors (90’s): (The “one trip culture”)
With steerable motors, clients would not dress off cement plugs and the DD was often tempted
to run the highest possible bend. In practice instead of running a 1.5 bend, a 1.83 bend would be run.
A 1.83 bend on a 6 ¾ motor can be rotated but the wear and tear on radial bearing is higher.
Note: In those cases where the side track did not succeed, the directional driller still had the possibility
to run a sharper bend which would bring back the number of trips to a minimum of three.
BHA description with Rotary Steerables (late 90’s):

With Rotary steerables, the “one trip” culture continues. Current Rotary steerables do not have
DLS capability as high as motors. As long as a plug is reasonably good and long enough, it is always
possible to run a high bend motor and pull it back out once side track is achieved.
The ultimate goal is to drill the well or the phase with a single bit and BHA. In a nutshell,
it is ironic to see modern drilling tools may require better cement plugs quality than before.
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Old side track manuals:

Long ago, books stated the addition of sand allowed obtaining harder side track plugs.
On a DD Manual written in the 80s some of the following were found:
- Usually the cement slurry is preceded with an equal amount of salt water to minimize contamination.
- Displace cement with open ended DP. If hole size is 8 ½ or smaller, it is recommended to use tail
pipe (tubing) with a length equivalent to the cement plug height.
- Plug compressive strength should be 5000 PSI
- Avoid the addition of sand as this decreases the compressive strength.
- Use densified slurry higher than 16 ppg
- For wells above 300 deg F. 35 % of silica flour should be added instead of densified slurry!
Comments:
- The use of salt water to minimize contamination is simply not applicable with several mud systems.
Note: Cement can affect polymer mud systems and can induce flocculation on some water base muds.
Cement is a mixture of calcium aluminates and silicates made by combining lime and clay while
heating. Slaked cement contains about 62.5% calcium hydroxide which normally raises mud PH.
- Running 3 ½ DP in an 8 ½ hole is acceptable but 5 7/8 DP is not a good idea even in a 12 ¼ hole.
In addition to that, running open ended DP is dangerous on a deviated well with sharp DLS. The DP
could end up being plugged before reaching bottom. Also open ended DP tends to initiate channels as
opposed to a DV tool. The length of the tail pipe should be longer than the plug.
- 5000 PSI compressive strength is not needed everywhere. Nowadays 6000 PSI compressive
strength (a good value 15 years ago) can be obtained without pumping 17.5 ppg cement.
Note: 17.5 ppg used to be the limit except when hematite was used with a jet hopper system.
- 10000 PSI plugs can be designed for difficult cases.
- While strength retrogression is a serious problem on hot holes, cement silica will not eliminate the
need for heavy slurrys. Currently, a cement system with 35 % silica can be engineered based on
CemCRETE principle to develop compressive strength as high as 10000 PSI. CemCRETE systems
will be described in this paper.
Today, 4500 PSI compressive strength can be obtained in 24 hours with a slurry density of 14.5 ppg.
Modern equipment including batch mixing allows very high density with higher compressive strength.
There are better types of spacers and washs. These are especially important in oil base mud, at high
angles and whenever the difference in weight between cement and mud is low. Schlumberger
WELLCLEAN II engineering solution offers a portfolio of specialized products, software and lab
testing procedures to optimize mud removal and minimize contamination of slurry.
Placement techniques have improved. The use of sponges or darts to avoid leaving cement
traces in the pipe (MWD jamming) is quite common.
Setting a high quality plug in oil base mud off bottom at high inclination is still a challenge.
Cement plug have improved through measures such as:

- Optimized particle distribution systems (CemCRETE)
- Optimized particles distribution systems with metallic micro ribbon technology (DuraSTONE)
- Placement techniques and tools
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5- Modern challenge in setting side track plugs:
A document by IPM (Ref IPM-PR-WCI-006) recommends some of the following:

All plugs should be balanced. In practice, it is recommended to slightly under displace.
Cementing aids such as U-tubing control tool or the plug placement tool should be considered.
Cement should be batch mixed where possible.
Mud contamination is the main reason for plug failure. A spacer should be used ahead and behind.
The spacer weight should be between the mud and the cement slurry. The respective spacer volumes
should be calculated so that the hydrostatic pressure balance is not affected.
The use of a diverter sub or perforated stinger should be considered as opposed to open ended DP.
If the workstring is 4 ½ or larger, a tailpipe (2 7/8 or 3 ½) with small upset tool joints should be used
to minimize disturbance while pulling out.
Length of tail pipe should be 1.5 the length of the cement plug.
The DP may be rotated during cement placement but avoided until the pipe is pulled above the plug.
For off-bottom plugs unsupported by a bridge plug, the placement may be uncertain.
Consider spotting viscous fluid (viscous mud or bentonite pill) below the plug in the following
situations:
- Density difference between the mud and the cement is substantial (more than 2 ppg)
- Hole is deviated
- Hole size is large
Reverse circulating in open holes should only be considered after evaluation of the ECD.
Cased hole plugs that are not supported by a verified bridge plug or similar device should be
verified by pressure testing or by tagging a minimum of 20000 lbs. The test pressure should be above
the differential leakoff value below the plug without exceeding 80 % of the casing burst pressure.
Note: Setting a plug above heavy mud is good to minimize slippage but channeling of cement through
the mud is possible. On the other hand, a heavy cement plug in light mud may not channel but may be
prone to slippage.
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6- Operational considerations:
The 10 questions to ask before setting a side track plug
1. Is there a risk of losses or fracture into the formation
2. Is the plug to be set far away from bottom?

Is it necessary to save as much hole as possible?
3. Is the plug to be set at a drift angle above 65 degrees?
4. Is the formation very hard?

Can the hole geometry be used to help sidetracking?
5. Is it oil base mud or synthetic mud?
6. Is the hole size known?
7. Is the mud weight high or higher than the cement?
8. Is the formation closing in or caving in?
9. What are the tools available?
10.Has the plug design been placed before in the same field?
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Question # 1: Is there a risk of losses or fracture into the formation?

Setting a plug in a light mud weight may induce losses, fracture and ultimately plug slippage.
It serves no purpose to inject massive amount of cement into the formation.
Losses or slippage may happen while placing the plug or during circulation
Example: A 500 ft column of cement in an 8 ½ hole represents about 35 bls. If the mud weight in the
hole is 9 ppg and the cement weights 17 ppg, the difference in hydrostatic alone is over 200 PSI.
While excess cement is circulated out, additional pressure will be applied. Reverse circulation may not
be applicable. But for some extreme cases (5 ½ DP in 8 ½ hole), pressure drop in the string is higher
than pressure drop in the annulus. Generally, the driller and the mud logger monitor pit level and trip
tank while tripping or drilling. They may not know the exact quantity of spacer and cement pumped.
After circulating the well, the trip tank will be filled and the pit level will be reset. By that time, losses
may have ceased. The difference in hydrostatic plus the ECD may cause losses and slippage.
EX: If as little as 8 bls of fluid (22% of 35 bls) are lost to the formation, it represents over 100 ft
translating in an apparent 100 ft of slippage. Knowing the first 200 ft of cement are often
contaminated (especially with oil base mud) it means over half of the plug is lost.
Other tools:
To improve cement placement, the use of tubing will allow less disturbance on the plug while
pulling out. On a deviated well, there is always the risk of plugging the pipe while running in. It is
therefore necessary to avoid open ended tubing or DP. Common tools run are illustrated below.
Plug slippage or loss circulation feared?

Plug slippage or losses can be minimized through various measures. The setting of a light
cement plug across a lower permeable zone or the use of tools such as “parabow” may help.
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Question # 2: Is the plug to be set far away from bottom?

Setting a plug far from bottom may be hard. There may be partial losses and plug slippage. In
case of oil base mud, contamination is bound to be worse.
Practical experience has showed repeatedly the difficulty in obtaining a good uncontaminated
cement plug in oil base mud. Setting a long cement plug (600 ft plus) may not be a solution if losses
are experienced. Washers or spacers sent ahead may help in maintaining the required hydrostatic. On
operations where the window between losses and influx is small, this is a serious consideration.
Special tools such as the “Parabow”, the setting of a light cement plug or barite plugs may
alleviate plug slippage.
The parabow tool is usable in holes ranging from 6” to 20”. It utilizes

umbrella shaped membranes that conform to hole irregularities to stop
the movement of heavier cements through lighter fluids.
Is it necessary to save a much hole as possible?

. A cement plug may be needed both to perform a side track and for isolation purposes.
The main question is to factor the time it will take to get to the same point. In a very hard formation,
there is a great economic advantage in loosing as little hole as possible hence the need to set a high
quality plug as deep as possible.
On the other hand, setting a side track plug across a soft formation will make it easier but will
lengthen the drilling process (assuming no problems are experienced setting plug off bottom).
Other considerations:
A spot with a high DLS far from bottom may be preferred by the directional driller. This
option may be left as a contingency plan.
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Question # 3: Is the plug to be set at a drift angle above 65 degrees?

While performing an open hole sidetrack (no cement) at high inclination is easier, the same is
not true for a cement plug. At 90 degrees it may prove impossible. The risks of channels are great
hence perfect isolation may not be achieved. In the case of a side track plug set at the end of a landing
section, setting a long plug from 90 to 60 degrees of drift should help fill all voids.
Should isolation be a concern, there is the possibility of placing an inflatable packer (filled
with or without cement) and set the plug above. At high inclination, a long cement plug should have
minimal hydrostatic effect).
Question # 4: Is the formation very hard?

