Physics and Mechanics of Primary Well Cementing (eBook)

Alexandre Lavrov graduated from the Moscow State Mining University in 1995. He obtained his PhD (1998) and DSc (2002) degrees at the Physics & Technology Department of the same university. After completing a two-year post-doc with the Mining Group at KULeuven (Belgium, 2000-2002), he joined SINTEF Petroleum Research (Trondheim, Norway) in 2003, where he is currently working as a senior scientist. A. Lavrov has authored or co-authored more than 30 articles in peer-reviewed international journals and has given presentations at numerous international conferences. He has published two scientific monographs and a popular-science book for high-school students while he was working as a researcher at the Moscow State Mining University:He contributes to the advancement of petroleum science and technology as a reviewer for SPE journals and other international publications including Chemical Engineering Science, ASME Journal of FluidsEngineering, Construction and Building Materials, Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, and Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research. His research interests include borehole stability, well integrity, thermal stresses in cement, hydraulic fracturing and computational mechanics.Malin Torsæter obtained her PhD in Physics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology(NTNU) in 2011. She thereafter joined SINTEF Petroleum Research (Trondheim, Norway) where she iscurrently working as a scientist in the field of Drilling and Wells. M. Torsæter has authored or co-authored 16articles in peer-reviewed international journals, together with several non-referred papers and book contributions. She is currently the manager of several large research projects at SINTEF, and she contributes to the advancement of petroleum science and CO2 storage as a reviewer of International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control. Her number-one research interest is Well Integrity, and she has been an invited speaker on the topic at 13 different conferences. M. Torsæter has presented her research results to a broad public through information channels like blogs, radio, public debates, technical magazines, open seminars and national newspapers.

Preface 6
Contents 8
1 Introduction 10
Abstract 10
1.1 Why Drill Wells? 10
1.2 The Basics of Well Drilling and Cementing 11
1.3 The Importance of Well Cement Integrity 13
1.4 Cement Chemistry 14
1.5 Summary and Discussion 15
References 16
2 Properties of Well Cement 17
Abstract 17
2.1 Properties of the Cement Slurry 18
2.2 From Slurry to Solid: Cement Hardening 22
2.3 Properties of Hardened Cement 24
2.4 Summary and Discussion 30
References 30
3 Fluid Flow and Displacement in the Annulus 32
Abstract 32
3.1 Forces Acting on Mud During Mud Displacement 36
3.2 Kinematic Model of Annular Cementing 36
3.3 Effect of Eccentric Annulus 39
3.4 Effect of Borehole Shape 48
3.5 Lost Circulation 59
3.6 Effect of Well Inclination 60
3.7 Example Case History: Primary Cementing in a Horizontal Well 62
3.8 Effect of Flow Regime 63
3.9 Effect of Pipe Movement 65
3.10 Models of Cement Flow in the Annulus 66
3.11 Summary and Discussion 67
References 68
4 Heterogeneities in Cement 70
Abstract 70
4.1 Large-Scale Channels/Pockets 71
4.2 Enhanced Cement Porosity 71
4.3 Cement Slurry Settling 73
4.4 Interface Defects 73
4.5 Measurements of Cement Bonding Quality 76
4.6 Operation-Induced Damage 78
4.7 Summary and Discussion 78
References 79
5 Formation Stresses, Casing Pressure, and Annular Cement 81
Abstract 81
5.1 Initial Stresses in Annular Cement 84
5.2 Effect of Casing Pressure Increase on Annular Cement 86
5.3 Effect of Casing Pressure Decrease on Annular Cement 88
5.4 Effect of an Uncemented Channel on Stresses in Annular Cement Caused by Casing Pressure Changes 90
5.5 Effect of Formation Stress Changes on Annular Cement 91
5.6 From Stresses to Well Integrity: Microannulus, Cracks, and Permeability Hysteresis 92
5.7 Summary and Discussion 94
References 96
6 Thermal Stresses in Annular Cement 98
Abstract 98
6.1 Effect of Casing Temperature Increase on Well Cement 99
6.2 Effect of Casing Temperature Decrease on Well Cement 103
6.3 Effect of Eccentric Casing Positioning 104
6.4 Summary and Discussion 105
References 106
7 Knowledge Gaps and Outstanding Issues 107
Abstract 107
References 109
Index 110