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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF DRILLING CONTRACTORS
Rig equipment,
automation,
drilling controls
SOLIDS CONTROL &
CUTTINGS DISPOSAL
Triple-deck shale shaker, mobile processing
trucks advance industry capabilities, efficiency
REGIONAL FOCUS:
AFRICA
Despite weak spots, drilling contractors see
strong prospects offshore Angola, Ghana
114 September/October 2010 D R I L L I N G C O N TRA C TO R
C O M P L E T I O N S
Responsive, self-healing cement technology
promises to improve long-term zonal isolation
A HIGH PERCENTAGE of the
total number of wells worldwide leak or
show sustained casing pressure (SCP).
Loss of zonal isolation, especially when
leaks are vented to surface, pose safety
and environmental risks, as well as the
loss of valuable hydrocarbons.
A solution to mitigate the risk of oil or
gas leaks has been developed based on
a responsive cement blend with intrinsic
self-healing properties automatically
activated upon hydrocarbon exposure.
Combined with good well clean-up and
cementing practices, this material sig-
nificantly reduces the risk of loss of
hydraulic isolation during production
and after abandonment. The technology
has been applied in several locations,
including gas storage wells in the south
of France.
LEAK-FREE WELLS
Several factors can affect long-term
zonal isolation and prevent the achieve-
ment of leak-free wells. These include
the types of cement-based material used,
the slurry properties and the practices
followed during placement of the cement
sheath.
The mechanical properties of the set-
cement are also of prime importance.
Improving cement strength and optimiz-
ing slurry placement help to prevent
hydrocarbon flow; however, changes in
pressure or temperature can damage set
cement and create a potential flow path
for hydrocarbons.
Several technologies have been devel-
oped to improve the mechanical proper-
ties of the cement sheath and thus pre-
vent cracks and microannuli in stressful
downhole environments. While all such
methods increase the resistance of the
cement matrix to physical stresses, none
can accommodate problems that occur
once the cement sheath has actually
failed and becomes permeable.
A new self-healing cement (SHC) tech-
nology has been developed, to mitigat e
the risk of oil or gas leaks in the event of
damage to the cement sheath.
SELF-HEALING CEMENT
The self-healing cement technology,
FUTUR active set-cement technology,
uses a responsive material where the
repair mechanism is automatically acti-
vated upon exposure to hydrocarbons,
to repair leaks when and where neces-
sary. The set material enables automatic
repair when a microannulus or internal
cement cracks are created, thus pre-
vent ing flow of formation fluids through
potential leak paths along the annulus.
The self-healing action is repeatable
if annular integrity is further compro-
mised during the long-term productive
life of the well. If the SHC system is not
exposed to hydrocarbons, it remains in
place and acts as conventional cement.
Use of this new system results not only
in a reduced risk of remediation costs
and associated lost production, it also
increases the wells potential productive
life and addresses possible strengthen-
ing of future environmental regulations.
SHC SLURRY DESIGN
Along with self-healing additives, SHC
slurry formulations contain conventional
additives, such as dispersant, antifoam,
retarder, fluid loss control agent and, if
necessary, gas migration control mate-
rial. The material is mixed and tested
like conventional cements. Standard
tests include measurements of rheologi-
cal properties, free fluid, slurry stability,
fluid loss control, thickening time, and
compressive strength development, mea-
sured by an ultrasonic cement analyzer.
The self-healing properties of the SHC
technology have been demonstrated with
several reservoir oils and with hydro-
carbon gas. Properties of the SHC slurry
and mechanical properties of the set
cement are comparable to conventional
systems. Today, commercial SHC slurries
are available at densities from 1,440 kg/
cu m to 1,920 kg/ cu m (12 to 16 lbm/gal).
Temperature application ranges from 20
to 138 C (68 to 280 F).
WORLDWIDE APPLICATIONS
SHC slurries have been pumped in sev-
eral locations worldwide where issues
with gas leaks were identified as a risk.
The technology was applied in several
wells in an area of western Colorado
known to have problems with gas leak-
Figure 1: Self-healing cement technology can mitigate loss of zonal isolation. Above is
an example of a flow test with hydrocarbon gas under pressure at the end of nitrogen
injection and the flow rate following hydrocarbon gas injection .