The ability to side track may depend on three factors:
- The cement plug compressive strength
- The formation compressive strength
- The direction chosen (the lines of dip may impede the side track process)
In a hard formation, a plug with high compressive strength is needed. If the well is vertical
with no DLS, side track plug needs to be even harder. 19.4 ppg plugs with compressive strength
exceeding 10000 PSI and high resistance to impact have been pumped. The optimized particle size
distribution system (OPSD) allows very high density. The impact resistance is enhanced by adding
metallic micro ribbon particles. The cement will be less prone to break up with chunks falling in and
getting the pipe stuck.
The ability to drill a formation (Drillability) is not the same as compressive strength but they
are related. A plug with 5000 PSI compressive strength (from lab tests) three times softer than the
formation may be drillable at an ROP 4 times higher. Isolation may be fine but it may be too soft.
The directional driller may not know the compressive strength of the formation or that of the
cement. He/she looks at the ROP (drillability) with a given set of parameters.
In reality, providing the cement plug is homogenous and long enough, an aggressive deflection
technique should allow the side track to succeed.
The absolute minimum any directional driller would require to side track on the average job is
a cement plug that can sustain tagging 20000 pounds WOB with pumps on. In case a motor is used,
tagging with weight alone may not give a good indication of plug worthiness except on top holes.
In the past, a plug drilled at 36 FPH (5 min for 3 ft) was considered good in medium hard formations:
- 5 minutes for 3 feet with a classic tricone with light WOB, 60 RPM on a slick BHA
This rule is still good on simple jobs. Side track plugs rarely get evaluated with slick BHAs
and tricone bits. Against a formation that drills at 2 FPH, a “36 FPH” cement plug is still very soft.
Clients tend to expect the directional driller to attempt anyway.
Note: Ideally, the directional driller needs to know whether an aggressive technique is needed
before running in. This is critical on a deep hole where trip time is significant.
On a vertical hole, gravity and hole geometry are of no help. The cement needs to be A1.
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Question # 5: Is it oil base mud or synthetic mud?

Often, cement quality in oil base mud is inconsistent. The deflection technique selected may
be fine for the usual case but inadequate for your situation.
Setting cement plugs in oil base mud is often a challenge and specially when performed off
bottom. Experience has showed repeatedly a better cement bond was obtained inside casing rather
than in open hole (plug set in open hole and inside casing). There may be several factors such as:
- Ability to clean a casing versus an open hole
- Slippage occurring in open hole would likely result in greater contamination than in casing
- Fluid movement happening in open hole
- Incomplete mud removal or channels in open hole
- Unknown OH size (no caliper)
Obviously, anyone would much rather know immediately whether a second cement plug is
needed rather than go through the entire side track process. On a deep hole, over 48 hours could be
lost from the time the side track is declared a failure to the time the second side track is attempted.
It may be smarter to loose 5 hours or less to set a light plug to offer a solid base. A light
cement plug is set for isolation purposes thus offering a better base for a high density plug.
Example:
Slippage and losses are feared and cement plug is to be set off bottom in oil base mud
A light cement plug (say 14.5 ppg) should be set with the objective of covering 300 ft of hole
below the side track plug. After waiting for the setting time, hole should be circulated at the top of the
cement plug. The plug should not be tagged with the stinger or open ended DP without light
circulation as the tail pipe could get plugged or stuck.
Lighter cement should also be less prone to slippage. This procedure may allow to determine
whether slippage is happenening.
With the help of the mud loggers, such a procedure would help determining hole diameter and
adjust accordingly the slurry volume of the second plug. There would be two chances to do so, upon
completing the cement plug and when circulating above the calculated top.
Everything is linked. Slippage will cause contamination as surely as insufficient mud removal.
The following will minimize both.
- Use of non reactive “wash” or “spacers”
- Use of a “Parabow” or equivalent. This should impede plug slippage.
Note: There is also the possibility to set a light cement plug, a chemical plug or a barite plug as
described in section 13.
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Question # 6: Is the hole size known?

The hole size is bound to be large in any unconsolidated formation or spot prone to wash out.
In addition to slippage and contamination, there could be nothing left if the hole size has not been
evaluated properly.
A 500 ft column of cement in an 8 ½ hole would shrink to 360 ft in a 10 inches hole size. Slippage and
contamination could leave nothing. In such a case, the little amount of plug left would be best used as
a base for the next plug.
There are LWD tools that can measure hole diameter. Unfortunately, unless the well is logged
just before setting the plug, a caliper produced on a well opened for a week may be useless.
The mud loggers can calculate with the lag time an average hole diameter.
If hole diameter is larger than the original size, three lines of action can be taken:
- Check previous records of other wells in the area
- Consider pumping a lighter plug to determine hole diameter as described previously
- Pump excess cement
Note: The use of a plug catcher will also make it easier.
Pumping a long plug can induce losses or a fracture. A risk analysis may be needed.
A longer spacer would allow minimizing hydrostatic pressure increase.
Setting a cement plug in a large hole may actually help the side track process.
Note: The bit would hit the formation with a more favorable angle. The mud logger may be reporting
longer than usual the ritual phrase: “100 % cement” sample on the shakers.
There are cases of clients underreaming a section to place a more effective cement plug.
Question # 7: Is the mud weight high or higher than the cement?

Setting a cement plug in a high mud weight (i.e. 19 ppg) is bound to be harder. The risks of
channeling will be greater but the risks of slippage will be reduced.
A long time ago, it was sometimes necessary to pump hematite in order for the cement to
match the mud weight used. Cement plugs were mixed with hematite at densities of 20 ppg.
Note: 20 ppg cement plugs with hematite did not seem to reach higher compressive strength in
the hole and took longer than 24 hours to reach decent hardness. Today cement systems such as
DensCRETE mixed at densities up to 24ppg can reach very high compressive strength in 24 hours.
A mud weight as high as the cement will be harder to remove. The use of a wash may be the
key point in removing the mud and avoiding channels. Ideally the mud weight below the cement plug
should be heavier than the cement to prevent slippage. In that respect, a barite plug as described in
section 13 may be a valid option.
A cement plug with a density barely higher than the mud would have little effect on the
hydrostatic. (A long cement plug should not be a problem and will also contribute to mud removal)
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Question # 8: Is the formation closing in or caving in?

A formation closing in may be a problem even for a cement plug. Outside the problems likely
to reoccur, a caving process once initiated may not stop like magic. It may be difficult to run the
stinger in the hole. If the stinger is difficult to run in, a bit and a BHA will require extensive reaming.
Displacement calculations will be altered and cement plug will not be homogenous. Setting the plug
higher up in the hole may be advisable.
Question # 9: What are the tools available?

In a place where tools such as plug catcher, sponge, parabow, stinger, DV tool and tubing are
available on short notice, chances for success will be improved. The optimum deflection technique
should also be available.
In a remote area, it may be necessary to use the resources available. Team effort is even more
important and the mud engineer may play a crucial role. Mud viscosity may be reduced to improve
placement. Viscous plugs or barite plugs can be prepared with standard mud products.
A poor boy DV tool can be built with a joint of DP or tubing. Even with limited resources,
proper planning should take place. Records and logs of other wells will be even more important.
Question # 10: Has the plug design been placed before in the same field?
In the past, once a plug was considered adequate, it was the directional driller’s responsibility
to succeed. Clients had a tendency to be very optimistic when evaluating side track plugs.
Nowadays, the directional driller does not have a chance to test the plug and therefore cannot
decide on the best tool to run.
When setting a cement plug, one can never disregard previous experience especially when
drilling contractor and service companies do the exact same thing.
On a given field, using the same rig and the same mud, a new cement plug design may not
work as planned. Identifying the reasons for past plug failures or side tracking problems is what
counts.
Note: A mediocre plug may be good enough with an aggressive deflection technique. The high
DLS caused may be a serious limitation when side track is shallow. High side forces and key
seats may be a problem.
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7- Cement evolution:
Cement evolution is very well described in SPE/IADC paper 79908. Included is a resume of
this paper. More information and graphs are displayed in the epilog.
Traditional cement slurry systems for sidetracks have been focused on the development of high
compressive strength through reduced water content. Conventional high compressive strength cement
systems exhibit low resistance to impact and low resistance to fracture propagation through the set
cement.
Many studies (mostly placement and tools) have been conducted to improve success rates of
open hole kickoff plugs. For a long time, less effort was directed toward optimizing the cement
systems utilized.
In areas with extremely hard formations, problems still exist with proper placement and
conventional slurry designs.
Recent developments in oil well cement system have incorporated a unique micro-ribbon
technology with an optimized particle size distribution to increase the durability, load bearing capacity
and resistance to fracture propagation of set cement.
New shock resistant cement - DuraSTONE technology:

A new shock resistant, high compressive strength cement has been developed specifically for
sidetracking operations that combines an optimized tri-modal particle size distribution with a
reinforced network of metallic micro-ribbons. These cement systems provide mechanical attributes
with superior performance to conventional systems:
- Ultra high compressive strengths
- Increased resistance to impact failure
- Increased load capacity following rupture
- Reduced ROP
Optimized Particle Size Distribution - CemCRETE technology:

