CEMENTING TO ACHIEVE ZONE ISOLATION IN DISPOSAL WELLS Charles George Bruce Thomas Halliburton Services Duncan, Oklahoma ABSTRACT Zone isolation is a key element in the success of a disposal well and is a major criterion by which the success of a disposal well is determined. Subject paper will present state of the art cementing techniques developed for effective zone isolation for waste disposal. Cenenting/sealing compositions presented will include: 1. Gelling preflush that provides a "prop" against which the cement can be pumped, thus helping avoid lost cement returns. 2, Epoxy sealant used on new completions. 3° Durability enhancers such as resins, pozzolans and latex cement. 4. Corrosion resistant epoxy designed to assist in installation of new casing inside old, corroded casing. Job designs for long string and intermediate completions will be presented and discussed, Other topics include cementing tools and water/cement ratios. Field results from sample jobs will be presented. ANTRODUCTION Cementing the casing of a waste disposal well requires the same basic todls, materials and techniques used to perform primary oilvell cementing. The oilwell primary cementing process is explained in the "General" section. GENERAL Regardless of the purpose for which a well is drilled ~-- oil, gas, disposal, injection, geothermal, water or storage --- the well 7I oo usually requires cementing. “Cementing" (also referred to as "primary cementing") is accomplished by placement (usually pumping) of a slurry, usually made up of a cementitious material and water, into the annulus between the outside of the casing and the wall of the hole. Primary cementing is performed for several reasons. 1, Protection of casing from corrosion from the outside. 2. Bonding the casing to the wellbore for support. 3. For zone isolation, e.g, to prevent contamination of fresh water zones by hydrocarbons or salt water. 4, To seal lost circulation or thief zones. 5. Protect casing from shock loads experienced in additional drilling. Squeeze cementing" is usually remedial in nature; this is the process of using hydraulic force to squeeze cement slurry into formation voids or against porous zones. A squeeze is usually performed after the producing zone is reached, but may be applied during drilling to stop lost circulation. Squeeze cementing is performed to help accomplish many objectives. 1, Control excess water. 2. Repair casing leaks. 3. Segregate a hydrocarbon-producing zone from those producing other fluids. 4, Seal off thief zones or lost circulation zones. 5. Prevent fluid migration from abandoned zones or wells. 6. Restore integrity to wellbores where casing has corroded. 7. Fill voids in the primary cement job. | PRIMARY CEMENTING Techniques The most used technique for primary cementing is the single stage, two plug method, which is illustrated in Fig. 1. Required surface and subsurface equipment to perform a primary cementing job (single stage, two-plug) is also shown. | three or four-stage cementing procedures, Multiple stages reduce the hydrostatic pressure created by a cement column, thus reducing the risks of breaking a weak zone and losing circulation. Multiple stage cementing can be more economical in that 1t 1s not necessary to cement the string all the way back to the surface. Multiple stage cementing is alsa inporcant for use in wells where two or more zones are separated by long intervals. ‘The single stage primary cementing procedure illustrated is normally accomplished by mixing and continuously pumping one batch of cement down the casing between two rubber plugs. The plugs (B and €) are equipped with wiping fins to help prevent contamination of the cement by mud, and to help clean the interior of the pipe. when the 78FIG. 1 PRIMARY CEMENTING PROCEDURE 9 Job Finishedtop wiper plug seats, the cement glurry has been placed in the annulue and the displacement is complete. Floating and Guiding Equipment Field-proven casing guiding equipment is available to help the operator conduct an effective primary cement job. L Guide shoes are located on the bottom of the first joint of casing to direct the string away from ledges and obstructions such as shoulders, to minimize sidewall caving while running the casing to the botcom. The shoes pictured in Fig, 2 are equipped with concrete noses that resist abtasion and high impacts, but wiil drill out easily. Some guide shoes have float valves to help prevent slurry back-flow (Fig. 3). Formation packer shoes may be installed on the first joint of casing vhen completing a well vhere low pressure formations must be protected against cement contamination. With