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Cap 3 - Cement Spacers and Flushes

Cap 3 - Cement Spacers and Flushes

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Ion Marin
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155 views14 pages

Cap 3 - Cement Spacers and Flushes

Cap 3 - Cement Spacers and Flushes

Uploaded by

Ion Marin
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(CHAPTER 3 CEMENT SPACERS AND FLUSHES.. ISTRODUCTION we FLUID COMPATIBILITY. FoRMatiox COMPATIBILITY... FonnatiowPaesins CoNrabos REQUIRES, SPACERS. FLUSHES — “SPACER OR FLUSH VOLUME. HIGHLIGHTS OF LITERATURE REVIEW REFERENCES. - CHAPTER 3 CEMENT SPACERS AND FLUSHES Introduction ‘The use of cementing spacers ané flushes will not in itself provide assurance of & sceessful cementing operation. Tt must be utilized in conjunction with a well planned, ‘wel engineered cementing program where recognized effective cementing practices ae followed. Spacers and flushes represent only one aspect of the entire program and should rot be considered a “cure all” for such states as poor mud conditioning. Spacers and Ashes can, however, when combined with other gocd cementing techniques greatly prove chances for a successful cementing jo, Spacers and flishes ate similar and overlap in funetion but by definition, they have Sitferent principle functions. Spacers are primarily for separating drilling mod, cement and displacement uid. Cement that has become contaminated with mud will et slower, have lover ultimate Zompressive strengths and may create clabbered uids with high viscosity. Spacers have raditionally accomplished this function by use ofa viscous pill ander density difference. Flushes are primarily used as an aid to mud removal. They accomplish this trough high shear conditions of turbulent Now. Whether or not it sa flush ora spacer, they must be: ‘compatible wi the fluids they come in contact, * compatibie with encountered formations and ‘meet hydrostatic pressure requirements, Flushes and spacers need to be compatible with each other if bath are used, with cement, ‘with deiling mud and maybe the displacement fluid. Incompatibility at the inerface Where the diferent fluids make contact leads to a clabbering effet (very high viscosity). ‘This elabbering effect can create coaditions leading to job flue ifthe fllowing occur: ‘+ The mass of clabbered incompatible uid is to viscous to move and bridges off the annulus leading to fracturing. of susceptible formation er even job + The clabbered Muids may not bridge off the annulus completely, but are not displaced ether. lnstead, they are deposited against the pipe and wellbore ~ as this process continues, new areas of interface are exposed and the Sequeace is repeated, As a result, masses ofclabbered material will not be displaced and thus ‘will result in mud channels inthe erment, Gas migration may be invited with this 3B Formation Compatibility Spacers and flashes must be designed to be compatible with Formations that contain loys, shales and salt zones. Incompatibility would result in sloughing wellbore or the disselving of the salts. Water may act as an effective Mush of drilling mud but may not be suitable if water sensitive formations willbe encountered. Fresh water would also not be compatible with Salt formations ~ which would lead to hole enlargement, Fluid loss characteristics may ‘also be important. Significant loss of fuids to the formation would probably result in increased viscosity and density that would reslt in higher equivalent circulating density, ECD. Formation Pressure Containment Requirements [Assuming thatthe luis in the hole are controlling formation pore pressure, care must be taken to not reduce the hydrostatic pressure too much (due to lower flush density) such that pore pressure is no longer contained, The use of equivalen circulating density, ECD, can be important in the design of ushes and spacers. A pore pressure that is contained while maintaining circulation (by the combination of density eaused pressure hhead and friction pressure head) may no longer contain pore pressure ifthe fluids are stopped. On the other hand, a weighted spacer may create a condition that may cause loss of circulation. Spacers - ‘In addition to their primary purpose of separating drilling Duds from the cement, they also serve several other purposes + Can improve mud displacement efficiency by permiting turbulent low at reasonable pump rates though is theological properties ‘+ Remove drilling uid and fer cake + Protect formations by controlling formation pressure and inhibiting water sensitive formations ‘Choosing the spacer that is “right” fora panicular application will depend on number of factors ' + Type of ceiling uid in the well — oi based or water based ‘+ Densities ofthe dling fod and the cement story + Character of downhole formation + Flid propetes needed to develop turbulence at low rates ‘+ Fluid toss contrat + Contact time of spacer with Formation and pipe Formation protection: For water based spacers, sat or KCI is generally added to protect fresh water sensitive formations. If these chemicals ae included in the cement slurry, the addition of salt or KCI should be included in the spacer or flush. Inclusion of salt or KCI promotes formation protection as well a compatibility. CCementing across lost circulation zones of zones experiencing salt water flow require a specializes spacer or flush system. Systems designed to seal the los circulation zone ‘through an in-situ chemical reaction or by incorporation of lst eireulaion materia in the ‘ui azerecuired 1 help prevent loss of cement o those zones. Zones flowing salt water must also be sealed. (Often oi based fluids may be preferred in drilling becouse water based fluids can damage water sensitive formations sich as clays and shales, Oil based Mids procect these formations but they have a surface which is not receptive to banding to cement. Surfactants, which can be added (othe spacer, can alleviate this problem by emoving the residue left bythe oil based mud and leave a water wet surface to which the cement can effectively ond, Hydrostatic pressure requirements and mud and cement slury densities will determine the density of the spacer Nuid and influence the flow properties ofthe spacer. If the spacer mis be densified, the possibilty of ataining turbulent flow will be reduced because the thicker, heavier fluid is more difiult o shear and pump. ‘Another key element in spacer selection is contact time between the spacer and pipe and formation surfaces. A contac ime of four minutes fora volume of 1D bbl of spacer are considered to be minimum valuos for effective mud displacement and separation of dling vid and cement slurry. Recommended values are based upon criteria relat individual jpb conditions and requirements, The spacer should remain table and be easly mixed and handled i the fel Comme ly avilable spacers generally have the following characterstcs ‘© Viscous uid + Capable of being weighted with brite to 20 Ib/gal + Mined with water salt water or KCI ‘© Cane por into rerbulent flow easily if turbulent Now is required for effectiveness. (oo: all spacers are designed turbulent ow) 4 Has low fuid loss ‘+ Capable of performing at high temperatures Compatible with dri ‘mertace) ‘Quid and cement (does ot form high viscosity at 4 Stuble if fluid is stopped for some time and then restated 33 Note: Some spacers are compatible with both water and oil based deiling Muids and iers are not Flushes Flushes have the primary purpose of scouring out and removing the residues of us that have preceded them in pumping processes. Flushes canbe as simple as ordinary water ot they ean eontsin reactive chemical agens 10 give them special properias and improve their efectiveness. ‘While there is overlap inthe Function of spacers and flushes, there are differences too. ‘The traditional concept ofa flush has been a low viscosity fluid that can reach turbulent flow at a low pamping rte. More ecenly, drilling conditions have brought about the need for more sophisticated Muids capable of being modified for such purposes as + Carrying weighting agents for densification to maintain hydrostatie pressure + Lost circulation contol + Leaving downhole surfaces water wet when displacing oil baseé fhuids thro the addition of surfactants In adition, broken oiF-base muds may have an accelerating effect on the cement setting And water-based mods (ighly eated) may have a retarding effect onthe cement siting. Some flushes neutralize these effects. More recently, foamed Muids have come into favor. ‘They are highly effective in displacing driling Muids (more so that conventional fluids) due to their energized characteristics, Many different fluids including cement canbe foamed for this purpose. Spacer or Flush Volume Sufficient volume of a Mush or spacer is required to maintain separation of the driling, ‘uid and cement slury daring the displacement process. Experience ha indicated tha a ‘minimum of $00 linear annular fet of fluid is required vo accomplish this goal with 1000 Fe linear annular fet normally commended. To achieve good displacement efficiency. 