By A. Comet, A. Garnier, J. L. Presles,
TOTAL; Helene Bult-Loyer, Philippe
Drecq, Sylvaine Le Roy-Delage and Iker
Unanue Rodriguez, Schlumberger
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At the end of nitrogen fow
At the end of hydrocarbon gas fow
116 September/October 2010 D R I L L I N G C O N TRA C TO R
C O M P L E T I O N S
ing to surface after the cement sheath
had set. These leaks eventually forced
a suspension of drilling operations and
a re-evaluation of cementing practices.
After application of the SHC material,
the incidence of leaking wells in this
area fell to nearly zero.
The SHC system has been applied in two
wells in the Stolberg field in the central
Alberta foothills region to address SCP
and surface casing vent flows . More than
three years after implementation, the
wells have shown no signs of pressure
buildup in the annulus or at surface.
The technology was also used for well
construction as part of a gas field devel-
opment in Algeria , where wells had
developed surface casing leaks days or
weeks following cementing operations.
The application of the SHC system has
reduced the occurrence of these leaks.
Self-healing cement technology has also
been used to enhance zonal isolation in
underground gas storage (UGS) wells in
several countries, mitigating the risks of
leaks that could impact the environment
and reduce the storage capacity of these
wells.
U GS
Underground gas storage systems are
gaining importance in many countries.
They help suppliers maintain invento-
ries of natural gas and reduce the risk
of interruptions that might result from
technical, political or other problems.
The most common type of UGS facility is
a depleted gas reservoir. Drilling activity
is growing to increase storage capacity.
A major challenge faced during the oper-
ation of UGS wells is the maintenance
of wellbore integrity over the short and
long term. Underground storage wells
often cross multiple depleted hydrocar-
bon zones that can still produce gas.
They must also tolerate high injection
pressures, high production rates, and
frequent changes in pressure and tem-
perature.
These wells have long lifetimes (80 years
or more) compared with oil and gas pro-
duction wells. Sustained casing pressure
within the annulus can compromise the
integrity of a UGS well. Sustained casing
pressure can be caused by tubing and
casing leaks, or damage to the cement
sheath resulting from thermal and pres-
sure loading. It can trigger gas leakage,
either through the sheath or through
burst or collapsed casing and tubing.
Many UGS fields are strategically
located close to large urban cities, where
HSE regulations require leak-free wells.
Consequently, SCP can lead to prema-
ture abandonment if there is gas leak-
age.
Self-healing cement technology has been
used to enhance zonal isolation in UGS
wells in France, Germany and Italy.
Results to date indicate that the technol-
ogy is highly effective. For example, log-
ging of well Cortemaggiore 155dir, Italy,
indicates optimal cement bonding to cas-
ing and to formation, providing hydraulic
isolation across permeable zones and
thus safe operation for gas injection and
production .
UGS CASE HISTORY
In 2008, French regulatory authori-
ties allowed an increase in the storage
capacity of a UGS site near Lacq in the
south of France. The reservoirs are aqui-
fers converted into natural gas storage
facilities, which can store large amounts
of natural gas at sufficiently high pres-
sure without lateral or upward leakage.
This case study concerns well Le
Houga 1. A tailored SHC system was
designed to mitigate expected risks,
and a comprehensive study was run to
prove the self-healing properties with
the composition of the gas to be injected
in the reservoir. Tests were performed
on the selected slurry composition in
the Schlumberger Riboud and Product
Center in Clamart, France, and in the
Schlumberger Reservoir Fluids Center in
Edmonton, Canada.
LABORATORY TESTS
A testing system, based on a Hassler
sleeve-type core holder, has been devel-
oped to study the effectiveness of the
SHC at preventing gas leakage after
simulated failures of the cement matrix
under realistic reservoir conditions. Two
types of failure are simulated: Either the
cell with the cement is cured and dried
in such a way that a microannulus is
created due to drying and shrinkage, or
a cylindrical cement sample is fractured
along the longitudinal axis in two parts
and placed back into the cell.
During the flow tests, gas is injected at
a constant rate, and the resulting dif-
ferential pressure across the sample is
measured. This differential pressure
value is directly related to the size of the
microannulus or crack. An increase in
differential pressure during the test indi-
cates that the SHC material has swollen
in the presence of the gas to reduce the
size of the flow path.
In a first step, non-reactive Nitrogen
gas is used to quantify the width of the
micro-annulus or crack. Hydrocarbon
gas is then injected to activate the repair
mechanism.
Laboratory tests on several SHC slurries
confirm that the matrix exhibits self-
healing properties and reduces flow rate
when exposed to hydrocarbon gas under
dynamic conditions and under pressure.
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1.5-month curing period 10.3-month dormant period
At the end of nitrogen fow
At the end of hydrocarbon gas fow
Figure 2: Example of flow test with hydrocarbon gas under pressure with flow rate at
the end of the nitrogen injection and following hydrocarbon injection. These aging tests
demonstrated excellent cement properties after 10.3 months.
118 September/October 2010 D R I L L I N G C O N TRA C TO R
C O M P L E T I O N S
Similar tests on cement systems without
self-healing additives show no decrease
in flow rate.
The slurry design for well Le Houga 1
had a density of 1,440 kg/cu m and a low
fluid loss of 10.7 mL API. Results from
measurements using a Hassler sleeve
confirm a low permeability of 286 nano
Darcy for the set cement. Tests with
hydrocarbon gas indicated excellent per-
formance (Figure 1).
Tests have also been performed to
confirm the long-term matrix integrity
and the preservation of the self-healing
properties of set SCH materials. These
tests have shown that matrix integrity
exhibits no deterioration in mechanical
properties after one year of exposure in
oil. Aging tests in hydrocarbon gas have
shown that self-healing properties are
kept after extended curing in water and
a 320-day dormant period (Figure 2).
SLURRY PLACEMENT
In addition to SHC technology and
appropriate slurry design, good clean-
up and cement placement practices are
essential to minimize risks to long-term
well integrity.
The slurry must be possess the correct
density and rheology to successfully dis-
place spacers and drilling fluids. Spacers
must, in turn, provide adequate separa-
tion between the cement slurry and the
drilling fluid, as well as properly displac-
ing drilling fluid from the annulus.
The pipe centralization program for well
Le Houga 1 was reviewed to ensure that
optimum stand-off could be achieved
(Figure 3). As the section was near-ver-
98.6
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98.8 99.0 99.2 99.4 m 99.6 99.8 100.0
Well Pipe standoff
Between centralizer
At centralizer
Figure 3: The pipe centralization program for well Le Houga 1 was reviewed to ensure
maximum stand off. As the section was nearly vertical, a minimum number of central-
izers was required.
PRESSURE
PRODUCTS
119 September/October 2010
C O M P L E T I O N S
D R I L L I N G C O N TRA C TO R
tical, a minimum number of centralizers
were required to assure all fluids would
flow evenly around the casing. Density
of the weighted spacer was based on
the drilling fluid weight and maximum
hydrostatic pressure that the formation
could withstand during displacement.
Densities, as well as the rheological
properties of the fluids, were optimized
to ensure that the fracture gradient was
not exceeded during cementing.
An annular fluid placement simulator
was used to determine mud removal
efficiency and effective fluid displace-
ment of spacers and slurries used when
cementing in the casing (Figure 4). The
SHC slurry was mixed and pumped with
a standard continuous mixer. Amount of
equipment and personnel was identical
to that for previous operations.
RESULTS
Since the first application in January
2008 of FUTUR active set-cement tech-
nology in this UGS development area ,
three further wells in the area have been
successfully pumped.
The wells have been closely monitored
over time and shown no sign of leakage.
The SHC material has been evaluated
with ultrasonic cement evaluation tools,
as well as traditional CBL-VDL logging
tools. Logging indicates optimal cement
bonding to the casing and to the forma-
tion, providing the assurance of effective
hydraulic isolation and thus safer opera-
tion for these UGS wells.
IADC/SPE 128226, Self Healing Cement
System A Step Forward in Reducing Long
Term Environmental Impact, was presented
at the 2010 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference &
Exhibition, 2-4 February, New Orleans, La.
FUTUR is a mark of Schlumberger.
Article references are available in the online
version of this article at www
.DrillingContractor.org.
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Figure 4: An annular fluid placement simulator was used to determine mud-removal
efficiency and the effective fluid displacement of the spacers and slurries. In these
graphics, the annular placement is cut lengthwise and laid flat, with the center of the
graphics representing the narrowest side of the annulus.