Cement Job

Evaluation

©2009 IFP Training

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 What is Evaluation?

• Determination of location & integrity of cement:

– Will it support the pipe?

– Does it cover the area intended?
– Is there a hydraulic seal?

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Zonal isolation problems
Mixing of unwanted fluids
Fluids escaping to surface
Invading fluids [crossflow]
Casing Corrosion
Casing Collapse
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Evaluation Needs
To Evaluate Cement Job
• Check Integrity of Cement
• To Verify Zone Isolation
• To Determine Cement Strength
• Is there any Channel ?
• Is it necessary to Repair ?
• Will be possible to Repair ?
(SQUEEZE job)
• Where is the Top of the Cement ?
©2009 IFP Training
 Cementing in the ideal world

• At the end of the operation the annulus between the casing and the
formation or previous casing is sealed
– To prevent fluid migration along the axis of the well
– To prevent casing corrosion

• This situation remains identical for the life of the well

• How often is this occurring?

– Sustained casing pressure is observed almost everywhere in the

world. Poor mud removal is one of the main causes
– Canada:
• 15 000+ wells (15%) for having Sustained Casing Pressure (SCP)
• $750 million to fix all the current wells with SCP
– Gulf of Mexico
• 11,500 annuli in 8000 wells reported SCP out of 36,000 wells

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 Cement Job Evaluation

• Why ?
To insure that the job objectives are met
– It implies that job objectives are :
• Communicated to and understood by the cementing engineer
• accounted for in the design and execution of the job

• How ?
Evaluation techniques need to be adapted to the job objectives
– A temperature log may detect the top of cement
– Acoustic techniques and logs :
What are their ability to evaluate cement coverage and hydraulic isolation ?

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 What skills does one need to evaluate cement ?

• Need to understand both the :

– materials and processes involved in cementing operations
– and the principles and limitations of the evaluation
techniques

• Why ?
– Evaluation of hydraulic isolation is not the result of a direct
measurement (except for pressure tests)
– Assessment of hydraulic isolation is based on indirect
measurements that are affected by other effects

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 Cement evaluation

All the aspect of the process are involved

• The cement job : Monitoring & Control

– Mixing the fluids
– Pumping the fluids
– Abnormal pressures & Job Signature

• Post mortem control ?

– Pressure testing ?
– Sonic and/or Ultrasonic Logs

• Difficulties in analyzing cement logs

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 Answering the Question

• Level 1 - Job indicators:

– Good well information

– Appropriate design
– Treatment according to design
– Full returns
– Job pressure signature compared to simulation
– Cement top where expected
– Plug bumped

©2009 IFP Training

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 Evaluation starts during Cement Job Execution

• Density Control during Slurry Mixing

• Rate Control during Displacement

• U-tube simulation with Execution data

– verify well control during cementing
– verify losses

• Job monitored and data recorded till plug bumped

– At least Wellhead Pressure recorded

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 Rate Control during Displacement

• Essential for proper mud removal

– Displace as per design

• Minimize stops
– plug launching
– Breakdowns

• Flow control
– Proper supply of mud
• mud density and rate
• volume
• casing nominal size? (gauge pipe)
– NRD for all types of mud
• non hazardous

• Return flow
– U-tube as per simulation ?
– Volumes & potential losses

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 During Displacement

• Check Returned Volume

• Monitor Well Head Pressure

• Good Indication for losses or other downhole problems

• Simulator outputs provides help

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 Initial Evaluation : U-tube simulation with Execution data

• Validated simulator

• Verify validity of design parameters

– eliminate guesswork
– well’s unknown factors
– calibration

• The Concept of Job Signature

(IADC/SPE 39350 march 98)
– Begin-End of U-Tube + Slopes of curve
– verify well control during cement job
– confirms unnoticed losses

©2009 IFP Training

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 Job Signature : rough evaluation

• Well head pressure analysis

– When cement climbs up the annulus well pressure increases
and the rate of increase is related to the positions of the fluid
interfaces provided there are significant density differences
between them

– If the actual rate of increase of the WHP is larger than the

predicted one cement is climbing faster than predicted
• Annular cross section is smaller than expected (displacement efficiency
(channeling, fluid influx?)

– If the actual rate of increase of the WHP is larger than the

predicted one cement is climbing slower than predicted
• Losses to formations, hole larger than expected?

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 Simulation of Execution data (1)

Mud WA Spacer Slurry

PERFECT MATCH
Recorded Pressure
Simulated Pressure

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 Simulation of Execution data (2)

Mud WA Spacer Slurry

DATA NOT FULLY ACCURATE

Recorded Pressure

Simulated Pressure

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 Simulation of Execution data (3)

SERIOUS PROBLEM
(LOSSES) Recorded Pressure

Simulated Pressure

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 Further on Cement Job Evaluation

• From Quality of Execution to Quality of Placement

• What kind of evaluation ?
– Pressure tests (LOT, FIT, shoe test,..?)
– Depressurization ( liner hanger)
– Communication test (perfs)
• Non destructive external tests
– Temperature logs
– Sonic & Ultra Sonic logs
– Noise logs, O2 activation …
• but Quality of Isolation ?
– Combination of above ?

• What can be wrong ?

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 Imperfections in Cement Sheath

Mud layer
Cement / Casing Mud Channel Full Eccentration Gas channels

Mud Layer Water Channel Gas invasion

Weak cement

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Casing / Formation

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 Imperfections in Cement Sheath( 2)

Micro annulus Micro annulus Mechanical Cracks

Casing / Cement Casing / Formation Tensile or Shear

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 More Answers

• Level 2 - Routine logs:

– Temperature survey
– Noise logs
– Stretch/Free point survey
– CBL/VDL

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 Temperature Surveys

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 Final Answer

• Level 3 - Sophisticated logs and well performance:

– Pressure tests (positive or negative)

– Other communication tests
– Radioactive tracer surveys
– Azimuthal sonic logs (SBT, SCMT,..
– Ultrasonic logs (USIT, isolation Scanner Tool,..etc.)
– Production tests

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 Pressure & Communication Testing

• Casing pressure test

• Casing shoe test
• Leak-off test (LOT)
– Extended leak-off test ( ExLOT)
• Formation integrity test (FIT)
• Positive Liner Top Test
• Negative Liner Top Test

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 Leak-off Test

A - Leak-off pressure
Pressure (psi)

B - Maximum pressure
C - ISIP
D - Fracture closure pressure

Volume (bbl)

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 Formation Integrity Test

Pressure

Volume

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 Communication Testing

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 Liner Top

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 Temperature & Noise Logs

Temperature (oF) Peak Noise (mV)

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 Radioactive Tracer Survey

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 Cement Evaluation Logs

• Logs issues
– Mud in washout
– Good cement
– Centralization
– Perforations
– Microannulus
– Gas invasion/dry
microannulus
– Mud channel
– Casing Weld

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 Difficulties with Cement Logs

• Cement evaluation logs : CBL /VDL

– available since early 60’s
– R&D works in the 80’s

Still a lot of questions……and limitations

• Ultrasonic imaging and its limitations

• Microannulus, still the plague

• Recent Improvements:
Foamed & Lightweight High Strength cements

Flexural attenuation – Isolation Scanner Tool

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