CEMENTING

Assoc. Prof. Issham Ismail

Faculty of Chemical & Energy Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi Malaysia,
Johor Bahru, Malaysia.

These presentation slides are strictly for domestic use.

 Cementing
(Definition)

The application of a liquid slurry of

cement and water to various points inside
or outside the casing. Can be categorized
into primary cementing, secondary
cementing, and squeeze cementing.
 Primary Cementing
(Definition)

The cementing operation that takes place

immediately after the casing has been run
into hole; used to provide a protective
sheath around the casing, to segregate the
producing formation, and to prevent the
undesirable migration of fluids.
 Secondary Cementing
(Definition)

Any cementing operation after the

primary cementing operation. Secondary
cementing includes a plug-back job, in
which a plug of cement is positioned at a
specific point in the well and allowed to
set. Wells are plugged to shut off bottom
water or to reduce the depths of the well
for other reasons.
 Squeeze Cementing
(Definition)

The forcing of cement slurry by pressure

to specified points in a well to cause seals
at the points of squeeze. It is a secondary
cementing method that is used to isolate a
producing formation, seal off water, repair
casing leaks, etc.
 Cementing
(Functions)

Restrict fluid movement between permeable

zone.
Mechanical support for the casing string.
Protect casing from corrosion by sulphate-
rich formation waters.
Support for the wellbore walls to prevent
collapse of formations.
 Manufacture of Portland Cement
Raw materials comprise calcareous materials and argillaceous
materials.
Preparation of raw blends can use dry or wet processes.
Ground into fines and fed into upper part of rotary kiln at a
uniform rate, and heated gradually to a liquid state.
Rotary kiln is heated up to 1427C 1538C.
Chemical reactions occur and undergo cooling process.
Clinker is produced and stored in silos.
Clinker is ground together with gypsum (1.5 3%) to prevent
flash setting of cement and control free CaO.
Cement is then sampled, analysed, and strored in silos.
 Chemical Compounds in Cement
Component Formula Abbreviation Total (%)

Tricalcium silicate 3CaO.SiO2 C3S 50

Dicalcium silicate 2CaO.SiO2 C2S 25
Tricalcium aluminate 3CaO.Al2O3 C3A 10
Tetracalcium aluminoferrite 4CaO.Al2O3 C4AF 10
Other oxides (i.e. gypsum, 5
sulphates, magnesium, etc.)

.
 Classes of Cement
Agencies involved in the cement specifications:
- ACI (American Concrete Institute)
- ASTM (American Society for Testing Materials)
- API (American Petroleum Institute)

For petroleum industry:

- ASTM: Types I, II, III, IV, and V.
- API: Classes A, B, C. D, E, F, G, H.
 Classes of Cement (Contd)
API Class Depth (ft)
A 0 6000
(ASTM, Type I)
B 0 6000
(ASTM 150, Type II)
C 0 6000
(ASTM 150, Type III)
D 6000 10 000
E 10 000 14 000
F 10 000 16 000
G 0 8000
H 0 8000
Resistant to sulphate Others
- -
Normal & high -
Normal & high High early strength
Normal & high High temp and press
Normal & high High temp and press
High High temp and press
Normal & high Retarder and accelerator
can be used in wider
range of depth and temp
Normal Retarder and accelerator
can be used in wider
range of depth and temp
 Additives
Well cementing involves well of 700F to below freezing point, formation
pressure up to 30 000 psi, porous/weak formation, corrosive fluid, etc. Thus,
well may require additive(s). Additives can be divided into eight categories:
Accelerators decrease thickening time.
Retarders increase thickening time.
Extenders reduce density of cement slurry,
Weighting agents increase cement density.
Dispersants neutralize particles charges.
Fluid loss control agents to control loss of fluid into formation.
Circulation loss control agents to prevent excessive loss of slurry into
fractures, etc.
Special additives mud decontaminants, anti-foam agents, strengthening
agents to reduce the effect of perforation and other
forces in well), and radioactive tracer (to locate cement
top behind casing).
 Single Stage Primary Cementing Job
Mud conditioning: after the completion of casing running, mud is
circulated to remove mud pockets of high gel strength formed during
logging, running casing, etc.
Bottom plug is dropped into well.
Spacer, which acts as a buffer between cement slurry and drilling fluid
is pumped into well to remove drilling fluid during cementing.
Cement slurry is pumped into well (placed behind spacer).
Top plug is dropped into well.
Displacing mud is pumped into well (follows top plug).
Bottom plug reaches the float collar, a pressure builds up and ruptures
the plugs diaphragm.
Cement slurry enters annulus.
Top plug seats in the float collar, the surface pump pressure builds up
sharply, signaling the the cement job is complete.
 Two-Stage Cementing Job
The 1st stage cementing is similar as the single stage primary
cementing job. Top of cement is located below the stage collar.
Stage two begins by dropping the opening bomb.
Opening bomb with the assistance of pumping pressure opens the port
in the stage collar.
Displaced mud to condition well.
Cement slurry is pumped into well and is prevented from flowing
downwards by cementing basket.
Closing plug is dropped into well. When it reaches the stage collar, the
pressure exerted by pump on the displacing fluid will move the sleeve
to close position.
The cement job is complete.
Opening Bomb and Closing Plug
Opening and Closing a D.V. Collar
 Cementing Calculations
(Important Points to Remember)

1 sack of cement weighs 94 lb.

Has 1 cu ft of bulk volume (the sum total of the volume
occupied by the cement particles plus the air space
between those particles).
Has absolute volume of 0.0382 gal/lb. This means the
particles of cement only contained in one sack occupy a
volume of 0.48 cu ft (i.e. 0.0382 94) = 3.59 gal.
It means 0.48 cu ft is particles of cement and 0.52 cu ft is
air that fills the spaces between those particles.
Water density = 62.4 lb/ cu ft
1 cu ft = 7.48 gal.
SGcement = 3.14 and SGbentonite = 2.7
 Cementing Calculations
(Formulae used)

Slurry density = (lb cement + lb water + lb additives)

(gal cement + gal water + gal additives. Unit is lb/gal.

Absolute slurry volume = lb substance (8.3 lb/gal

SG of the substance). Unit is gallon or gal.

Total slurry volume = (Gal cement + Gal air + Gal additives)

7.48 gal/cu ft.

% mixed water = (lb water lb cement) 100%

Water-cement ratios are usually expressed in gallons per sack.

 Cementing Calculations
(Examples)

Slurry density calculation with bentonite.

See Example 1

Cementing calculation for a given well.

See Example 2
 Cement Testing
Dry cement powder testing to determine compositions of the
cement, i.e. C3S, C3A, C4AF, etc. Use Flame Atomic Absorption
Spectrophotometry, X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron
Microcopy, etc.
Cement slurry to determine thickening time (consistometer,
400F and 25 000 psi), fluid loss (filter press of P 100 psi or
1000 psi), free water (measuring cylinder of 250 ml for two hrs)
and slurry sedimentation, rheology measurements (rotational
viscometers and capillary rheometer), and slurry density
(pressurized mud balance).
After cement setting compressive strength (curing chamber
and hydraulic press), permeability (water of 20 200 psi is
forced to flow for 15 mins or until 1 mm of filtrate is collected,
then use Darcys Law), quality of cementing job (CBL,
temperature log, nuclear log, etc.).
THANK YOU