Gulf of Thailand Case Study: Improving Zonal Isolation with an Advanced yet Simplified Cementing System

Abstract

The Gulf of Thailand is characterized by shallow-water depth wells with bottomhole static temperature ranging from 240 to more than 420°F. These wells are drilled to an average of 12,000 ft MD and 9,000 ft TVD with a fast paced-batch drilling strategy. Most cement jobs are done offline, and on the surface section can be as frequent as 6 jobs per day. With multiple rigs, operators can require more than 100 cementing operations per month and cement volumes as high as 18,000 bbl. This efficient operations environment creates a demand for a logistically and operationally simple cement system that can be applied in all well sections and across the full range of expected temperatures. An advanced, lightweight seawater-based cementing concept was tested for this application. This new cementing system uses a single blend with only 3 to 4 primary liquid additives (including a stable, high-temperature, multifunctional polymer) to adjust all primary cement jobs for the entire wellbore. A sophisticated lab testing program was conducted for the innovative cementing concept according to the required demands on cement slurry design given the harsh wellbore conditions in the Gulf of Thailand. Tests revealed that the developed cementing systems meet all well requirements despite low densities of 13.3 to 14.0 ppg with high water content. This advanced cementing system was introduced in 2011 and has gradually been used on all wells since then -to date more than 500 wells in the Gulf of Thailand. In addition to improving logistics, use of the system has enhanced cement bond quality in production tubing cementing jobs. This improvement also reduced pay at risk due to insufficient cement isolation. This is evident in the whole range of well temperatures.