2 volume of flush or spacer which absains a LO-minute contact time while pumping the fluid in turbulence is generally recommended. “Dual Spacer" by Halliburton Energy Services [up DISPLACEMENT TESTS USING SUPER FLUSH AND DUAL SPA ER DRILLING FLUID | ‘SPACER 10 BBLS OF ‘rest TesuncaL | Resuurs CEMENT, | im SLURRY Tet] Tar Ww Fe Ne | Rate pes} @ | @ Dens. For | stand. | tom | Type | ope | 190F | or | Type pp | |x | web [Yor | eo eC arpa] 74 | 3 POT bse 1 ee | soso Sr a ase ike | 930758 COT Tver HTTP per 93 | OORT BE SOT RS Te | PHT te use | sae a Tae ae fase fash $5015 Te eR] Esper | 10 TEL Os | ee mre asses | sr0ise SY wee | ea] pee | 10 RE | a TS ase suskee | S707 ee ce se spur |_ 30 Tp a pwr eo] |S tel) eS ee PSS Bis aE ase spxe_|_10. a a es bose | ee | 0 TW] a] we] SD] Satis) EY S| SE | aT | | | OF ase sae |_10 Co ees sgcer_|_10 wD we | Teo | ae asl sd | S| | Se] | oe | ws) | OF ¢ Soe seocer_|_30 Ce ase soot |_30 yee ee 35 bse sec | 10 a | te | base see | 30 eT ee fa eT ee + double strength *=* regular strength {5b water’ bbl super Mush 5 bel water #985" pipe inside a 6.5" hole as WATER: 3 BbUmin WATER: 6 polimin 2 Ia/Bbl XC: 9 BbUmin Wa ‘ose POSITION AROUND ANNULUS Predicted single-fuid velocity profiles for water and 3 Ibbbi XC polymer. The diagram ‘shows the ratio between local and average velocities at points around an eccentric annulus with 60% standoff. (fem C.F. Lockyear, B P Research 1989) Highlights of Literature Review 1 Hole conditioning: Rell +The degree of mod dehyération (iter cake) might be the main fcror determining the amouné of obtainable cirulatable hole aa given point in ime. ‘+ Excended shut downs were found tobe very detrimental circulatable hole. ‘© Inlaminae flow regime, he higher the pump rae, the higher the circulatable hole. ‘The mud properties played an important role in the cbainablecirculatable hole. “The more viscous the mad, the worse the measured circolarable hole. Sear bond, nyeraulle bond and aenuatlon response (cement ond io ‘measurements were low across areas with thick fer cakes. “The effects of casing rotation and reciprocation without wall cleaners (seratchers) seemed tobe equivalent Faster was beter. 36 + Roiating and/or reciprocating cable wall cleaners caused significant reductions in the amaunt of filter cake. 1+ Flushes increased the amount of circultable hole. The high turbulence of the Aushes was the muin cause of the improvement, and aot necessarily their chemical nature. ‘+ Nexto seratchers, shes in turbulence was the mest effecive method found to substantially reduce the removable filter cake ‘+ Weighted spacers had a postive effect on cicculatable hole + Ina horizontal test, in the near proximity of switl inducing devices (SID), less Seung of mud solids cccurred. + When using SID, erosion of mud solid beds was confined t the near vicinity of the deviee. Ref. + Contact time in removing cuttings and panially hydrated mud should be 10 ‘© Shear stress to obtain good cutting removal should be 25-50 Bf 10042 TL. Mud Displacement Ret. 3 + High mod gel suength requires both density difference ard turbulent low for effective mid removal ‘+ Relatively low gel sueagth mud can be removed by either density difference effect without curbulent Flow Rel. + “Turbulent low displacement is the prefered technique aad should be applied ‘whenever possible. ‘The preflushes must be in turbulent low and if posible, the cement slurries as well” ‘© “Turbulent flow should be achieved all around the annuls for a minimum of time, henee, eccentricity is taken inte account.” + When turbulent flow is not possible, pump rates, fluid sheologies and densities ae designed so that a relatively at imerface exists between the displacing and the displace fluids thus leading to efficient mud removal.” (Plug ow) 111. Mud/Cement Spacers Ref_16 “Cement Spacer Fluid Solids Setting” + "Whether or not a spacer setles under static conditions gives ao indication ‘whether t wil etl under dynamic conditions. Dynamic setlng using a typical turbulent flow spacer weighted with barte is not a problem at deviation angles o€ 60° or less if annular velocities of 1 fUsec are Imainiained (lower deviation angles require less velocity to msinin solids suspension). Pumping a spacer under deviated conditions at calculated turbulent flow rates does not ensure the absence of setling problems. In fact, when dealing with highly deviated wells, pump rates exceeding the minimum rate for turbulence wil ‘sual be required ‘A mathematical corelation has been developed o predict the volumetric flow rate ‘required to maintain solids suspension of turbulent flow spacers under highly

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