Characterizing Casing-Cement-Formation Interactions Under Stress Conditions: 
Impact on Long-Term Zonal Isolation

Mueller, Dan; Virgilio, GoBoncan; Dillenbeck, Robert; Thomas, Heinold

doi:10.2523/90450-ms

Cited by 14 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 3 publications

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“…A numerical wellbore stress model was run to illustrate the different performances of each cement system for an identical well scenario. The model predicts likely cement sheath failure as a pass-fail feature based on maximum calculated stress compared to the known strength of the cement as described by Mueller et al (2004) and Myers et al (2005). The model assumes that casing, cement, and formation are linear elastic, isotropic, and homogeneous as well as mechanically coupled.…”

Section: "Conventional"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cementing Solutions for Corrosive Well Environments

Brandl¹,

Cutler²,

Seholm³

et al. 2010

International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China

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Main factors which are responsible for the corrosion of the cement sheath in wells are determined based on lab tests and field analyses from a literature survey. A description of the chemistry, mineralogy, physical properties of API well cements and their mechanisms of corrosion in the presence of aggressive formation and injection fluids (such as magnesia or sulfate containing brines and CO 2 ) are given. API cement hydration mainly produces Calcium-Silicate-Hydrate (C-S-H) phases, which are responsible for the strength, and portlandite "Ca(OH) 2 " which is basically a weak point within the cement matrix. Increasing permeability and portlandite content reduce strength and chemical resistance of set cement towards corrosive media. The addition of pozzolanic materials eliminates portlandite and allows lowering the water content in the cement system. Both effects can reduce the permeability and improve the mechanical properties of set cement. Cement specimens were prepared and exposed to CO 2 loaded water at 300 °F and 3,000 psi for 6 months. Mechanical properties tests, microscopy, and quantitative CaCO 3 analyses revealed significantly less corrosion and negative impacts for an API cement-pozzolan blend compared to a conventional API cement design at same density. Practical and economical concepts for improvements of the cement sheath with respect to cement slurry design, cementing process and the impact of factors such as temperature or cement admixtures are presented to mitigate cement corrosion.1. Understand the mineralogy, chemistry, and physical properties of set API cements. 2. Study the mechanisms of different corrosion types for API cements and potential solutions based on a literature survey. 3. Design and test an "pozzolan" API cement system in comparison to a "conventional" system for a corrosive well scenario (CO 2 , BHST 300 °F, 3,000 psi) with occurring mechanical downhole stresses. 4. Compose necessary cementing guidelines for corrosive well environments.

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Section: "Conventional"mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cementing Solutions for Corrosive Well Environments

Brandl¹,

Cutler²,

Seholm³

et al. 2010

International Oil and Gas Conference and Exhibition in China

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“…While some researchers develop computational techniques based on simplifications such as assumptions of linear elasticity, axisymmetric geometry or lack of cement shrinkage [14,15], most of the proposed computational methods recognize the necessity to encompass interaction of all components of the well as well as to include the entire loading history in order to obtain valid information about the state of stress in the cement sheath at a given time and given location. Some workers choose to develop or employ analysis techniques which lack detailed analysis of the stress state of casing, cement and formation, but concentrate more on the loading history, such as the Stress Analysis Model (SAM) described and applied in references [13,12,16,17] or the System Response Curve (SRC) technique as proposed in reference [18].…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite Element Studies of Near-Wellbore Region During Cementing Operations: Part I

Podnos

Becker

2007

Production and Operations Symposium

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fax 01-972-952-9435. AbstractA wellbore cement sheath is expected to provide zonal isolation and borehole integrity during well construction and well life. Cement sheaths mechanically interact with other elements in the wellbore region to stresses from geological processes and operational activities. Quantifying these interacting physical components and processes has technical, economic, and environmental implications of great, and growing, significance.Staged finite element procedures during well construction sequentially consider the stress states and displacements at and near the wellbore. The model replicates complicated stress states arising from simultaneous action of far-field stresses, overburden pressure, cement hardening and shrinkage, debonding at the interfaces, and plastic flow of cement sheath and rock formation. Presently, temperature and flow are not included. The technique tracks the time-dependent behavior of cement slurry, curing (with or without shrinkage), and hardened cement during the critical period after slurry placement.Material models for casing, cement and rock formation, failure criteria for cement, formation and interface bonds were calibrated using published information and experimental data. Calculations were conducted for various loading and unloading scenarios, geometric configurations, properties of rock formations, and cement slurry formulations. Results are discussed in terms of field implications, for example: (1) interface micro-channels may or may not develop, depending upon shrinkage magnitudes; (2) simplifying modeling assumptions that are often used, such as 2-D stresses and/or deformations, may obscure critical casing, cement, and formation behavior in the wellbore region, and in the producing horizon.This paper, part of a series quantifying the interacting physical components and processes at and near the wellbore region, initiates useful comparisons of analytical results and field realities. The series illustrates and compares results and practical implications for simple to increasingly complex, but more realistic assumptions, such as isotropic/directional stress states, and isotropic/anisotropic casing, cement, and formation material parameters.

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“…It was observed that dynamic mechanical properties are considerably larger than the static ones. A significant difference between cement Young's modulus in tension and compression was discussed by Mueller et al (2004). ASTM methods were applied by Heinhold et al (2002) for measuring cement flexural and tensile strengths.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Finite Element Simulation of Downhole Stresses in Deep Gas Wells Cements

Nabipour

Joodi²,

Sarmadivaleh

2010

All Days

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Deep gas reservoirs are going to play more important roles in meeting growing demand of natural gas throughout the world. Due to extreme conditions of downhole stresses, pressure and temperature that occur in deep gas wells, maintaining cement mechanical integrity and zonal isolation have become critical concerns of industry during drilling, completion, and production of such wells. Cement sheath is expected to provide a flawless annular seal between casing and formation along the wellbore. However; cement failure cases which are being reported regularly show that there is still need for understanding extreme downhole conditions and the behavior of cement sheath experiencing such an environment. Although Uniaxial Compressive Strength (UCS) of cement is commonly regarded as the most important mechanical property of cement, recent theoretical and experimental results show that other mechanical properties of cement can be even more determinative in its failure.In this study, Finite Element Method (FEM), a widely-used robust numerical tool, is used for simulation of the downhole environment by modeling temperature, pressures, stresses, downhole materials and their interactions. Using this approach magnitude, direction and type of induced stresses in casing, cement, and formation have been determined. Furthermore; a series of sensitivity analyses was performed to reveal the effects of variation of various parameters such as casing internal pressure, differential horizontal stress and casing eccentricity, on the induced stresses in the cement sheath.Radial, tangential and von Mises stress profiles in the deep gas wells cements were investigated. Furthermore, the effect of casing internal pressure, differential horizontal stress and casing eccentricity were studied in the model. Results show that deep gas wells' cements experience extreme amounts of thermal and mechanical stresses and special consideration is required in cement selection.

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Characterizing Casing-Cement-Formation Interactions Under Stress Conditions: Impact on Long-Term Zonal Isolation

Cited by 14 publications

References 3 publications

Cementing Solutions for Corrosive Well Environments

Cementing Solutions for Corrosive Well Environments

Finite Element Studies of Near-Wellbore Region During Cementing Operations: Part I

Finite Element Simulation of Downhole Stresses in Deep Gas Wells Cements

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