Cement systems used in oil and gas wells are unique for a number of reasons such as
temperature, pressure, mixing and pumping. Traditionally, in order to design oilfield cement systems
that can be easily mixed and pumped, excess water (above hydration requirements) was added to
reduce rheologies.
Particle size distribution (PDS) has allowed some substantial reduction in the amount of fluid
required to develop a mixable cement system.
Conventional Class “G” cement systems mixed according to API standard at 15.8 ppg will
contain approximately 41% of solid material (solid volume fraction (SVF) of 41%).
Traditionally, the preferred method to increase the compressive strength of a cement plug was
to reduce the water content through the use of dispersants. For example, a 17 ppg class “G” would
contain about 49% solids.
By optimizing the size distribution of the particles in the blend, a substantial further increase in
the solids content or solids volume fraction (SVF) of oilfield slurries can be obtained. Slurries based
on this technology maintain an SVF of around 60%. (Graphs displayed in the epilog).
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Mechanical properties of cement with optimized particle size distribution:

This level of solids is independent of density for a range of 8 to 24 ppg. The increase in SVF of
these slurries has resulted in mechanical properties not seen before in oilfield systems.
These properties include:
- High compressive strength
- Low permeability
- Reduced bulk shrinkage
- Free water reduction
- Increased resistance to acid or brine attack.
Metallic Micro- Ribbon technology:

In some cases, high compressive strength is not sufficient to provide an efficient plug for side
tracking operations. The use of Metallic Micro ribbon technology provided some substantial
improvements in mechanical properties such as:
- Increased impact resistance
- Increased post-rupture load bearing capacity
- Reduced drilling rate of penetration (ROP)
In a nutshell:
The combination of optimized particle size distribution slurries with metallic micro-ribbon
technology has resulted in high compressive strengths and enhanced mechanical properties. Success
ratio in very hard formation has been increased as well as a significant reduction in the time (and the
cost) required to achieve side tracks for a major oil and gas operator in Abhu Dhabi.
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8- Side track plugs with DPs and tubings:
A cement plug can be placed with DP (for example 3 ½ DP in 12 ¼ hole) but it is best to use a
string of tubing to guarantee minimum plug disturbance while pulling out.
Generally speaking, cement plugs are set in plug flow for several reasons:
- Inability to obtain turbulent flow between tubing and an open hole several times larger.
- Accuracy required during displacement requires extra care especially on small volumes.
- If turbulent flow was possible, it would create high ECD especially with a tapered drill string.
Note: If 5 ½ and 3 ½ DP were used in an 8 ½ hole (not recommended) the pumping rate may cause fracturing.
At high inclination there are several more problems to deal with. Pipe centralization will not
be optimal and it is best to have the smallest possible size. In the case of drilling mud, the effect of
yield value is negligible at inclinations above 55 degrees. The effect of turbulent flow and pipe
rotation predominates for hole cleaning.
If a cement plug has a density comparable to the mud, the importance of wash and spacers
ahead becomes crucial. Cementing software has to be utilized to design good mud removal by
selecting adequate rheologies of spacer and cement slurry. Schlumberger offers CemCADE,
WELLCLEAN II simulator, WELLCLEAN II Advisor and PlugAdvisor. All those softwares are
complementing each other.
Cement plugs are usually set in wells that have been thoroughly circulated. Setting a plug at
90 degrees of inclination is almost impossible.
The three main problems at high inclination are:
- Channels
- Free water
- Plug disturbing debris and wall cake while pulling out.
Free-water breakout from cement slurry to the high side has been suggested as a cause of
cement failure at high angle. Free water should not be a problem on ST plugs except for isolation
purposes. Reduced water cement slurries (16.5 ppg plus) should be less affected as well. New cement
slurries based on CemCRETE principle provide excellent slurry stability and no free water.
A cement plug should be set in a clean hole. Settling of solids from drilling mud to the low
side of the hole creates a continuous channel of uncemented material difficult to remove. Pipe
rotation is highly recommendable during plug placement. Pipe rotation will not allow cleaning
suddenly the hole as the cement is pumped but will allow a more uniform placement of the plug.
Note: High pipe rotation is used to assist in hole cleaning when drilling high angle holes but the
annular flow is higher than with a string of tubing (the idea is to prevent debris from settling).
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9- Side track plugs with special tools:

Mechanical inflatable barriers are spectacular. They do not always work at high inclination.
Some users suspect high side forces may prevent full deployment of “umbrella” type tools. The idea
is to provide a solid base when setting a plug far from bottom.
The main tools available:
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The Parabow (BJ):

The Parabow consists of a retrievable tool that can be run on DP or CT and an expandable
insert (looks like an umbrella). The cement can be pumped as soon as the Parabow is set. The
running procedure is slightly altered when a plug catcher is used.
A cement plug where a parabow is used can be set as an overderbalanced plug. It can be set
underbalanced with a plug catcher or an IBOP or simply in three steps similar to the plug catcher.
The CST tool (Perigon):

The CST expansion tool does not require an activation ball. The cement can also be pumped
as soon as the tool is set. Other considerations are similar to the Parabow.
The BHKA tool (Halliburton) and other inflatable packers:

The BHKA tool has an inflatable packer which creates a false bottom. It helps prevent the flip
flop effect of the cement migrating downwards and the mud moving upwards. The BHKA helps
reduce plug length to just 174 ft as opposed to a more common 500 ft (This is a questionable selling
point since excess cement can be dressed). It can also be used as a permanent plug or simply provide
a seal above a formation prone to influx or losses.
This tool is under US Patent US5566757 published on October 22, 1996 as "Method and
apparatus for setting sidetrack plugs in open or cased well bores". Tool has some limitations:
• Tool is sensitive to washouts, as a size of inflatable element is not big.
• Different OH sizes will require different tool size
• Tool is expensive
• Tool is designed to leave tailpipe in cement, therefore tubing for tailpipe should be made from
drillable material. That can generate possible issues during RIH into highly deviated well (easy
to brake) or drillable pipe might not be available
• BHKA field test with Rocky Mountain Oilfield Testing Center (March 1998) reported that
combination of LCM material with the rubber and aluminum being drilled up with the plug,
caused plugging of the bit, motor, and pump.
Note: When OH size is known, the right size tool is run with aluminum pipe, it will work well.
Main advantages:
• Cement slurry is separated with top and bottom dart limiting contamination
• Aluminum rigid centralizers for tailpipe are available to optimize mud removal
• Tool is providing a competent base for cement slurry
• No risk to contaminate cement when POOH as tailpipe always stays in cement.
• TRT (tubing release tool) can be used without packer for long abandonment plugs leaving
tailpipe in cement
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Other inflatable packers:

Inflatable packers can also be used to minimize plug slippage. Tools such as the “TamPlug”
and the “Tam Cement retainer” are similar and are also used with openhole whipstocks. The cost of
these tools can easily be justified on expensive operations.
Example of TamPlug operation:
Note: Once the TamPlug is set, the cement plug can be placed above with no risks of slippage.
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Parabow procedures from BJ with plug catcher (underbalanced method):

1- Pick up ported diverter sub and run DP
2- Condition wellbore and drop activation ball
3- Rig up cement lines, pump 5 bls water and test lines
4- Pump a 150 meters length spacer. (possibly a wash ahead too)
5- Pump slurry and the equivalent spacer height in the string
6- Rotate the pipe at 30 RPM while spotting cement in the annulus
7- Pump mud displacement and dart plug
8- Land dart plug (maximum pressure 1500 PSI but it will depend on quantities of shear pins).
9- Release pressure at cementing unit and confirm plug is holding
If plug is not holding, the option is to allow the cement to U-tube by bleeding off the correct
volume form the DP. Measure volume in cementing unit tank if allowed.
10- Pull the DP slow without rotation (and keep the annulus full). String will be pulled wet.
11- When the diverter sub is 2 to 5 stands above, the plug can be pressured-up and sheared to
allow circulation or reverse circulation. (ECD may forbid reverse circulation).
12- Slug DP and POOH
13- Pump nut-plug LCM to clean any residual cement to avoid plugging or jamming later
Optional: Operator may want test plug with tricone bit and open nozzles
14- WOC (Allow at least 12 hours)
15- Tag 20000 lbs weight or apply pressure. 1500 PSI in casing without exceeding 80 % of burst
pressure or FIT at the shoe. Pumps should be on to reduce plugging and stuck pipe risks.
Specific notes Parabow:

