OVERVIEW Cement and Isolation The main purpose of cement over the production interval is to provide isolation between neighboring zones. Hydraulic isolation allows the well operator to selectively complete certain zones and assures that fluids will not move into or from neighboring zones through the borehole behind casing. Failure of isolation can cause a myriad of problems such as water production, depletion of gas drive mechanism, loss of production to neighboring zones, contamination of fresh water sands, and the like. The remedy for such problems is an expensive squeeze cement job which may only have a marginal chance of success. Acoustic Bond Logs-What They Measure The intent of running cement bond logs is to evaluate hydraulic seal. Other reasons exist for running bond logs, such as determining cement coverage, compressive strength, locate cement tops, and possibly others. Acoustic cement bond logs do not measure hydraulic seal! Instead they measure the loss of acoustic energy as it propagates through casing. This loss of acoustic energy can be related to the fraction of the casing perimeter covered with cement. If the cement compressive strength is constant over the logged interval, this fraction of cement annular fill is called Bond Index. Referring to Figure herein acoustic bond logs are suitable to detect annular fill of cement and therefore can detect channels within the cement of the types I and II. These channels types of channels in cement directly affect the fraction of the annulus contacting cement. Types III and IV are virtually invisible to the acoustic bond logs unless they are large and the cement sheath contacting the pipe becomes very thin. Type V, the condition called "gas cut cement," would be detected but not recognized as such. Types of Acoustic Bond Logs There are at least four types of acoustic bond logs. There is the conventional cement bond log (CBL). This is the most common bond log. An improvement to this tool is the borehole compensated bond log. Neither of these tools has the capacity for azimuthal discrimination of cement. However, in recent years bond logs have incorporated multiple directional receivers for some azimuthal resolution. One company has placed the transmitters and receivers on pads contacting the casing wall CEMENT BOND LOG (CBL) TOOL CONFIGURATION AND OPERATION Tool Configuration The CBL tool is shown schematically on Figure herein The tool typically has a single omni directional acoustic transmitter and two receivers. Most common is a receiver at three feet and another at five feet from the transmitter. Other variations may exist, including tools having a single receiver at a four foot spacing. This tool has no azimuthal capability.'·' Instead the received signal is an average from all around the pipe. This tool must be accurately centralized and cannot be run with gas or gas bubbles in the wellbore. CBL transmitters typically operate in the 15,000 to 30,000 hertz range and pulse at rates from 15 to 60 pulses per second, depending on the tool and service company. FACTORS AFFECTING TOOL PERFORMANCE • Centralization • Micro annulus: Some causes of micro annulus are listed below: • The pressure inside the casing is less at the time of logging that at the time of cement curing. This may be caused by: • Reducing the casing fluid weight • Lowering of the fluid level in the casing • Holding pressure on the casing while cement cures • Thermal expansion of the casing while the cement is curing followed by a return to normal temperatures • Cool fluid circulated shortly before running the CBL • Pressure testing or squeezing after cement has cured • Cement Curing Time • Uncured cement is essentially a liquid slurry and affords no support to the casing in shear. Therefore, its presence around the pipe looks like poor bond to a CBL Jog prior to curing. • Borehole Fluids:The fluids in the borehole may affect the ultimate amplitude detected at the receiver. • Other Factors • Other factors which may affect the measured amplitude include the cement compressive strength, foamed cement, casing size, and weight