Cement

General EvaluationWireline

Cement Bond LogCasing Strength

InterpretationCased Hole

Purpose
This chart is used to determine the decibel attenuation of casing
from the measured cement bond log (CBL) amplitude and convert
it to the compressive strength of bonded cement (either standard
or foamed).
Description
The amplitude of the first casing arrival is recorded by an acoustic
signal-measuring device such as a sonic or cement bond tool. This
amplitude value is a measure of decibel attenuation that can be
translated into a bond index (an indication of the percent of casing
cement bonding) and the compressive strength (psi) of the cement
at the time of logging.
Enter the chart on the y-axis with the log value of CBL amplitude
and move upward parallel to the 45 lines to intersect the appropriate casing size. At that point, move horizontally right to the attenuation scale on the right-hand y-axis. From this point, draw a line
through the appropriate casing thickness value to intersect the compressive strength scale. The casing wall thickness is calculated by
subtracting the nominal inside diameter (ID) from the outside
diameter (OD) listed on the table for threaded nonupset casing
and dividing the difference by 2.

Cem
258

Example
Given:
Log amplitude reading = 3.5 mV in zone of interest
and 1.0 mV in a well-bonded section (usually the lowest
millivolt value on the log), casing size = 7 in. at
29 lbm/ft, casing thickness = 0.41 in., and neat cement
(not foamed).
Find:
Compressive strength and bond index of the cement at
the time of logging.
Answer: Enter the 3.5-mV reading on the left y-axis of Chart
Cem-1 and proceed to the 7-in. casing line.
Move horizontally to intersect the right-hand y-axis at
8.9 dB/ft.
Determine the casing thickness as (7 6.184)/2 = 0.816/2
= 0.41 in. Draw a line from 8.9 dB/ft through the 0.41-in.
casing thickness point to the compressive strength scale.
Cement compressive strength = 2,100 psi.
To find the bond index, determine the decibel attenuation of the
lowest recorded log value by entering 1.0 mV on the left-hand y-axis
and proceeding to the 7-in. casing line. Move horizontally to intersect
the right-hand y-axis at 12.3 dB/ft.
Divide the precisely determined decibel attenuation for the CBL
amplitude in the zone of interest by this value for the lowest millivolt
value: 8.9/12.3 = 72% bond index.
A 72% bond index means that 72% of the casing is bonded. This
is not a well-bonded zone because a value of 80% bonding over a 10-ft
interval is historically considered well bonded. Although the logging
scale is a linear millivolts scale, the decibel attenuation scale is logarithmic. The millivolts log scale for the CBL value cannot rescaled
in percent of bonding. If it were, the apparent percent bonding
would be 65% because most bond log scales are from 0 to 100 mV
reading from left to right, over 10 divisions of track 1, or conversely
100% to 0% cement bonding for 0 mV = 100% bonding and
100 mV = 0% bonding.

Cement EvaluationWireline

Cement Bond LogCasing Strength

InterpretationCased Hole

Threaded Nonupset Casing

OD
(in.)

Weight
per ft
(lbm)

Nominal
ID
(in.)

Drift
Diameter
(in.)

OD
(in.)

Weight
per ft
(lbm)

Nominal
ID
(in.)

Drift
Diameter
(in.)

OD
(in.)

11.60

3.428

3.303

412

9.50
11.60
13.50

4.090
4.000
3.920

3.965
3.875
3.795

434

16.00

4.082

3.957

11.50
13.00
15.00
17.70
18.00
21.00

4.560
4.494
4.408
4.300
4.276
4.154

4.435
4.369
4.283
4.175
4.151
4.029

17.00
20.00
22.00
23.00
24.00
26.00
28.00
29.00
30.00
32.00
35.00
38.00
40.00

6.538
6.456
6.398
6.366
6.336
6.276
6.214
6.184
6.154
6.094
6.004
5.920
5.836

6.413
6.331
6.273
6.241
6.211
6.151
6.089
6.059
6.029
5.969
5.879
5.795
5.711

13.00
14.00
15.00
15.50
17.00
20.00
23.00

5.044
5.012
4.974
4.950
4.892
4.778
4.670

4.919
4.887
4.849
4.825
4.767
4.653
4.545

20.00
24.00
26.40
29.70
33.70
39.00

7.125
7.025
6.969
6.875
6.765
6.625

7.000
6.900
6.844
6.750
6.640
6.500

14.00
17.00
19.50
22.50

5.290
5.190
5.090
4.990

5.165
5.065
4.965
4.865

15.00
16.00
18.00
20.00
23.00

5.524
5.500
5.424
5.352
5.240

5.399
5.375
5.299
5.227
5.115

24.00
28.00
32.00
36.00
38.00
40.00
43.00
44.00
49.00

8.097
8.017
7.921
7.825
7.775
7.725
7.651
7.625
7.511

7.972
7.892
7.796
7.700
7.650
7.600
7.526
7.500
7.386

17.00
20.00
22.00
24.00
26.00
26.80
28.00
29.00
32.00

6.135
6.049
5.989
5.921
5.855
5.837
5.791
5.761
5.675

6.010
5.924
5.864
5.796
5.730
5.712
5.666
5.636
5.550

34.00
38.00
40.00
45.00
55.00

8.290
8.196
8.150
8.032
7.812

8.165
8.071
8.025
7.907
7.687

29.30
32.30
36.00
40.00
43.50
47.00
53.50

9.063
9.001
8.921
8.835
8.755
8.681
8.535

8.907
8.845
8.765
8.679
8.599
8.525
8.379

512

534

758

858

9
658

958

Weight
per ft
(lbm)

Nominal
ID
(in.)

Drift
Diameter
(in.)

10

33.00

9.384

9.228

1034

32.75
40.00
40.50
45.00
45.50
48.00
51.00
54.00
55.50

10.192
10.054
10.050
9.960
9.950
9.902
9.850
9.784
9.760

10.036
9.898
9.894
9.804
9.794
9.746
9.694
9.628
9.604

1134

38.00
42.00
47.00
54.00
60.00

11.150
11.084
11.000
10.880
10.772

10.994
10.928
10.844
10.724
10.616

12

40.00

11.384

11.228

13

40.00

12.438

12.282

1338

48.00

12.715

12.559

16

55.00

15.375

15.187

1858

78.00

17.855

17.667

20

90.00

19.190

19.002

2112

92.50
103.00
114.00

20.710
20.610
20.510

20.522
20.422
20.322

2412

100.50
113.00

23.750
23.650

23.562
23.462

Weight per foot in pounds is given for plain pipe (no threads
or coupling).
Drift diameter is the guaranteed minimum inside diameter of
any part of the casing. Use drift diameter to determine the
largest-diameter equipment that can be safely run inside the
casing. Use inside diameter for volume capacity calculations.

continued on next page

259

Cem

General EvaluationWireline
Cement

Cement Bond LogCasing Strength

Cem-1

InterpretationCased Hole

(former M-1)

Casing size (mm)

Centered tool only, 3-ft [0.914-m] spacing

194
140
176

115

273
340
Attenuation
(dB/m)
1

70

Compressive strength
(psi)
(mPa)

2
50

40

30

12

30
4,000

20

15

6 20

10
9
8
7
6

25
3,000
20

Casing thickness
(mm)
(in.)
0.6
15

24

0.5

28

10

0.4

10
32

15
2,000

9 lbm
7 in. at 2

4
CBL amplitude
(mV)

16

10
8
0.3
7

1,000

1,000

11 36
6

12

800

40
5

0.2

13

44

1
14
15
16

500
3

4
48

0.5

500

250

Foamed cement
3

52

1
100

17 56

0.5

300
2

13 3/8
3
10 /4

7
51/2

Cem

50

18

0.2
41/2

(dB/ft)

75/8

Casing size (in.)

Schlumberger

260

0.3

200

100

Standard
cement