There are two Parabow extrusion tools in use:
- Early US Parabow extrusion tool
- Parabow extrusion tool with dart and ball system (DB)
The early version uses nitrile rubber balls or darts
The DB system can be activated with phenolic balls, steel balls or darts
Both systems have circulation limits before the parabow is released.
Generally speaking the DB version is more compatible with other tools as balls are smaller.
Problem diagnosis:
The following list may help to diagnose the most common field problems
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Plug catcher:
Plug catchers may not be needed on shallow side tracks but are recommended on challenging
jobs. Before plug catchers were used, the general rule was to underdisplace in order to avoid making
a mess on drill floor while pulling out (back flow).
Note: Pulling wet is one thing, experiencing back flow is another.
While it is still important to calculate ECD and hydrostatic column, plug catchers tend to
eliminate displacement problems. Uncertainties in DP capacity, hole diameter or losses while
pumping cement are less of a concern.
The plug catcher is placed on top of the stinger or DV tool and the displacement is achieved in
three steps. There should be little or no uncertainty in pipe displacement. The cement is slightly
under displaced inside the string. The string is lifted close to the top of the cement plug in the
annulus. The rest of the cement is displaced until the dart reaches its seat. The string is then pulled
clearly above the cement plug. More pressure is applied which allows circulating any excess cement.
Plug catcher are great to prevent leaving chunks of cement inside the pipe and allow pumping
the entire cement plug in the hole. With conventional techniques, several barrels of cement are often
circulated to surface.
As far as cleaning DP, there is also the possibility to use large sponge balls to help wipe out the DP.
Note: Schlumberger pumping services has plug catchers normally used with CT or slim holes.
The coilTools plug catcher is used with coilTools cement plug. The plug catcher is available
in two versions with tubing connections (CS Hydrill):
- The sideported plug catcher (OD ranging from 1.688 to 2.563)
- The pump-through plug catcher (OD ranging from 2.125 to 3.50)
The sideported plug catcher directs all flow out the sideports of the catcher body.
The pump-through plug catcher allows the fluid to be directed through the tool, making it
compatible with other downhole tools run below it. Plug catchers are usable with parabow and even
open hole whipstocks. (Description in InTouch # 4729459)
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Plug catcher basic procedure:

Overdisplacing or underdisplacing is possible with a plug catcher. Underdisplacing slightly
will avoid pulling pipe wet until the cement is completely displaced.
Running procedure plug catcher edited (from BJ website)

1- Place the catcher near the end of the DP (above cement stinger) to the desired depth
2- Displace cement. Release and pump wiper dart behind the cement.
3- As the dart approaches the extrusion tool slow down to 2 BPM maximum.
4- Balance all fluids such that cement, spacers, washs are at the same level inside and outside.
5- Pull the stinger close to the top of the cement plug.
6- Displace the rest of the cement and land the wiper dart in the plug catcher with 500 to 1500 PSI.
7- Pick up DP until the stinger is 60 to 500 ft above TOC (top of cement)
8- Pressure up to shear the screws (1500 to 3500 PSI) and shift baffle plate in the plug catcher.
The wiper dart and the baffle will move to the bottom and uncover its ports. The dart will remain
there throughout the circulation.
9- Excess cement can either be pumped out down the DP or reversed.
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Plug catcher in detail:
Plug catcher user tips:

The shear discs of the dart should be placed at the top of the dart and not at the bottom or else
debris might accumulate and not enable shearing the disc. In addition to a Plug Placement tool, a side
track plug should be supported by chemical or density means.
The last 10 to 15 bls before the plug “hits” should be pumped slow (2 BPM) with the
cementing unit. Hitting hard could prematurely shear all pins and disturb the displacement process.
Mud should be pumped to the cementing unit with a centrifugal pump to allow optimum
control on displacement. The initial displacement may be performed with mud pumps.
Cementing head should be placed no more than 6 meters above the table (Tally control).
Note: Pumping a cushion of fluid with retarder ahead and behind the cement is a safe practice
especially in cased holes.
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10- Various procedures to set a cement plug:

On many jobs, the easiest thing to do is to underdisplace by a barrel or two and let fluids
equalize while pipe is pulled. In order for this technique to function, the cement has to be heavier than
the mud and fluids level in the string and in the annulus (washs and spacers) need to be of the same
height. The string should be the same size from top to bottom.
Example: The hole is 12 ¼ and the job is performed with DP 5” grade S only. The slurry volume is
58 bls (400 ft). The pipe volume is 0.0172224 bl per ft and the metal displacement is 0.0082176 bl
per ft. If cement is underdisplaced by 1 bl, the cement column will be 58 ft higher inside the pipe.
As the string is pulled, fluids will tend to equalize. The plug height will drop by the amount of metal
displaced which would be 3 bls (about 20 ft).
Classic displacement procedure: (Light underdisplacement with a single size DP)
Displacement procedures and contamination risks:

When displacing cement, there is always a risk of contamination. The “PlugAdvisor software”
can help pumping with the optimum procedure especially with tapered string.
If losses are experienced while pumping a cement plug, it should be possible regardless of the
tool used to reduce pumping rate to minimize ECD therefore losses.
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Underbalanced cement plug: Adapted from IT-4240714)

The cement is overdisplaced virtually to the stinger. A check valve (IBOP) and an opened
TIW valve are placed in the drill string several stands below the rotary table, preventing the “lifted
cement re-entering the drill string when pump pressure is bled off and the drill string is pulled out. As
the drill pipe is pulled from the well, the cement falls back by the amount of fluid displaced by the
pipe (metal displacement and inner volume). The remaining cement and spacer inside the pipe is
retained by the “U” tube pressure applied against the IBOP.
With this method, the first several stands (up to the IBOP) will be pulled wet. Displacement
with a fluid lighter than the mud will result in back pressure below the IBOP and should be avoided.
Reverse circulation, or pipe wiper balls is not possible as long as IBOP is in the string.
One could argue the cement falling back would cause contamination from the top. On the
other hand, small tail pipes would displace less fluid.
Note: CemCADE cannot model this method.
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Recommendations reviewed:
Despite the various tools available to improve kick off plug success rate, balancing plug
method is by far most common method. Recommendations for balancing pugs are a summary of best
practices developed over the years. However, latest studies have showed that following those best
practices may not guarantee success.
Two phenomena’s have been overlooked:
1. Volume of under-displacement and contamination during POOH
2. Contamination during placement inside work string and in annulus
Volume of under-displacement
Common practice is to under-displace by 1-2 BBL and allow fluids to balance themselves
when treating line is disconnected from the work string. This will work for a one size work string
from top to bottom. This rule can not be applied in case of drill pipe and smaller size tail pipe.
Treating line is disconnected and rig is ready to POOH. Cement is perfectly balanced – level A
inside work string and level B in the annulus are at the same depth (left picture). During POOH (right
picture) it is impossible to mountain balanced situation because of different capacity of DP and tail
pipe, i.e. volume of spacer behind does not change (colored green) but now it is inside smaller tubing.
The height is different and hydrostatic pressure at the level A is different. This case will lead to large
cement contamination when spacer behind goes into annular space occupied by cement slurry.
Long tail pipe is not solving described problem. In case long enough tail pipe is covering
cement slurry and spacer, drilling fluid will have same effect (picture below).
Note: Underdisplacing by a larger amount at the cost of leaving cement longer in the tail pipe will
allow minimizing the problem.
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Displacement problem with tapered string:
Solution:
When pulling the pipe out of the hole in a vertical configuration, the total volume of fluids
inside the drill pipe is reduced by the amount at the top of the string (big diameter)
That same volume is transferred to the bottom of the string (small diameter) meaning that the
same amount of fluids needs to come out at the bottom of the pipe. Because of the smaller diameter,
the fluids levels are lowered much faster than the speed of the pull out of the pipe in the small
diameter portion of the pipe!
Conclusion: If a tapered string is used, the level of the interfaces inside the DP must be higher
than the ones outside the DP before pulling out for them to match at the end of the pull out.
Under-displacement is required for the interfaces to match when the pipe is out of the plug.
Note: The amount of under-displacement is not an easy

hand calculation and requires the software to be
optimized particularly in deviated wells.
Under-displacement can be optimized by CemCADE or
PlugAdvisor software.
Simplified way to calculate under-displacement volume
=> Plug Length*difference in capacities of tubing and
drill pipe
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Cement slurry contamination during placement

The problem of fluid contamination during placement is not new. Two known studies describe
displacement of fluid in pipe (Beirute & Flumerfelt, SPE 6801, 1977; Valko, 1994).
For a laminar displacement of one Newtonian fluid by another fluid of identical properties, one
will obtain a concentration variation vs. time as shown on the curve:
• Breakthrough of the displacing fluid at half the piston-displacement time
• Slow increase, asymptotically tending toward 100% for long times.
This is because, the fluid interface is similar to the velocity profile (parabolic).
Beirute & Flumerfelt attempted to include the effect of different fluid properties, on the
concentration at the exit.
Valko did some numerical work in the same area. The study was done for purely vertical
geometries and simple Newtonian rheologies.
In real life, more complex situation fluid

contamination can be classified as following:
• Slumping and Stratification

• Fingering
• Dispersion
• Transitional and fully turbulent
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Displacement with plug advisor software:

This issue can be addressed by separating cementing fluid with specific tools described in this
paper but it will lead to more complex and expensive operation. The PlugAdvisor software can
predict the risk of contamination and calculate expected top of uncontaminated cement.
Picture below shows the result of cement plug placement simulation with calculated under-
displacement and amount of clean cementing slurry.
Software provides assistance in optimizing rheological properties of cement slurry and spacer
to minimize mixing effect and improve mud removal. Simulations of deep deviated wells can show
the need of mechanical separation of cement slurry as separating fluids failed proving stable
interfaces.
Note: Based on simulation results, user can decide when it is mandatory to use mechanical
separation of the slurry to ensure successful cement plug placement.
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11- Procedures to initiate a side track

