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Squeezecementing
Squeezecementing
Squeeze Definition
Squeeze Purpose
Formation Types
Establishing an Injection Rate
Method of Squeezing
Slurry Design
Laboratory Testing
Slurry Placement
Reasons for Failure
Good Habits
Pre-Job Meeting
Review Procedures
Discuss Potential Problems
Establish alternative Procedure
Good Record Keeping
Pressure
Times
Densities, Rates and Volumes
Cement Slurry
Viscosity
Low viscosity.
Entry into small fractures and
small cracks
Slurries using dispersants
preferred
High viscosity
Useful for cementing large voids
(vugs)
Will not flow into narrow
restrictions unless high pressure
applied
High gel strength restricts
movement of the slurry
Laboratory
Testing
Thickening Time
Always use Hesitation Squeeze
Schedule
Simulate Batch Mixing
Monitor Gelling Tendencies
Monitor Settling Tendencies
Modify API Schedule for Actual
Down Hole Conditions
Continue Hesitation until Slurry
Sets
Laboratory
Testing
Fluid Loss
Use Test Procedure in BJ Lab
Manual
Heat Slurry From Ambient
Above 200°F
Condition in Pressurized
Consistometer or use Stirring
Fluid Loss Cell
Thickening Time
Dehydrated
Cement
Casing
FLUID LOSS
(∆P = 1,000 psi)
800 ml / 30 min
150 ml / 30 min
Cement
Nodes
50 ml / 30 min
15 ml / 30 min
6 inch
Casing
Rate Of Filter
Cake Build Up
Permeability of the formation
Low = slow leak off
High = fast leak off
Differential pressure applied
Time over which pressure is
applied
Slurry fluid loss control
Low = slow dehydration
High = fast dehydration
Low permeability and fluid loss can
give excessive job times
High permeability and fluid loss
can cause bridges
Rate of Filter Cake
Build Up (cont.)
For a constant differential
pressure applied
Rate of cement filter cake growth
for a 30 md formation is
approximately twice that for a 300
md formation
For a given cement slurry, the
time taken to form a filter cake of
given thickness will double for a
ten fold decrease in formation
permeability
Filter Cake
Permeability
Lower fluid loss = lower cake
permeability = less solids filtered
out of slurry
The Key is to
“BE CONSERVATIVE”
Proper Execution
Mud
Packer
Spacer
Cement
Viscous Pill
Viscous Pill
Mud
Squeeze Through A
Packer Balanced Plug
Method
Pull out above top of cement (500 ft)
Set the packer and squeeze cement
When squeeze complete, unset the packer
Reverse circulate any excess cement and
spacer out of hole
Mud
Packer
Mud
Spacer
Cement
Viscous Pill
Mud
Drillable
Cement Retainer
Prevent back flow where no cement
dehydration is expected (circulating
squeeze into channels)
Used where high differential pressure may
disturb the filter cake
Where communication with upper
perforated zone makes use of packers
risky
Multiple zones, isolates lower zone
Allow further squeeze operations without
waiting on cement.
Can be set closer to the perforations (Less
fluid injected ahead)
Running Squeeze
Method Through A
Cement Retainer
Run in hole with retainer on wireline or
drill pipe
Set retainer
If wireline set, run in hole with drill pipe
If run on drill pipe sting out from retainer
Mud
Retainer
Mud
Running Squeeze Method
Through A Cement
Retainer (cont.)
Circulate cement down to
bottom of drill pipe
Sting into the retainer and
squeeze cement
Mud
Spacer
Cement
Retainer
Cement
Mud Pill
Viscous
Running Squeeze Method
Through A Cement
Retainer (cont.)
Sting out from retainer and
reverse circulate excess
cement and spacer
Pull out of hole
Mud
Retainer
Cement
Viscous Pill
Mud
Bullhead Squeeze
Method
Displace Mud
into Formation
Cement
Hold Annulus
Mud or Pressure
Displacement
Fluid Apply Squeeze
Pressure
Spotting Method
Casing Pump
500 - 1000 psi
Spot Cement
Pull Work
String
Close Annulus
Apply Squeeze
Pressure
Coiled Tubing
Operations
(Through Tubing Squeezes)
Advantages
Time Savings
Cost Savings
Pumping Flexibility
Fluid Placement
Reduced Formation Damage
Safety
Coiled Tubing
Applications
Well Stimulation
Wireline and Production
Logging
Perforating
Squeeze Cementing
Fill Cleanup
Sand Consolidation
Cement Requirements
for Coiled Tubing
Squeeze
Fluid Loss
< 60 and > 30 cc’s/30 min.
Compressive Strength
1000 psi in 12 Hrs.
Thickening Time
6 - 8 Hours at BHTT
Free Water
Zero cc’s at 45° Angle
Cement Requirements
for Coiled Tubing
Squeeze (cont.)
Rheologies
@ R.T.
PV; 200 to 350
YP; 70 to 130
@ BHTT
PV; 70 to 130
YP; 10 to 25
Nodes
0.75 to 1 inch
Firm Cake
Mud Placement
Placement of Mud
Pull Nozzle Up while
Pumping, to Maintain
Mud-Brine Interface
10 - 15’ Above Nozzle
Pump 1 BBL. Excess
Brine Fluid
Perforations
Viscous Pill
Brine Fluid
Fresh Water
Perforations
Cement
Viscous Pill
Contaminant
Cement / Contaminant
(50/50)
Dehydrated Cement
Nodes
Mud / Contaminant
(50/50)
Contaminate 50’ into Mud
Pull Nozzle up and Pump
Contaminant at a Rate of
1 BBL per 2 - 3 BBL of
Previously Contaminated
Cement
Reversing Out
Contaminated Cement
to be Reversed out the Mud, Cement
Following Day or After and
Cement has Set Contaminant
Jet with Fresh Water
While Going Down 50’
Below the Original Mud
Top
Reverse out and Pull
Dehydrated
Nozzle at a Rate to
Cement nodes
Circulate out 1 BBL per
BBL pumped
Repeat Reverse out 2
more Times or Until
Returns Cleanup
Evaluate with CET,
Repeat if Necessary
If OK, Reperforate and Viscous Pill
Test
Low Pressure
Squeeze Cementing
Bottom hole treating pressure maintained
below fracture pressure
Aim to fill perforations and connected
cavities with dehydrated cement
Cement volume is small
Hydrostatic control is required to prevent
formation breakdown
Use safety factor of 500 psi
Low pump rates
Friction pressure is negligible
Perforations must be clean and free of
mud or solids
Cement nodes should be small
High Pressure
Squeeze Cementing
Bottom hole treating pressure is higher
than fracture pressure
Fractures created at or close to
perforations
Fluid ahead of cement is displaced into
fracture
Cement slurry fills the fracture and any
voids or connecting channels
Further applied pressure dehydrates the
cement against fracture walls
When final squeeze pressure is applied all
channels should be filled with cement
filter cake
Extreme Losses
Misconceptions
Formation Locks-up at High Rates
Final Squeeze Pressure Must be
Obtained at the Rate Induced During
Injection
Better Term “Walking” or
“Creeping”
More Applicable for Low
Permeability Formations
Always Know the Location of the
Cement
Know the P between Cement &
Wellbore face
When To High
Pressure Squeeze
Where voids and channels
cement behind casing are not
connected to the perforations
Where small cracks or micro-
annuli allow passage of gas
but will not take cement
Application of Ultra Fine cements
Perforations are plugged or
debris ahead of cement
cannot be removed
High Pressure
Squeezes (cont.)
Extent of the induced fracture is a
function of pump rate
Slurry volume is dependent upon pump
rate:
High rate = large fracture
Large fractures = large volumes
Minimum volumes should be used to
allow perforation past cement where
required
Drilling mud or low fluid loss fluids
should not be pumped ahead
Use weak acid or water as a pre-flush
Related Fracture
Theory
Location and orientation of created
fracture cannot be controlled
Fractures occur in plane
perpendicular to direction of least
resistance
In most wells overburden is the
principle stress, vertical fractures
result.
Fracturing pressure is less than
overburden
In shallow wells (< 3000 ft)
horizontal fractures can occur
Fracturing pressure is greater than
overburden
High Pressure
Squeeze Fracture
Orientation
Where fracture pressure is less
than over-burden pressure
Dehydrated
Cement
Primary Casing
Cement
Cement
Mud
Filter Cake
Filtrate
Vertical
Fracture
Mud
Filtrate
σ Over-burden
PF
σ H1
σ H2
Running Squeeze
Cement slurry pumped continuously until
final squeeze pressure is achieved
This may be above fracture pressure
When pumping is stopped, final squeeze
pressure is maintained and monitored
Pressure drop due to filtrate leak off
should be re-applied up to final squeeze
pressure
Repeat procedure as necessary until
pressure remains steady for several
minutes
Volumes are large 10 to 100 barrels
Hesitation
Squeeze
Only practical method for small volumes
Intermittent application of pressure at low
rates
0.25 to 0.5 bpm
Each application of pressure is separated
by a period of shut-down to allow for
filtrate leak-off
10 to 20 minutes
Initial leak-off is high
As cake builds up and applied pressure
increases, leak-off slows down
As several hesitations are applied, the
difference between initial pressure and
final pressure becomes smaller
Hesitation Squeeze
Pressure Behavior
2,400
2,000
B C D
Surface Pressure, psi
1,600
A
1,200
800
400
0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Time, minutes
2000
1000
PRESSURE
0 1 2 3 4
TIME in HOURS Chevron DTC
Hesitation Squeeze Profile
Tight Injection Rate
2000
1000
PRESSURE
0 1 2
TIME in HOURS
Chevron DTC
Best Results
Chevron DTC
Calculating Pressure
to Reverse-Out
Always know what pressures are
required to reverse-out.
Step 1: Calculate Differential Fluid
Gradient, psi/ft
15.6 ppg x 0.052 = 0.8112 psi/ft ( Cement )
10.0 ppg x 0.052 = 0.5200 psi/ft ( Comp Fluid )
0.2912 psi/ft
Step II: Determine Tubing Fill
Factor, ft/bbl (decimal book)
2-3/8” 4.7 lbs/ft tubing = 258.65 ft/bbl of fill
Step III: Calculate Pressure to
Reverse-Out, psi/bbl
ex: 258.65 ft/bbl x 0.2912 psi/ft = 75.3 psi/bbl*
*Multiple psi/bbl by the barrels
of slurry left in the tubing
Hesitation
Squeeze
Final squeeze is achieved
when the leak-off becomes
negligible
For loose, permeable
formations a first hesitation
period of up to 30 minutes is
not unreasonable
For tight low permeability
formations a short first
hesitation period of ± 5
minutes is sufficient
Hesitation
Squeeze
(Chevron DTC)