the formation packer shoe, the operator can set pipe above the pay zone and pack Off the open hole below (Fig. 4). Floating equipment is used to reduce the effective weight of the casing string, which must be supported by the drilling rig. Weight reduction is effected by prevention of uncontrolled entry of fluid into the pipe. Float valves in the devices also help prevent slurry back-flow after cenenting. ay Float collers (Fig. 5), used alone or combined with a float shoe (Pig. 3) (a) make the casing more buoyant, (b) lighten the load on surface equipment, and (c) help prevent slurry back-flow, Down-jet float shoes (Fig. 6) jet fluid downward to tenove cuttings and filter cake, and create turbulence that allows better cement distribution, Gasing Accessories Mud cake removal, casing centralization and protection of weak zones are important to the success of any primary cementing job. Wall cleaners (Pigs. 7 and 8) remove mud cake from the wellbore wall by reciprocal or rotational movement. Gement baskets (Fig. 9) help (a) protect weak and porous zones, an@ (b) support the cement column while the cenent takes an initial set. Gentralizers (Fig. 10) position casing in the center of the wellbore to help prevent channeling and provide a more uniform thickness of the cement sheath. ixing Equipment Most wells are cemented with cements brought to the site in bulk form and mixed and pumped in a continuous operation. Typically, a 80FIG.2 REGULAR GUIDE ‘SHOE FIG. 5 FLOAT COLLAR, Fig. 4 FORMATION PACKER ‘SHOE FIG. 3 FLOAT SHOE Fic. 6 DOWN JET FLOAT-SHOE,FIG. 7 CABLE TYPE WALL CLEANER (CASING SIZE) L< HINGED BODY ROTATING CASING WALL SCRATCHER, FIG. 10 | CASING CENTRALIZER jrecirculating cement mixer (Fig. 1) is used in conjunction with a two-compartment mixing tub equipped with a turbine agitator in each compartment. The mixer combines water and recirculated slurry with dry cement. These components are partially mixed, then discharged into the first compartment of the tub. A cenent wheel on the throttling valve of the mixer controls entry of dry cement. Water rate is controlled by the mixing manifold on top of the mixing tub. Im the first compartment of the tub, the slurry is blended by an agitator, recirculated by a centrifugal pump, and weighted by a densometer. Any weight variations are corrected automatically. When the first compartment is full, the slurry flows over a weir into the second compartment. Flow over the weir helps remove air from the slurry. ‘The second compartment contains some slurry at the desired weight. ‘The combined slurries (From the two tubs) are blended further by the agitator in the second compartment to help create a uniform mixture. ‘This blended slurry is pumped downhole, Preflush A gelling preflush can je used to displace water and form a thick leading edge for the cement.” Where the formation contains zones of brine or fresh water Flow or extremely weak, saturated sands, the gelling preflush forms a "prop" by gelling on contact with the formation brine (or fresh water treated with calcium chloride to form artificial brine). The viscous gel, which is permanent, serves to help plug channels and formation vugs to help prevent lost circulation while the cement sets. Cements and Additives Curing tines vary widely depending on the environment of the vel, Downhole temperatures in the Permafrost zone are below freezing, and sone steau wells are above 700°. Cement classes G and H, modified by the additives listed below, ate the most commonly used for well cementing. Some 50 additives are available in these classes. 1, Accelerators 2. Lightweight additives 3. Heavyweight additives 4. Retarders 5. Lost circulation control agents Friction reducers Specialty naterials Portland cements can be readily adapted for use in wells where the effluent is categorized as organic, weak organic acid, sewage waste, 83ferric chloride, and chemically treated effluents having a pil of 6 or more. Durability of portland cement can be enhanced by the addition of pozzolan material. The highly reactive silica reacts with the lime liberated during the hydration of the cement, resulting in a more dense set. This reaction reduces the amount of line present to react with the acid effluent. Resistance to attack on the set cement can be improved by decreasing the water-cement ratio of the slurry. Water reduction is possible when a dispersant or viscosity reducer is added to keep the slurry pumpable, The chemical effect of the water reduction is that the nornal calcium silicatgs are present in a dense set cement that has high compressive etrength. Latex is an additive that improves the stability of cement ia the presence of various effluents. This material increases the cost of the slurry byt may offer substantially better resistance to some waste systems. Gementing Disposal Wells. Zone isolation in disposal wells is critical. Injected fluids must be kept away from fresh water supplies and must not be permitted to communicate to the surface. Gommon practice includes setting surface casing sufficiently below the lower limits of fresh water aquifers. The injection casing is then cemented in place with chemical resistant cements or epoxy sealants depending on the fluid to be injected. Use of Epoxy Sealants Corrosion-resistant epoxy sealants can be used in combination with portland and other additives to repair damaged casing and in new completions. In old wells where the casing is corroded, a new casing of smaller dianter can be installed to total depth and sealed to the old casing with a multiple stage cementing tool controlling the epoxy sealant. Examples of this type disposal well repair have been back in use for many years after remedial cementing with epoxy sealant. Some operators follow the epoxy (first stage) with latex cement (second stage) to combat the corrosive effects of the chemicals being injected. Combination of epoxies and cements are used to reduce cost. New completions can also benefit from use of epoxy sealants. A new disposal well in south Texas was cemented in two stages, with epoxy sealant (first stage) followed by portland cement (second stage). A multiple stage tool was used for control of displacement. Details of the job design and execution are shown below. Well Data 4460 ft 12 L/4-in. 84Casing Size 9 5/8~in. Surface Casing 13 3/8-in. Mud Weight 9.5. W/gal BEST 150°F Genenting tool depth 3617 fe Calculations Caliper log + 15% excess Materials Spacer 4000 gal diesel 39 gal gelling agent 17,355 1b fine silica flour Epoxy Sealant 3636 gal unfilled epoxy sealant 42,000 lb silica flour filler Portland Cement 600 sacks lightweight cement Water ratio ~ 7.7 gal/sack Slurry weight ~ 13.6 1b/gal Slurry volume - 1.54 cu ft/sack 400 sacks 50/50 pozzolanie cement Water ratio ~ 5.75 gal/sack Slurry weight 14.2 1b/gal Slurry volume ~ 1.26 cu ft/sack 500 sacks Class H + 5% salt Water ratio ~ 5.2 gal/sack Slurry weight ~ 15.7 Ib/gal Slurry volume ~ 1.19 cu ft/sack Procedure 10. ie Pump 500 gal diesel Pump 840 gal spacer (9.8 1b/gal, gelled) Pump 5550 gal epoxy sealant (13.2 1b/gal) Load shutoff plug Pump 3360 gal spacer Pump 10,668 gal md (9.6 1b/gal) Drop free falling plug and load closing plug Open cementing tool and start circulation, (Check epoxy sealant for hard set @ 118°F in laboratory.) Begin mixing Portland cement ~ 6912 gel lightweight cement, 3770 gal pozzolanic cenent, 3748 gal Class H cement + 5% salt Drop multiple stage cementer closing plug Start displacement ~ 11,634 gal mud Gementing with Microspheres High strength microspheres (HSMS) added to portland cement slurries lighten the weight of the slurries with only minor reductions in compressive strength. In cementing wells with weak or highly permeable zones, a lightweight slurry can help the operator avoid lose of circulation caused by the hydrostatic pressure of the cement column, HSMS additive is essentially air entrapped in hollow beads composed 85mostly of silicon and aluminum, Addition of HSMS to slurries can reduce density to less than the density of the mixing vater alone, with strength suffjcient for use over a wide range of pressures and temperatures, ‘The effective particle density of USMS ranges from 5,25 1bm/gal at atmospheric pressure to 8.33 Iba/gal at 6000 psi. This predictable and Limited density increase with increasing pressure 1s the characteristic that makes USMS suitable for use in high pressure applications. Low vater absorbency and low particle density result in greatly reduced water/cenent ratios compared to low-density admixtures. As a result, the strength of a 10 lbm/gal HSMS slurry is roughly equal to that of a 13 Ibm/gal, slurry prepared from portland cement and other lightweight additives. The example job described below iliustrates the versatility of the SMS method of creating lightweight slurries. Though the job was a remedial action taken to repair a suspected leak in the primary cement, a similar slurry could be used for new completions. Some Florida cities began in the 1970's to dispose of municipal wastes by injection into a very permeable zone at about 2500 ft. Injection rates may exceed 15 million gal/day. Completion practices of the day included tacking the intermediate casing at the bottom and leaving en open annulus to the bottom of the surface casing, which is 30 in. pipe cemented from 1100 ft all the way back to the surface (Fig. 11). ‘The annulus is open from the tacked bottom at TD all the way to che bottom of the intermediate string at 1100 ft. Tn this well, the casing hardware would not permit use of the conventional "top-out" method of displacement, so the "bullhead" (pumped down the annulus) approach was the only option (Pig. 12). Well Daca T, Surface pipe cemented in original completion, not a factor 2. Injection string: 24 in. at 2500 fe (TD), cemented to 2230 ft | 3. nist: 80°F | 4) annular fluid: Fresh water | 5. Hole diameter: 34 in. (average) \ 6. Lost circulation zone at 2230 ft | i Job Criteria T, Bullhead down annulus and £111 to surface. 2. Maintain annular Pw of less than 60 psi to stay under collapse rating of 24 in, injection string. 3. Maintain slurry hydrostatic at or below 1000 psi bottomhole |. pressure to avoid breaking down weak zone at 2230 ft. 4. Slurry must have sufficient pump time for wide variation in pump rates, yet have moderate thixotropic properties and good bridging properties. Slurry Placement T, Lead slurry: 2230 ft to 2130 £t 2, HSMS slurry: 2130 £t to surface 86ABUTS SWISH ‘NLLNSWS TWIdaW3Y 40 NOILIGGY HaL4¥ 3HOJ38 NOLLIGNOS T13M zb"Old tod ‘aL.00s2 ov WHIOKO = 0822 OL yove Gav ovze auans on Elz .06@2 AV 5NOZ NOUWINOHID 1507 aovauns o1 Nado ST7NNNY ‘SNISvO ‘BLWIGSNUSINI 72 zou 2011 OL GALNaW30 Sed BOWAUNSProcedure T, Pump 4000 gal bentonite/water spacer. 2. Pump 98 sk lead slurry consisting of cenent, 25% gel, 10 Ib/sk modified gypsum, 1/4 1b/sk cellophane flakes, and 1% calcium chloride, Lead slurry tagged with 10 me Au-198, Slurry prop- erties: Weight 11.9 1b/gal Yield 3.22 cu ft/sk | Water 19 gal/sk i Punp tine 7 br, 45 min Pump 500 sk HSMS slurry consisting of cement, 217 1b/sk HSMS, 9.4 1b/sk modified gypsum, and 6% calcium chloride, Slurry properties: weight 8.0 1b/gal surface | 8.5 1b/gal at total depth | Yield 10,33 eu ft/sk at surface 9.68 cu ft/sk at total depth Water 33.85 gal/sk Puap time 10 br, 40 min at 80°F BRST Transition time 1 hr, 28 min Special Equipment rupture disks certified at 57 psi to prevent exceeding maxi~ mum Py of 60 psi Well transducer/recorder for accurate pressure control from 0-100 pai, 3. Magnetic flowmeter for accurate pumped volume measurement Special Procedures ee iGe to the High volune of USMS used in the slurry, the dry blend was mixed in three passes at the bulk plant, hauled to the wellsite, blown into a transfer bin on location, then blown into the storage bins for the job. Cement was mixed with a recirculating cement mixer, trans ferred to a blender, and pumped downhole with a conventional cementing unit. 3. A gemma tool was run in the 24 in, casing to monitor the progress of the lead cement throughout the procedure. Following the above procedures, the operator successfully cemented the disposal vell without breaking down the weak formation at 2230 ft. Well was returned to injection. Conclusions | Disposal wells can be cemented using essentially the sane mater | tals, tools, equipment and procedures used on oil and gas wells. Two special materials, epoxy sealant and HSMS additive, have 2 special application in weak formations storing corrosive effluents. 3. Attention to quality control is as important on disposal wells as on petroleum wells. q 88Acknowledgements ‘The authors thank the management of Halliburton Services for permission to present this paper. Special thanks to Lynn Onan of the Halliburton Services Research Center Cementing Section for his input. References Te George, Charles and Faul, Ronald, "Cementing Techniques for Sol tion Mining Wells and Salt Storage Domes: The State of the Art," presented at the Solution Mining of Salts and Brines Symposium, New York, February 25-26, 1985. Garvin, Tom and Creel, Prentice, "Foaned Cement Restores Wellbore Integrity In Old Wells," Oi1 and Gas Journal, August 20, 1984. Ostroot, G. W, and Donaldson, A. L., "Sub-Surace Disposal of Acidic Bffiuents," presented at the Evangeline Section Regional Meeting of SPE of AIME, Lafayette, La., November 9-10, 1970. Slagle, K. A. and Stogner, J. M., " Techniques of Disposing Indus- trial Wastes in Deep Wells", presented at the National Pollution Control Exposition and Conference, Houston, Texas, April 3-5, 1968, Cole, R. C. and Borchardt, J. K., "Optimum Zone Isolation and Injectivity in Corrosive Environments", Drilling Magazine, April, 1985. Harms, W. M. and Sutton, D. L., "ULtralow-Deneity Cementing Oper- ations", SPE 9597, presented at the 1981 SPE Middle East Oil Technical Conference held in Manama, Bahrain, March 9-12, 1981.