There are many procedures and deflection tools that can make a real difference. The subject is
treated in detail in the following “In Touch” documents (4729459 and 4729462).
Sidetracking is normally performed with motors or with rotary steerables. Motors normally
allow greater flexibility and higher DLS. In case of challenging side tracks, they may be the best
option. Complex well profiles are harder and slower to drill with motors than with rotary steerables.
Note: Clients want BHAs that can drill a well in a single run. A side track achieved with a
motor may be considered unsatisfactory if a trip is needed to run a rotary steerable.
On the other hand rotary steerables usually have lower DLS capability and a longer “take off”
distance. This is the reason to spare no effort in designing the best possible plugs especially when
conditions are tough.
While “controlled drilling” (or time drilling) works quite well with motors, the same cannot be
said about “push the bit” type rotary steerables. Using “time drilling” cannot be totally discarded yet
some clients operating on deep offshore project would rather not hear the word.
When performing a side track on a fairly straight hole against a soft formation, there are no
reasons to spent excessive time performing “controlled drilling”.
Example: Side track plug is set from 3500’ to 2900’ MD in a formation that drills at 150 FPH. Side
track point is supposed to be at 3100’ MD. Cement is tagged at 2850’ and drills at 300 FPH by 3000’
MD. There is no reason to time drill regardless of the technique used. The best is probably to initiate
the side track 20 to 50 ft before (3050’) and to go for it. If by 3150’ MD, there is no evidence of a
side track then controlled drilling may be initiated.
When performing a side track against a very hard formation, time drilling with a rotary steerable
may not be done at first by the DD. In case of a long plug, he/she may decide to leave time drilling as
a last resort. There will be more parameters to take into account such as the hole inclination and the
well profile. Usually the DD will leave a way out taking advantage of sudden change in well direction
and go directly opposite.
Note: The client and the directional driller prefer to have the hardest possible side track plug in
order to speed up the process.
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12- Field examples and writing reports

- In a field where 7500 PSI compressive strength ST plugs are routine, there was a need for a higher
value. A 12000 PSI Durastone blend was designed. The blend was 70% BVOB class G cement and
30% BVOB D 166. D 187 metallic fibers were also added.
The 8 ½ hole was first plugged back with a 15.8 ppg abandonment plug. Then a 19.4 ppg side track
plug was set from 10400’to 9477’ MD in an 11.63 ppg mud. The slurry volume would have been 740
ft in an 8 ½ hole.
5” DP followed by 1000 ft of 3 ½ DP were used above the diverter sub (7 x 1.5 inch holes) and the
string was rotated at 30 RPM during placement.
At 10400’ MD the BHST was 246° F (190° F BHCT) with a TVD of 8730’ and an inclination of 63°.
2 x 20 BLS washs (6.95 ppg diesel) as well as 2 x 40 bls spacers (13.36 ppg mud push) were pumped
ahead of 52 bls of 19.4 ppg slurry. The plug was balanced respecting fluid height and sequence both
inside and outside the pipe.
Note: For a gauge hole, a slight reduction in hydrostatic was caused by the spacer and wash
combination. The cement plug length would have caused an increase in hydrostatic of 350 PSI on a
straight hole but at 63 degrees, the difference was just 157 PSI more.
Even the first 60 feet were quite hard as the ROP was 80 FPH with 50000 lbs WOB.
Side track was successful and was achieved in 6 hours of time drilling.
D166 is a silica sand used as weighting agent for DensCRETE*.
To the question of strength retrogression enclosed is a short answer.
The two additives D066 and D166 look the similar at first sight because of their chemical composition
(silica). But because of their difference in size they react differently. D166 is much coarser than D066,
its specific area is significantly smaller, and consequently for the same amount, D166 is much less
reactive than D066. The 35% BWOC D166 added to the blend will not perform as well as 35%
BWOC D066. No guarantee is given that 100% D166 will react even after weeks or months. This has
been verified by tests done internally.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- A cement plug from a vertical hole was performed 4 m out of shoe. The client wanted to perform the
sidetrack with just 37 m of cement plug between the 9 5/8” Casing Shoe and the Top of Fish. The
alternative was to mill out a window in the casing, which would require NPT and all associated cost.
Schlumberger D&M thought it would be possible. The fish was cemented back with estimated top of
cement 90m inside 9 5/8” casing.
A Sidetrack Bit (Reed DS43) and A675M4570XP set on 1.5 was run. Cement plug from top of fish
(3538m) to 9 5/8” casing shoe (3501m) was short.
The MWD was inside casing and the inclination was below 3 degrees. The MWD was programmed to
transmit raw sensor values. The toolface was calculated on surface with just 1.5 deg inclination.
The best option was to build angle to continue with gravity orientation until clear of the fish.
The job was successful but some hanging was experienced with the 8” stab above the motor.
Comments: With a tricone bit, a side track can even be initiated a couple of feet inside the casing
for some special cases.
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- An 8 ½ pilot hole required to be plugged back from 9969’ MD and side tracked. Two 650 ft
conventional plugs were placed to cover the bottom intervals. A 45 bls high impact resistant plugs
mixed at 19 ppg was placed above the top plug covering an interval from 8675’ to 8250’ MD. The
optimized particle size distribution (OPSD) cement developped 8500 PSI compressive strength and
contained metallic micro ribbon particles . After 19 hours, the plug was tagged at 8250’ MD with an 8
½ rock bit and a 2.1 deg bent housing motor. The cement plug was dressed to 8292’ and the side track
was initiated at a controlled ROP of 6 FPH. At 8315’ MD, the shaker indicated 100 % formation (4
hours had elapsed). Drilling was resumed as planned.
Note: There may have been some slippage and an overgauge hole as plug length was 425 ft.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is a field where on three occasions, the plugs were contaminated. These side tracks were
performed in 12 ¼ holes with 12.5 ppg oil base mud (Versaclean) around 33° inclination in
formations with ROPS of 120 FPH. Cement plugs were set with 580 ft of 3 ½ DP and 5 7/8 DP.
Rotary steerable PD X5 and PDC bits only were used. Time drilling was performed on 100 %
settings. In one case a mud motor with higher DLS capability would have allowed achieving the side
track but would have required a trip to run back the PowerDrive.
Note: The PowerDrive allows drilling quicker especially when the profile to follow is complex
- Plug# 1 was placed above a bridge plug set 5200’ MD. Plug was set from 4520’ MD to 5100’ MD
and a sponge was used to wipe the pipe. After 22 hours, dressing of the plug was initiated but was
found to be excessively soft until 4600’. At 4785’ MD decision was made to wait for 8 hours. After
30 hours in total, dressing off was resumed with a marginal reduction in ROP. Decision was made to
attempt side tracking. Eventually at 4950’ a setting 180 degrees opposite to the hole direction (2deg
DLS) allowed to get off by 5000’ ft (torque and weight indicated the side track had succeeded).
- Plug# 2 was a failure. It was placed above two cement plugs from 10100’ MD. Top plug was set at
4600’ to 5200’ MD. Hole was washed from 4300’ to 4850’ where traces were felt. It was possible to
wash through without rotation. Side track was attempted with a 100 % setting on the rotary steerable.
After 6 hours, the depth reached was 4952’ MD (102’ time drilled at 17 FPH). By that time, the
cement had been in place 44 hours. Time drilling continued for an additional 9 hours until 5168’ MD
at ROPs as low as 10 FPH. Cement could sustain at times 50000 lbs weight and would sometimes
just free fall. It seems the plug had set as several “pods” and had migrated down at least 60 ft.
- Plug# 3 was placed from 5252’ MD where the stinger tagged on what was left of the previous plug.
A 700 ft plug was placed. 18 hours after placing the plug, at the theoretical top, nothing was felt.
Decision was made to wait an additional 3 hours. Washing down was resumed and top of plug was
found at 4800’ MD (250’ lower). At 4822’ the plug could hold 20000 lbs and time drilling was
initiated at 19 FPH. By 4830’ MD signs were positive and by 4860’ side track had succeeded.
Note: placing a side track plug on top of an existing plug works better. The risk of slippage is
eliminated even though losses and hole enlargement can still play a role in cement contamination.
Comments: Testing cement returns at the top of the plug with light circulation after five hours
would have helped detecting slippage. Less time would have been lost as opposed to attempt
side tracking 24 hours later.
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- Cement was placed at 2000 ft MD in a zone where the typical ROP is 120 FPH in a 12 ¼ vertical
well. Decision was made to attempt side tracking even though after 18 hours, the cement was soft (5
ft in 2 minutes or 150 FPH). The cement used was a 14.5 ppg slurry engineered to reach 3800 PSI
after 18 hours and 4500 PSI after 24. The BHA used was a classic Powerpak stabilized and set on 1.5
bend with a tricone bit. Considering the shallow depth and the cement height, the risk was limited. It
took 1.5 hour and 21 ft to have positive indications and to resume drilling normally.
- In 2004, on an 8 ½ vertical hole, the string got stuck at 9756’ MD yet circulation and rotation were
possible. Decision was made to set a side track cement plug and to cut the pipe at 9640’ MD with a
chemical cutter. 25 bls cement were spotted representing an estimated 250 ft (with 30 % wash out).
DuraSTONE cement was selected for its excellent mechanical properties and 18 ppg was achieved
with D166 coarse material and D163 fine. Lab tests showed over 6000 PSI compressive strength after
24 hours without the fibers. Metallic fibers (D187) were added and good rheology was obtained to
prevent the fibers from settling. The cement was thoroughly blended with proper QA/QC.
The cement was spotted from 9580’ MD with tail pipes made of 2 7/8 tubing
The cement was batch mixed and the job was performed as per the following procedure:
- 10 bls chemical wash followed by 2 bls of 18 ppg cement without fibers at 5 BPM
- 21 bls of Durastone 18 ppg with fibers (D187) at 5 BPM
- 2 bls of 18 ppg cement without fibers and 0.4 bl of water at 5 BPM
- Displacement with 144.83 bls of 10.7 ppg KCL mud
No pressure imbalance observed and string was pulled clear and two volumes were reverse circulated.
Comments: The job was a success but there is no mention of the setting used on the motor.
With a formation so hard and the mud weight so low, slippage could have occurred. Setting a
light cement plug could have been done. The plug volume could probably have been increase.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- This is the story of a cement plug that failed. The failure report is poorly documented and hard to
interpret. It also draws questionable conclusions.
An 8 ½ hole was abandoned at 10500’ MD. 9 5/8 shoe was set at 8770’ MD and mud weight
was 10.6 ppg. A 15.8 ppg plug was placed and tested by tagging weight with a bit at 10168’ MD.
Below 9550’ MD, a 35 bls viscous pill was spotted to minimize slippage.
The side track plug (150% excess) was pumped as per the following sequence:
- 30 bls of 12 ppg spacer followed by 20 bls of water at 6 BPM
- 61 bls of 16.5 ppg cement at 6 BPM
- 2 bls of water followed by 155 bls of 10.2 ppg mud
Cement plug seemed balanced and the circulation at 9200’ showed water, spacer and 10 bls of
contaminated cement. About 40 hours were spent time drilling from 9313’ to 9472’ MD.
Comments: Although the formation was softer below the shoe, decision to side track at 9300’
where the well had 5 degrees of inclination seems logical if Motor was pointed opposite the dog
leg. The report states a motor set on 1.83 bend could have achieved the side track. Even if this
is true, running a 1.83 bend usually means a trip in the long run. The cement was inconsistent
and a successful side track would have taken longer.
It also seems strange to pump water after the spacer as balancing the plug would be impossible–
hydrostatic pressure is higher in the annulus due to presence of heavier spacer.
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Writing reports:
Writing reports both on failures and success is often insufficient and one sided. It may be
difficult for a Schlumberger DD to obtain the cement data from the competition just like a cementer
from Schlumberger may have trouble asking the DD from another company the procedures used.
The objective is to find the best solutions. On many reports, items such as mud properties and
mud type are not well documented. Type of drill pipe and tail pipe is not mentioned much less the use
of stingers, sponges and other accessories. Cement compressive strength and types of additives used
are not well documented. Even if the products codes are unknown, the recipe can be established as
long as they are recorded.
As far as directional drilling, the time interval between setting the plug, dressing the plug and
attempting to side track needs to be described. The previous well profiles with surveys along with the
new plan needs to be known.
Finally, until the next casing is in the ground, there could be issues associated with a plug
breaking off and sticking the pipe. This may be hard to document but is nevertheless important.
In addition to the questions in chapter 6, these items are essential to confirm whether the
design is good or not.
Page 34 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
13- Other Cement plug considerations:

Setting a cement plug close to bottom or on a solid base is always better than setting it off
bottom. In addition to channeling, contamination can come from the side and from slippage.
Plug slippage can be reduced in four different manners:
- Mechanical means (Parabow, inflatable packers as described in chapter 9)
- Chemical means
- Setting a light cement plug
- Density
Chemical means:
Some North Sea operators spot a pill below the cement plug. The pill consists of Bentonite
mixed with Sodium Silicate (D075). Barite may be added to obtain the required weight. Compatibility
with cement and mud should carefully be evaluated. One could add the emerging technology of
“swellable packers” that can react in oil or in water. Unfortunately a swellable packer would have to
be somehow attached or spaced out with tubing or DP until it has a chance to swell.
Note: A plug catcher could be included and used to set the cement plug after the bentonite pill.
Setting a light cement plug:

Setting a light cement plug is probably the best choice on a low cost operation. On an
expensive operation, no tool or service can be too expensive to save two days in case of cement plug
failure. The six hours necessary to set a light cement plug is a small price to pay on any operation.
Note: Setting a light cement plug may be cheaper than to mobilize an inflatable packer. The light plug does not need to be
hard to impede slippage.
The plug catcher could not be used for the light cement plug. It would have to be used on the final “heavy” plug.
One could imagine situations where more than one plug could be needed.
Setting a heavy mud pill or barite plugs or equivalent:

A heavier mud pill spotted below the cement plug can reduce plug slippage. However the
added hydrostatic caused by the higher density may be a limiting factor.
Usually barite plugs are used to cure losses but can seal off a high pressure zone. The settled
barite forms an almost impermeable seal and helps provide hydrostatic pressure to control the
formation pressure. In the case of a long interval or high inclination, it may take a long time to achieve
a proper plug. A barite plug may not be acceptable with abandonment procedures and is bound to take
as long as spotting a light cement plug.
There are inherent risks as more than one plug may be needed. This is a procedure that could
be done while waiting on a cement truck on a remote operation.
In many cases such plugs will work better if pilot testing is performed.
Note: Mud companies offer barite plug, hematite plugs or a combination of both.
Page 35 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
Barite and hematite plugs in detail:

A wellbore plug may be composed of M-I Bar (barite), Fer-Ox (Hematite) or both mixed in
water, diesel oil, mineral oil or synthetic oil.
The settling rates are affected by density, contaminants, type and concentration of weight material, PH,
deflocculant and surfactants.
The optimum settling rates for barites are obtained between 17 to 18 ppg and 20 to 21 ppg for
hematite. At densities above or below these values, a reduction in settling rates will occur.
Note: Weight material may require different deflocculants to obtain optimum settling rates (types and
concentration will vary with temperature).
Settling rates is quicker with hematite but barites packs better.
High weight slurries are recommended for open holes where both settling and high filtration aid in
making a seal. Inside casing, slurries from 14 to 16 ppg are recommended.
The PH should be controlled between 8.5 and 10 and Salt water is detrimental to settling.
Note: Once the barite has settled, the lighter fluid should be circulated out.
Page 36 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
Examples of settling rates:

As can be observed, high densities are detrimental to settling rates.
Recommendations for mixing a barite plug:

Barite pill weighing mixed with fresh water and phosphate to facilitate rapid settling.
1) Mix barite slurry through cement hopper
2) Calculate volume for a minimum of 150’ plug of settled barite
3) Adjust PH of fresh water with caustic soda to 9 (0.25 lbs/bbl)
4) Mix 0.7 lbs SAPP/bbl fresh water in mixing tank
5) Mix barite at 21 ppg
6) Under displace to avoid contamination and act as a slug
7) Pull pipe above the plug quickly and circulate above plug for several hours
Table for a 100 ft 21 ppg barite plug. 150 ft of settled volume is the value recommended.
Hole Settled Settled Barite Phosphate Fresh Slurry
Size Volume Volume sx or SAPP Water Volume
In. Ft3 bbl/100' lbs bbl bbl bbl
13.5 100 17.7 265 14.2 20.2 38.1
12 78.35 14 208 11.1 15.9 30
11 66 11.8 175 9.4 13.3 25.2
Page 37 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
14- Tricks, tips and economics

A cement plug set at 5000 ft in a 10 PPG water base mud and in a formation that drills at 200
FPH does not require 5000 PSI compressive strength.
One should never drill out completely a cement plug in case of soft cement. Experience has
proven the effectiveness to set a cement plug on top of an existing plug (especially at high
inclinations). Contamination from the bottom or from slippage is thereby eliminated.
Balancing a plug is fairly simple but in practice (apart from the use of plug catcher) a simple
solution is to underdisplace by one or two barrel. This way the plug will naturally equalize while
pulling out. Balancing a plug brings also the issue of well control (see section 6 question # 1).
Cement companies state over 24 hours WOC is unnecessary. In reality, substantial differences
when waiting extra time are often observed. There is nothing wrong in dressing the plug after just 12
hours WOC. After all, the excess cement and contaminated cement might just as well be removed.
Dressing off hard cement has normally less impact on contamination.
Once the contaminated cement has been removed, two lines of actions can be taken:
1- A cement that drills at the same ROP is hard enough. A cement that drills up to 5 times faster than
the formation (without exceeding 150 FPH) is probably good enough. Start side tracking.
2- Cement is definitely too soft and the best line of action is wait extra time and to drill 5 ft every two
hours monitoring the ROP obtained (without running out of plug). The decision to start side tracking
or wait extra time will have to integrate many parameters.
Question mark on hole size:

Whenever a cement plug is set in a deep hole, any problem can translate in two or three days
lost. It is frustrating for all personnel involved to find out the top of cement is too low with a BHA
meant for side tracking and drilling ahead. This situation may happen in case the hole is severely
washed out (lack of caliper), losses or plug slippage. There is a way to identify whether the top of
cement is where it should be.
Provided there is a mud logger or a good mud engineer, it is possible to detect traces of cement in the
mud. The simplest method is to wait on cement for 5 hours once the cement plug is set and carefully
go back down with light circulation. The idea is not to tag but simply to circulate out some cement.
If traces of cement are found too low, then it may be a good idea to immediately set another
cement plug.
Note: The depth, the trip time and the rig cost should be integrated before performing this
procedure.
Do not ever tag with DP or stinger fresh cement without light circulation.
Page 38 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
The string is plugged what to do?

Once, a strange chain of events happened on a cement squeeze performed inside a deviated
cased hole. The stinger was pulled clear of the retainer yet the 3 ½ drill string was plugged. Reversing
out was tried but did not work. Finally, pressure was applied while rotating the string and circulation
was regained. Whether rotation allowed some kind of “hydraulic shock” is not clear but it worked.
Mud properties:
If possible, yield point and PV of the mud should be reduced before pumping the plug.
Pumping a nut-plug pill down the string can help remove traces of cement resting on the low side of
the drill pipe.
Stuck pipe risks:

Cement blocks falling can create a stuck pipe situation. Sufficient time should be given before
attempting to side track. The use of fiber additives to increase the integrity of the cement is
recommended as well as silica for hot holes.
Cementing through a bit:

While it is not possible to give a universal answer, generally speaking setting a side track
cement plug through a BHA and a bit is bound to fail.
Having said that, it is important to clarify the following:
- A cement plug set for isolation purposes is normally lighter than a side track plug.
- Cementing through a bit is different than cementing through MWDs and rotary steerables.
- Cementing for abandonment is different from setting a plug and attempting a side track later.
Note: It may be possible to set an isolation plug in view of improving plug placement later.
DP specific problems:
Many reputable companies use books with small errors on pipe displacement. Generally
speaking, many handbooks tent to state the dimensions of grade “G” DP.
Example: 5” DP grade “S” range 2 with 2 ¾ ID tool joints 19.5 ppf

Many handbooks state the capacity is 0.01776 bl per ft (even the Schlumberger Ihandbook).
Many handbooks do not state the actual weight per ft which is 22.56 ppf (21.9 for Ihandbook)
The inner capacity is 0.0172224 bl per ft (Drilling data handbook)
The fluid displaced by the metal is 0.0082176 bl per ft
Using the formula ppf / 2748, the answer is 0.008209607 bl per ft (very close)
When dealing with pipe specs, it is best to check two different sources especially with newer products.
Page 39 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
String rotation:
Rotating the string as the cement goes in open hole should allow a more uniform placement.
Rotation while circulating or reversing out should prevent leaving small chunks of cement in the drill
string close to the internal upset of each joint. In both cases, 30 to 60 RPM is enough.
Rotation while circulating out cement is not needed with a sponge or a plug catcher.
Suggested rotation procedure:

Pump the plug, displace 10 bls, break the pipe and the circulating valve.
Screw the Top Drive and continue displacing
Page 40 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
Mud logging considerations:

It would be unwise not to use the information supplied by mud loggers. The expressions “50
% formation” is often useless and “70% formation” means you have it. The problem is also the lack
of samples. With time drilling, formation is grounded so small all you see are cement particles
eventually making their way to surface. A good mud logger may gather mud samples differently.
The technique consists in filling a bucket of mud from the possum belly and let it rest for a while.
After screening, the reading will be more accurate than a sample taken from the shaker.
Note: Possum belly should have been checked before hand for cement and samples from the old hole.
Economics:
The best is to do it right the first time. Clients need to realize spending a little on a barite pill, a
plug catcher or setting a light cement plugs may be an investment.
Example: The well is 12000 ft deep and decision is made to initiate a side track at 10000 ft MD to
drill a deviated well. The fluid in the hole is oil base mud and the weight is 12 ppg. ROP at 10000 ft
is 100 FPH and when cement is good, side tracks can be achieved in 3 hours. Client does not want to
hear about barite plug, light cement plugs and much less about plug catchers and “Parabows”.
The rig alone costs 100 K$ per day.
Without going into “operation associated costs”, loss of production, interest rates and whatever
else, the cost of failure will be very high and would easily justify 6 hours extra time or any tool.
On the optimistic chart below the time lost starts whenever decision is almost made to pull out.
During the decision time, the company man will usually let the directional driller try one more time.
On could argue it would still be possible to pull out and run a radical BHA. A minimum of 4 trips
would take in the example described 22 hours plus the time spent time drilling.
Crude side track economics

Time lost in hours
Time Circulate Trip Rack Run Place POH, WOC Perform Time
spent time before out back stinger new run and Side lost in
drilling as trip of BHA and cement back dress track hours
a last the DP to plug BHA to plug
resort hole bottom bottom
6.00 1.00 5.00 1.00 5.00 2.00 11.00 7.00 3.00 41.00
Money lost = (rig time (hrs) x 100000):24

25.00 4.16 20.83 4.16 20.83 8.33 45.83 29.16 12.50 170.80
Note: The chart above is for a rig costing with all associated cost 100 k per day.
Page 41 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
15- Cased holes applications:

Most people have thought at least once about the possibility of punching a hole in a casing
without any mechanical system (whipstock or a section milled window). Cases of side tracks inside
casing have happened but usually in an uncontrolled / accidental manner.
The main driving forces behind using cement in lieu of a whipstock were “Through tubing
rotary drilling” (TTRD) in general and “Coiled tubing drilling” (CTD) in particular. The need to run a
BHA through a production string and to punch a hole inside a larger casing appeared as the main
challenge. Collapsible whisptsocks were developed and new cement systems were used.
When PDC bits and diamond bits were introduced, people knew the kind of damage a bent
motor would cause with a bit turning for too long inside casing. Some clients had very strict rules
about shallow tests with PDC or diamond bits when using a “bent sub motor” or a steerable motor.
Other clients would not even drill out a casing shoe with motor and PDC. Most people have seen large
metal sheets coming out on a shale shaker while drilling out cement inside casing with motors. Many
of these rules have been relaxed or adapted to local conditions. A mild bend or a limited amount of
cement to drill is not always a problem.
The introduction of high compressive strength cement with fibers has allowed performing what
seemed unrealistic with conventional cement plugs.
A cement plug set inside casing must provide the following:

- Zonal isolation
- Sufficient mechanical strength
- Toughness to remain intact throughout the drilling process and the life of the well
The microribbon technology promotes a smooth “gun barrel” hole maintaining hole integrity
and reducing the risk of “cement rocks” falling off the sheath and snagging the drilling assembly.
Limitations of this system:

In the real world, punching a hole without a whipstock is great yet this solution has its own
limitations. It is very rare for a bit to have a cutting structure with the ability to drill steel and
formation alike. In most cases, such an operation would be a “two trip” operation. The cost of a high
quality cement plug may be comparable to the cost of a whipstock.
Note: In the following cases, this is certainly a technique that deserves special attention:
- Collapsible whipstock cannot be deployed.
- Window to be performed in a light casing of softer steel
Page 42 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
16- Surface equipment and field specific problems

The best cementing company may not be available on your rig. The cementing company may
not have the same resource in a remote place as in high activity area.
Batch mixing is perfect for small volumes which suits particularly well side track plugs.
A 19 ppg cement with the most fancy additives may not be pumpable yet the job may still be
performed in a manner good enough.
It is therefore important to know the answer to some of the following questions:
- Is densCRETE or similar technology available?
- Are special tools for plug placement available?
- Is batch mixing available?
- At what density can the cement be safely mixed?
- What are the “wash” and “spacers” available?
- Can the mud engineer prepare a viscous pill, a heavy pill (mud or barite) in a reasonable
amount of time?
Note: Does the mud engineer have technical support?
Note: On an HPHT job where the batch mixing equipment was not available, two denscrete plugs were
mixed at 17.5 ppg on the fly with competitor equipment (InTouch 4276937).
Note: Slurry volume for cement plugs is not big so it is recommended to use batch mixer
to ensure homogeneous slurry density and accurate volume. DensCRETE technology always
requires batch mixer
Page 43 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
17- Conclusion:
A cement plug set at 2000 ft in a water base mud does not need to be over engineered. When a
difficult side track is decided, any measure likely to help should be studied. Slippage, losses,
contamination and compatibility between the mud, the cement, spacers and wash should be evaluated.
The mud weight and viscosity may be reduced. Preparing clean tanks for spacers or wash are simple
measures to remove from the “critical path”.
Charts showing compressive strengths based on ROP and hole size would be nice to have.
The number of bit types and the fact they are selected for their performance in drilling formation
would make it difficult. The adherence to a set of parameters would also be a problem.
An average cement plug well spotted should allow sidetracking even if it means drilling a
smaller hole or using an aggressive technique. On the other hand, a high compressive strength plug
contaminated for whatever reason may not allow side tracking at all.
On a deviated hole, the plan may not call for a side track opposite of the dog leg or towards the
low side but it is an option. On the other hand, on a vertical hole with no dog leg and in hard rock,
there is no substitute for a good cement plug
It is possible to set a plug, wait until cement reaches 500psi compressive strength and go back
to the theoretical top with light circulation to evaluate slippage. This will determine whether setting a
second plug is needed.
Cement technology has improved tremendously yet client expectations have gone up. Rotary
steerables require better sidetrack plugs and do not respond as well as motors to time drilling.
Far from being a problem, this should be viewed as an opportunity to utilize superior products,
better procedures and the best tools.
References and acknowledgements:

Lee Dolman (Mexico) Alavaro Martin (Maturin)
Oscar Eduardo Ramirez Lamus (Bogota) Colin Liley (Aberdeen)
Adriana E. Vallejo Alegria (Macae) Kendall Knight (Aberdeen)
Lenin Omar Diaz Torres (Villahermosa) Arman Nickkholgh (Jakarta)
Tayo Dada (Sugarland) Alirio Recinos (Ex Schlumberger) (Argentina)
A. Oag (Aberdeen) Scott Paxton (Sugarland)
SN-05_DuraSTONE_3284604_01 (Kick off plug Abhu Dhabi A. mohsen, A. Babasheickh)
SPE 100827 – High impact cement allows ST (H. El Hassan, M. Shagnoubi ADCO, H. Jarouj, E. Voon Schlumberger)
SPE 83466 New cement plug replaces whipstock (D.LaPrade, Torch international, N.Low, Schlumberger)
SPE 109649 Placement of OH plug in HT cond. (G. Guzman Araiza, Pemex, H. Rogers, L. Pena, S. Montoya, Halliburton)
SPE / IADC 79908 – New shock resistant cement (C. Hun, ADCO, E. Cunningham, H. Helou, Schlumberger
Low Inclination Sidetrack off Cement Plug 4m out of Casing by Adam Sandy/Uzo Ibemesi
Mud rheology in directional wells S. Okrajni, J.J Azar
MI Barite & hematite plug tech IT 426.9730 G. Yarim, R. Uchytil
Setting suspension cement plugs IT 4241366 D. Rejepov
Cemnet & D075 help solve ST plug IT 3878240 R. Paravisini
Soft science of ST open hole, cased hole Part 1 # 4729459, part 2 # 4729462
IPM- Setting cement plugs (IPM-PR-WCI-006) Wellb cement 1&2 S.R Keller,R.J Crook,R.C Haut,D.S Kulakofsky
IT 4276937 (Denscrete mixed on the fly) Multiple end of well reports from D&M
BJ, Weatherford, US patents Websites Schlumberger lab tests and training material
Page 44 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
18- Epilog (Specific Schlumberger techniques)

CemCRETE Technology principles:
In any cement, more water means lower density and lower viscosity. More water also translates in:
- Longer working time
- Lower compressive strength
- Higher permeability
Cement particles must be surrounded by water to flow as a slurry
First - enough water must be added

to fill the void between the
cement grains
CemCRETE uses particle size distribution to optimize solid and liquid content
Less water is wasted in the void

Slurry properties and mechanical
properties are improved
CemCRETE technology uses a combination:

• Pre - existing products
– cements (Class G, A, C, lightweights, plaster blends)
– D124 - LiteFIL
• New products developed specifically for PSD
– D165, CemHD
– D166, CemD
– D163, Microcement
Page 45 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
CemCRETE is created by increasing the Packing Volume Fraction in the powder (PVF)
Effects of PVF on liquid cement slurry:

Water content is reduced (Rheology is lower than non optimized blend)
Settling free water is reduced (lower porosity, lower permeability)
Fluid loss is lower
Effects of PVF on set cement:
Permeability is reduced (greater resistance to acid and corrosive fluids)
Mechanical durability is improved (better for perforations and isolations)
Compressive strength is improved (higher solid content)
Slurry porosity is decided taking into account compressive strength and rheology.
At densities above 17 ppg, porosity is 40 %.
At densities between 9 to 13 ppg porosity is 40 to 45 %.
CemCRETE is sensitive to additive concentration.
Product control is critical. Micro additives are much more sensitive and much more variable.
CemCRETE Technology:
Advantages for KOP:
- Rapid compressive strength development
- Increase Compressive strength 5000 ± 8000 psi (24 hr)
Base slurry: Optimized particle size distribution (OPSD)

Increased solids volume fraction liquid slurry
- Conventional 15.8 ppg Class “G”:
41% solids and 59% mix fluid
- Conventional 17 ppg Class “G” reduced water slurry:
49% solids and 51% mix fluid
- PSD Slurry (8 ppg – 21 ppg):
60% solids 40% mix fluid
Page 46 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
What makes DuraSTONE different?

Optimized particle size distribution slurry and Micro-ribbon technology.
Amorphous, corrosion resistant ribbon
(Fe,Cr)80 (P,C,Si)20
High level of mechanical strength and flexibility
1400-2300 MPa tensile strength
Maximized surface area for cement bonding
Optimized dimensions for mixing and pumping
Optimized concentration for performance
+ =
Hart’s 2001
Meritorious Award
for
Engineering Innovation
Field results Abhu Dhabi:

• Field tests have showed this new system reduced time required to kick-off more than 50%
• Shock resistant system is the standard kick-off system across the two hardest formations
• When paper was submitted, 24 successful kick-off plugs were placed using this new shock
resistant system with 100% success ratio.
Page 47 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
Lab tests comparisons:
Page 48 of 49
C. Ingold, M. Popov
Warnings:
• Rheology
- A minimum yield stress value of 10 lbf/100ft2 (Herschel-Bulkley) is mandatory
Or
- The 3 rpm (10 sec. Gel) reading with spring F1 is at least 15
• Restrictions
- Never sample D187-laden slurry through small ball valves of recirculating mixer or blender
- Never pump through a restriction smaller in diameter than 18 mm or 0.7 in.
• Spacers
- Always pump a viscosified spacer ahead and behind a D187 -laden slurry if a freshwater
spacer is used
• Tools and Placement
- It is advised not to pump this system through a diverter
- Once inside displacement string avoid halting pumping
Questions / answers about modern cement technology:

Is it fair to say the higher is the density the higher is the compressive strength?
Yes, for conventional systems, where density is adjusted by adding or reducing water content (12-
16.5ppg)
Note. Additional extender (bentonite) is required to absorb additional water and prevent sedimentation
when slurry density is lower than 15.8ppg. Addition of dispersant is compulsory for water reduced
slurries (>15.8ppg) to make slurry pumpable.
The answer is “NO” for CemCRETE application, where solid content is fixed at ~55-60% (15.8ppg
conventional G has ~40%). In case of CemCRETE system density is adjusted by changing SG
of mainly coarse particles.
What mechanism has allowed reaching 5000 PSI with cement below 15 ppg?
Same CemCRETE principle.
D166 is a grade G cement which is coarse and by adding D163 fine you get better cement?
D166 is a course sand for CemCRETE, D165 is a course hematite. Playing with different proportions
of D166/D165, 24ppg can be mixed. Constant SVF~60% (solid volume fraction) is kept. D163 is a
slag/microcement blend.
Does the addition of metallic fiber also result in an increase in compressive strength?
Metal fibers will act the same way as reinforced concrete. They will increase tensile strength of cement
and stop cracks propagation.
CemCRETE slurry density range:

• LiteCRETE and DeepCRETE: Today 8 - 13 lbm/gal
• CemCRETE: Normal density ranges
• DensCRETE: 17 lbm/gal and above
• SqueezeCRETE: 13 - 17 lbm/gal
Page 49 of 49

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Setting effective side track plugs

Open and cased holes

3- Main reasons for side track plugs failures:

4- Side track plugs history

BHA description with Motor and bent subs (80’s):

BHA description with Rotary Steerables (late 90’s):

Old side track manuals:

Cement plug have improved through measures such as:

5- Modern challenge in setting side track plugs:

A document by IPM (Ref IPM-PR-WCI-006) recommends some of the following:

The 10 questions to ask before setting a side track plug

1. Is there a risk of losses or fracture into the formation

2. Is the plug to be set far away from bottom?

3. Is the plug to be set at a drift angle above 65 degrees?

4. Is the formation very hard?

5. Is it oil base mud or synthetic mud?

6. Is the hole size known?

7. Is the mud weight high or higher than the cement?

8. Is the formation closing in or caving in?

9. What are the tools available?

Question # 1: Is there a risk of losses or fracture into the formation?

Plug slippage or loss circulation feared?

Question # 2: Is the plug to be set far away from bottom?

The parabow tool is usable in holes ranging from 6” to 20”. It utilizes

Is it necessary to save a much hole as possible?

Question # 3: Is the plug to be set at a drift angle above 65 degrees?

Question # 4: Is the formation very hard?

Question # 5: Is it oil base mud or synthetic mud?

Question # 6: Is the hole size known?

Question # 7: Is the mud weight high or higher than the cement?

Question # 8: Is the formation closing in or caving in?

Question # 9: What are the tools available?

New shock resistant cement - DuraSTONE technology:

Optimized Particle Size Distribution - CemCRETE technology:

Mechanical properties of cement with optimized particle size distribution:

Metallic Micro- Ribbon technology:

8- Side track plugs with DPs and tubings:

9- Side track plugs with special tools:

The main tools available:

The Parabow (BJ):

The CST tool (Perigon):

The BHKA tool (Halliburton) and other inflatable packers:

Other inflatable packers:

Example of TamPlug operation:

Parabow procedures from BJ with plug catcher (underbalanced method):

Specific notes Parabow:

Plug catcher basic procedure:

Running procedure plug catcher edited (from BJ website)

Plug catcher in detail:

Plug catcher user tips:

10- Various procedures to set a cement plug:

Classic displacement procedure: (Light underdisplacement with a single size DP)

Displacement procedures and contamination risks:

Underbalanced cement plug: Adapted from IT-4240714)

Displacement problem with tapered string:

Note: The amount of under-displacement is not an easy

Cement slurry contamination during placement

In real life, more complex situation fluid

• Slumping and Stratification

Displacement with plug advisor software:

11- Procedures to initiate a side track

12- Field examples and writing reports

13- Other Cement plug considerations: