SPE 24978

Preventing Shallow Gas Migration in Offs Societyof Petroleum Engineers

The Performance of Lead Cements

O.D. Coker, Phillips Petroleum Co. Norway; K.L. Harris, Halliburton Mfg. & Services Ltd.;
and T.A. Williams, Halliburton Oilfield Services
SPE Members

Copyright 1992, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

This paper was prepared for presentation at the European Petroleum Conference held in Cannes, France, 16-18 November 1992.

This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of Information contained in an abstract submitted by the author@). Contents of the paper,
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ABSTRACT the zones covered by the primary cement. It also

may help prevent more severe consequences such as
Offshore drilling operations that encounter shallow loss of well control, collapsed casing, and well
gas formations must consider the potential annular abandonment.
gas flow that may occur following primary
cementing. Many specialized cements and Although the issue of annular gas flow has been
procedures have been developed to combat gas extensively researched by operators and service
migration, but the complexities of gas migration companies for the past three decades, many
control still challenge operators worldwide. In unanswered questions still remain. This is true not
offshore shallow environments, additional only because of the complexity of gas migration
complications can arise with the presence of weak theory, but also in part because of the several routes
formations and cold temperatures. In such gas may travel. Industry theories note potential flow
conditions, lightweight lead cements are employed to paths may occur-
avoid fracturing the wellbore. Although lead cements
are often viewed simply as "filler" materials, shallow 1) along the formationlcement interface
gas control slurries must far exceed that role as they 2) along the casinglcement interface
become the mechanism to help isolate the movement 3) through unset cement by percolation of gas
of gas up the annulus. bubbles
4) through the microstructure of unset cement
Presented in this paper is a review of the properties 5) through channels in unset cement
of gas control cementing systems specifically related 6) through unset cement in underbalanced "blowout"
to lightweight lead slurries. The importance of fluid conditions
loss control, rapid gelation, and compressive strength 7) through cracks, channels, or permeability in set
at the time of drillout is stressed. Silica fume cement cement
and newer cementing additives such as colloidal silica 8) through any combination of the above.
and small particle cement are highlighted as means of
helping prevent shallow gas migration. Several Determining the mechanism of gas migration specific
offshore cementing operations are documented which to offshore shallow formations is no less complex. In
confirm the success of applying the prescribed fact, since lightweight lead cements are most always
designs and methods. used, and low temperature conditions that inhibit
cement performance are usually present, preventing
INTRODUCTION shallow gas migration can become a very challenging
task.
Preventing gas migration by means of successful
primary cementing has great value in the construction In response to the specific problem of shallow gas in
of a well. It may eliminate the time and cost for the North Sea, a gastight cement1 (silica fume
remedial cementing and provide a safe working cement) was developed and applied in the late 1980's.
environment absent of percolating or vented gas from More recently, colloidal silicas and high fineness
 PREVENTING SHALLOW GAS MIGRATION IN OFFSHORE
WELLS: THE PERFORMANCE OF LEAD CEMENTS
cements have been similarly applied in low density
slumes. An integration of widely accepted gas
control properties, these lightweight cements (referred
to herein as Gastight Lead Cement [GLC]) attempt to
arrest gas movement along each potential path of
flow. Successfully applied in many offshore waters,
GLC not only provides a way to minimize shallow
gas migration, but also offers insight into obtaining
better zonal isolation in all wells.
DRILLING FLUID DISPLACEMENT
To isolate formations and help prevent gas movement
along the wellbore-cement sheath interface, the first
step prerequisite to GLC is the proper removal of
drilling fluid from the wellbore. The importance of
drilling fluid removal in the cementing process is
clearly understood but in shallow casing scenarios
's3
the condition of the wellbore may sometimes be
overlooked. It is obvious, however, that drilling
fluid left in the hole could serve as a conduit for gas
flow, nullifying the performance of any gas control
cement slurry. The efficiency of drilling fluid
displacement can be increased in many ways
including proper mud conditioning, using adequate
spacer fluids, centralizing the casing, pumping at high
rates, and moving the casing during circulation and
cement placement. 43s
DENSITY CONTROL
For the purposes of this paper, a lightweight lead
cement is defined as a cement slurry exhibiting a
specific gravity less than 1.7 that is placed in the
wellbore to reduce hydrostatic pressures or costs in
the construction of the wellbore.
A consistent control on lightweight slurry density is
important for several reasons. A slurry that is too
heavy may result in formation breakdown and
potential loss of the cement column. Conversely, a
slurry that is mixed below desired density may not be
capable of maintaining hydrostatic control and result
in immediate gas flow. Also, if the slurry density is
not accurate, there may be major effects on key gas
control parameters including slurry viscosity, free
water, transition time, and compressive strength. For
a lightweight slurry, a variation in slurry density of
only 0.3 lb/gal may affect both compressive strength
development and slurry viscosity values by more than
30%.6 With respect to changes in slurry viscosity,
SPE 24978
such variations could cause certain portions of the
cement column above the gas zone to gel more
quickly than cement across the gas zone. A gelled
cement "plug" restricts hydrostatic transmission to the
formation, thus promoting the influx of gas.
To help achieve a properly mixed cement slurry and
help avoid such occurrences, automatic density
control mixing units were introduced in the late
1980's. Automatic density control, together with
adequate mixing energy applied to the slurry, has
increased slurry consistency over conventional
on-the-fly mixers and will help maintain the high
quality performance properties of GLC.6
GASTIGHT LEAD CEMENT (GLC)
As previously mentioned, it is the intent of GLC to
help stop gas migration at each potential flow route.
To achieve this goal, GLC slurry designs incorporate
various cementing additives, listed in Table 1, each
with basic function(s) to enhance desirable gastight
performance properties. Those key properties, which
include low fluid loss, rapid gel strength, zero free
water, low permeability, high early compressive
strength, and adequate waiting-on-cement (WOC)
time, are more fully described in the following
sections.
LOW FLUID LOSS
Low fluid loss properties help attack gas flow at all
potential routes through the unset cement column.
After cement slurry is placed in the wellbore, low
fluid loss helps lower overall volume losses in the
annulus. In turn, minimizing volume losses helps
maintain overbalance hydrostatic pressure across the
formation that helps keep gas from entering the
wellbore. When overbalance pressure is eventually
lost as a result of cement gelation,' low fluid loss
cements allow only small volumes of formation gas
to enter the annulus. Less gas present in the annulus
lowers the chance for migration to occur.
To help achieve "gastight" properties, it is
recommended that fluid loss values,= determined by
API Spec 10, be kept below 100 ccI30 min, and
more preferably below 50 cc130 min tested at a
pressure differential of 1000 psi. This can be
achieved through a variety of fluid loss control
additives. Certain additives perform more efficiently
SPE 24978 OLIVER COKER, TIM WILLIAMS, AND KIRK HARRIS
in low density slurries and testing should be
conducted to determine the best design.
Consideration should also be given to the effect of
fluid loss additives on other gas control properties
that are key to the success of the GLC.
RAPID GELATION
Although fluid loss additives will minimize annular
volume losses, they will not eliminate volume losses
completely (hydration volume reduction, e.g.1. That
truth, combined with the fact that cement gelation
will reduce hydrostatic pressure across the gas
formation, means that it is practically impossible to
prevent some amount of gas from entering the cement
column. When this occurs, one potential route of gas
migration will be the percolation of gas bubbles
through the unset cement. A well documented means
of helping prevent this type of gas flow is to obtain
rapid gelation of the cement slurry; this arrests
buoyant gas bubbles from their upward m o ~ e m e n t . ~ , ~
After cement is placed in the annulus, if it can
quickly gel from 100 lbf 100 ft2 static gel strength to
500 lbI100 ft2 (often referred to as the cement slurry
transition), then it is viewed as favorable for
restricting gas percolation through the unset cement.
In GLC, a transition time less than 30 minutes is
recommended.
To achieve adequate transition times, GLC
incorporates an amorphous silica material of high
fineness. Amorphous silica is a very important
ingredient in the anti-gas cement design, since it not
only catalyzes rapid gelation, but also enhances fluid
loss control, lowers slurry "permeability," and
increases early compressive strength development. It
also serves as GLC's "lightweight" additive since it
binds excess water to promote slurry stability and
minimal free water while maintaining beneficial
slurry rheologies. Amorphous silica's "gastight"
characteristics have been duly recognized over the
past few years,'~'~J'and its multi-faceted role in
shallow gas applications continues to prove
beneficial.
ZERO FREE WATER
The extensive surface area of amorphous silica serves
as a means to help control free water and settling
tendencies. This property is considered an important
parameter in helping prevent gas flow, and especially
critical in deviated well condition^.'^ In straight-hole
3
shallow applications, a settling slurry causes changes
in slurry density and a potential problem with
hydrostatic control. Also, a column with free water
may encourage gas migration by forming "stringers"
of water in the cement column which may serve as
conduits for gas flow.
MINIMIZING INTERSTITIAL FLOW
Theoretically, another potential path of gas flow is
through the interstitial water between the grains of
unset cement.12*" Although large amounts of gas
flow are unlikely to occur through the gelled cement
"matrix," GLCt4incorporates properties to minimize
the chance of intrusion of gas. Again, it is
amorphous silica's ultrafine particles that fill the
channels between cement grains and provide the agent
needed to help block this potential path of migration.
Latex materials have also been touted for this
property, however, for shallow gas control
applications, any adverse effect on compressive
strength development must be considered.
Another method of effecting interstitial gas flow at
particular points in the cement column is the use of
an openhole external casing packer (ECP). By
inflating a packer element across the annular
clearance and against the formation, a rubber
membrane provides a barrier that can block gas
movement through the unset cement. A proper seal
against the formation may also help stop flow of gas
along the formation-cement sheath interface.
Although obtaining an adequate seal using ECPs has
been difficult in several applications, success rates are
reportedly increasing in some areas. A recently
developed, mechanically set packer that does not rely
on the inflation process was used in seven shallow
gas situations in the Gulf of Mexico and successfully
eliminated surface gas in each operation."
COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH - SHEAR BOND
STRENGTH
The competency of a cement design is often measured
by compressive strength. A compressive strength of
250 to 500 psi is generally considered acceptable for
the purposes of drilling ahead.I6 Higher compressive
strength usually correlates to higher shear bond
strength" which is important in restricting gas flow
at the cement-casing and cement-formation interfaces.
It is therefore important for GLC to provide a cement
 PREVENTING SWALLOW GAS MIGRATION IN OFFSHORE
WELLS: THE PERFORMANCE OF LEAD CEMENTS
slurry that develops the highest early compressive
strength that can be safely placed in the well.
Shear bond strengths can also be enhanced by
additional means. Expanding cement additives may
provide significant increases in shear bond strength
and can be con~idered.'~ Another means of
enhancing shear bond strength is by increasing the
bonding characteristics of the casing surface. This
may be achieved through various methods. Roughing
the surface via sandblasting will increase shear bond
strength. Also the use of surfactants to achieve better
casing wettability may serve to increase bonding.
Compressive strength retrogression (and
corresponding shear bond strength retrogression) is
another factor that must be investigated if the
complete wellbore is going to eventually encounter
high temperatures. Drilling fluid circulating
temperatures or well flowing temperatures greater
than 230°F can be detrimental to shallow casing
cement. Unless the shallow casings were cemented
with lightweight slurries containing crystalline silica
(amorphous silica alone may not be acceptable), the
cement sheath's compressive strength may retrogress
and result in cracks or fissures through which gas can
flow.
WAITING-ON-CEMENT (WOC) TIME
If a compressive strength of 250 to 500 psi is
accepted as adequate for the purpose of drilling out
and maintaining cement-casing bond, a remaining
question must be considered: At what point in the
annulus should the compressive strength value be
determined? If adequate compressive strength is
obtained by the tail slurry, does this reflect the
capability of the lead cement to withstand the
mechanical disturbances of drillout? Obviously, it
does not. Since the lightweight slurry surely develops
strength more slowly than the densified slurry, it
would also need to be tested for competency.
Likewise, if the lead cement slurry exhibits
compressive strength of 250 to 500 psi at bottom hole
static temperature (BHST), the integrity of the cement
may still be inadequate at points higher in the annulus
where temperatures are colder.
In North Sea shallow cementing operations, curing
temperatures may range from 100°F' at TD to
approximately 40°F at the sea floor. Table 2
SPE 24978
displays the difference in compressive strengths
between such temperature extremes for a few lead
cement compositions. It can be noted that while tests
show adequate compressive strength at 90°F in 24 hr,
cement that is placed and cured close to surface
temperatures (40°F)may have no strength to handle
the stresses of drillout until 48 to 96 hr.
Although this factor is sometimes overlooked, its
importance cannot be overstated. If gas enters the
wellbore, begins to migrate, but is arrested by means
of cement gelation, then gas control is deemed
successful. However, if the cement is not adequately
set when drillout occurs, then a new pathway along
the cement-casing interface can be formed that
connects with the original path created through the-
cement. The end result of the combination of these
two paths would be gas flow to surface.
The reality of this potential situation can be seen in a
brief survey of 11 liner cementing operations
performed in a deep gas field. As shown in Table 3,
gas flow after cementing was apparent in four wells.
In the same field, seven wells were successfully
cemented without gas flow, The one common thread
that connects all four failures is the lack of
compressive strength at the time of drillout.
Conversely, all seven successes exhibited adequate
compressive strengths at the top of liner. To further
illustrate, Wells 10 and 11 were cemented with
"identical" slurry compositions that exhibited similar
compressive strength development. After
cementation and driIlout, Well 10 experienced gas
flow and Well 11 did not. The major difference
between the two operations that had an obvious and
pronounced effect was WOC time. Well 10 was
drilled out in 18 hr when the cement had very low
compressive strength. Well 11 was drilled out in 41
hr after the cement was allowed an extended curing
time to properly set along the entire length of the
liner.
NORTH SEA FIELD OPERATIONS
In certain areas of the North Sea, potential gas flow
may often be present behind several strings of casing
in the well. Shallow gas migration becomes just one
of the many challenges that operators face.
In the past, the intent of many shallow gas operations
was to keep slurry designs simple and avoid the use
SPE 24978 OLIVER COKER, TIM WILLIAMS, AND KIRK HARRIS

of exotic additives and procedures. A lightweight Well Data:

lead slurry design might only consist of cement, Casing Size 20 in.
water, an extender such as bentonite, and an Hole Size 26 in.
accelerator. As these basic slumes have become Casing Depth (subsea) 2469 R. MD
more suspect to failure, various changes such as 2409 R. TVD
application of better drilling fluid displacement Water Depth 236 R.
practices or alterations in slurry performance BHST 94°F
properties have been implemented. BHCT 86°F
Drilling Fluid Seawater
GLC slurries, initially applied in offshore operations Gas Zone Depth 1860 ft.
in the late 1980's,' have experienced a high rate of Previous Casing Depth 592 ! I .
success in minimizing gas migration problems. To Top-of-Cement Seabed
Openhole Excess 75% Lead, 35% Tail
further illustrate its use in helping control shallow gas Preflush 100 bbl Seawater
in offshore environments, Table 4 shows well
conditions in eight cementing operations recently A standard density tail cement was placed from the
performed in the North Sea. With the exception of casing shoe to below the potential gas entry zone. A
Cases 7 and 8, in which the tail cement was placed lightweight cement was placed from that point up to
across the gas zone, it was the sole responsibility of the sea floor (see Fig. 2). One function of the lead
GLC system to stop gas migration in each well. cement, therefore, was to stop any gas migration to
Postjob analyses indicated that all eight operations surface. The following GLC slurry was designed and
were successful with no traces of gas migration to tested.
surface.
GLC Slurry Design:
CASE HISTORY Class G cement + 3.15 gallsk amorphous silica +
0.70% low fluid loss additive (bwoc) + 0.15 gallsk
This case history refers to a well drilled in 236 ft of retarder + 9.30 gallsk fresh water
water in the North Sea. For typical wells in this field, Slurry Density 13 lblgal
the stratigraphy of the interval from the seabed to Slurry Yield 2.16 cu fttsk
2109 ft (subsea), shown in Fig. 1, can be divided into Thickening Time
two units. The section from seabed to approximteiy @ 86OF 8:25 (hrmin)
1659 ft consists of unconsolidated sands and gravels Free Water 0%
interbedded with claystones. These are interpreted to Fluid Loss 28 ccf30 min
be of Quaternary age, originating from the rapid Rheology @ 86°F
deposition of fluvial-deltaic and peri-glacial
sediments. The lower unit is markedly different,
consisting of well compacted claystones with Compressive Strength 500 psi in 31 hrs @ 94°F
infrequent thin sands. These sediments are
interpreted to be of Pliocene age, i.e. pre-Quaternary. Cementing operations proceeded according to plan.
During the cement curing time, no gas flow was
The resistivity log displayed in Fig. 1 indicates that experienced. Drillout operations were initiated 71 hr
the sands of the upper unit are water bearing. In after the cement plug was landed, ample time for the
contrast, high resistivity values occurring in the thin lead cement to develop competent strength. Following
sands of the lower unit indicate that they are gas drillout, there was no evidence of gas, and the
bearing. While these sands have been safely operation was graded a success.
penetrated using unweighted drilling fluids
(demonstrating that they are hydrostatically SUMMARY
pressured), they can present a real potential for gas
flow following the cementing operation. Lightweight lead cements can play an important role
in the challenging task of helping prevent shallow gas
As expected, the gas bearing formation in this migration in offshore wells. fn response to shallow
specific well was d e t e h e d near 1860 ft. Other gas problems, gastight lead cements which combat
pertinent well data are listed: gas migration at each potential flowpath continue to
 PREVENTING SHALLOW GAS MIGRATION IN OFFSHORE
WELLS: THE PERFORMANCE OF LEAD CEMENTS
be successfully implemented. A key ingredient in the
cement design is high fineness amorphous silica that
produces several important "gastight" properties.
Compressive strength development at the time of
drillout is one key performance property that should
be considered along the entire length of the wellbore.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors would like to thank the magements of
Phillips Petroleum Company Norway, Fina
Exploration Norway Inc, Norsk Agip AIS, Norsk
Hydro a.s., Elf Aquitaine Norge AIS, Total Norge
AS, Den norske stab oljeselskap a.s., Elf Rep
Norge AIS, Elf Rex Norge AIS, Nonninol, and
Halliburton Services for the opportunity to publish
this paper. Appreciation is also extended to Mary
Shahan and LaVonna Funkhouser for their help in
preparing the muscript.
METRIC CONVERSIONS
(English to SI)
inches x 25.4 = mm
feet x 0.3048 = m
lblgal x 0.119 - glcm3 (sp. gr.)
bbl x 0.159 = m3
cp x 0.0001 = P a s
psi x 0.00689 = MPa
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Grinrod, M., Vassoy, B., and Dingsoyr, E.O.:
"Development and Use of a Gas-Tight Cement,"
paper IADCISPE 17258, presented at the 1988
IADCISPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, TX,
February 28-March 2.
Haut, Richard C. and Crook, Ronald J:
"Primary Cementing: The Mud Displacement
Process," paper SPE 8253 presented at 54th
Annual Fall Technical Conference of the Society
of Petroleum Engineers of AIME, Las Vegas,
NV, Sept. 23-26, 1979.
Smith, Dwight K.: Cementir&g Monograph
Volume 4, Revised Edition, 1991.
SPE 24978
Halliburton Services Technical Publication C-
1337, "Recommended Cementing Practices
(Displacement Mechanics). "
Haut, R.C. and Crook, R.J.: "Laboratory
Investigation of Lightweight, Low-Viscosity
Cementing Spacer Fluids, " paper SPE 10305
presented at 56th Annual Fall Technical
Conference of the Society of Petroleum
Engineers of AIME, San Antonio, TX, Oct. 5-7,
1981.
Stegemoeller, C., Allen, T., and Pitts, A.J.:
"Automatic Density Control and High Specific
Mixing Energy Deliver Consistent High-Quality
Cement Slurries," paper OTC 7068 presented at
the 24th Annual OTC, Houston, TX, May 4-7,
1992.
Sabins, F.L., Tinsley, J.M., and Sutton, D.L.:
"Transition Time of Cement Slurries Between the
Fluid and Set State," paper SPE 9285 presented
at the 55th Annual Fall Technical Conference of
the Society of Petroleum Engineers of AIME,
Dallas, TX, Sept. 21-24, 1980.
Sykes, R.L. and Logan, J.L.: "New Technology
in Gas Migration Control," paper SPE 16653
presented at the 62nd Annual Technical
Conference and Exhibition of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers, Dallas, TX, Sept. 27-30,
1987.
Bour, D.L. and Wilkinson, J.G.: "Combating
Gas Migration in the Michigan Basin," paper
SPE 19324 presented at the SPE Regional
meeting, Morgantown, WV, Oct. 24-27, 1989.
10. Bol, G., Grant, H., Keller, S., Marcassa, F.,
and de Rozieres, J.: "Putting a Stop to Gas
Channeling, " OitfieM Review, April 1991, pg 35-
43.
11. Worldwide Cementing Practices, American
Petroleum Institute, First Edition, 1991, pg 124.
12. Cheung, P.R., and Myrick, B.D.: "Field
Evaluation of an Impermeable Cement System
for Controlling Gas Migration," paper SPE
11983, presented at the 58th Annual Technical
SPE 24978 OLIVER COKER, TIM WILLIAMS, AND KIRK HARRIS

Conference and Exhibition, San Francisco, CA,

Oct. 5-8, 1983.

13. Cheung, P.R. and Beirute, R.M. "Gas Flow in

Cements," paper SPE 11207 presented at the
57th Annual Fall Technical Conference and
Exhibition of the Society of Petroleum Engineers
of AIME, New Orleans, LA, Sept. 26-29, 1982.

14. Sutton, D.L., Sabins, F.L., and Faul, R.R.:

"Annular Gas Flow Theory and Prevention
Methods Described; New Evaluation For
Annular Gas-Flow Potential" Halliburton
Services Cementing Technical Paper C-13 11.

15. Vrooman, D., Garrett, J., Badalamenti, A., and

Duell, A.: "Packer Collar Stops Gas Migration
M e c h a n i c a l l y , " Petroleum Engineer
International, April 1992, pg 18-22.

16. Maier, L.F. : "Understanding Surface Casing

Waiting-On-Cement Time, " presented at the 16th
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C.I.M., Calgary, May, 1965.

17. Carpenter, R.B., Brady, J.L., and Blount, C.G.:

"The Effects of Temperature and Cement
Admixes on Bond Strength," paper SPE 22063
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18. Sutton, D.L. and Prather, D.A.: "New

Expansion additive Gives Good Results With
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 Table 1

GASTIGHT LEAD CEMENT

SLURRY DESIGN
S l u r r y Density = 13.0 Iblgal

Additive I Concentration
(% bwoc)
-
Maior Functionk) Performance Pro~ertv

Drv Base Material I Long Term Annular Seal

Amorphous Silica or Lightweight Extender High Early Compressive Strength
Colloidal Silica or Free Water Control Quick Transition T i e
Small Particle Cement
Low Fluid Loss Reduce Annular Volume Losses
Acrvlamide Maintain Hydrostatic Overbalance

Sulfonated Polymer 0-1.0 Dispersant Ease in Slurry Mixing

Enhance Wellbore Cleanup

1 Ligmsulfonate I 0-0.2 I Retarder

I Achieve Adequate Slurry
Placement Time

Liquid Base Material

Lightweight Additive I MixabilityIPumpability

Table 2

COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH DEVELOPMENT

40°F versus 90°F

Compressive Strength (psi)

Slurry Design No. Slurry Density Curing Temp

(Iblgal) (OF)

Slurry Design No. 1 Class G cement +0.5% low fluid loss additive + 3.15 gallsk amorphous silica + 0.10 gaVsk
+
retarder 0.28 gallsk dispersant + 9.07 gallsk fresh water
Thickening Time Q 86°F = 8 hr, 25 min

Slurry Design No. 2 Class G cement +8.0% bentonite +

10.8 gaVsk fresh water
Thickening Time Q 86'F = 8 hr, 18 min

Slurry Design No. 3 +

Class G cement 4% bentonite +
3 gallsk latex + 7.4 gallsk fresh water
Thickening Time Q 86°F = 7 hr, 50 min
 Table 3

GAS n o w SURVEY - woc TIME

(Success/Failure)

4 245 360 3340 - 13 Success

5 240 0 2500 -15 Failure
6 242 2640 4200 - 13 Success
7 250 2640 4800 - 12 Success
8 235 0 2660 - 13 Failure
9 245 0 2300 - 12 Failure
10 240 0 1820 - 16 Failure
11 235 0 0 -41 Success

*TOL = Top of Liner

**WOC Time = Waiting-On-Cement Time before setting casing slips and drilling out

Table 4

NORTH SEA SHALLOW GAS

CEMENTING OPERATIONS
Well Conditions

Casing Casing Temperature Gas Zone

Case Drilling Fluid Sue Depth @ Casing Depth (OF') Depth
Number Type (in) (ft) BHCT BIIST (ft)

1 SeawaterIGel 20 -2470 86 94 - 1860

2 SeawaterIGel 20 - 3450 94 115 - 1860
3 SeawaterIGel 20 - 2030 83 86 - 1600
4 SeawaterlGel 13% -3500 90 100 - 900
5 SeawaterIGel 13% -3420 90 100 - 900
6 SeawaterIGel 13% -3300 90 100 - 900
7 Gel 20 -3910 93 99 -3900
8 Water Based Gel 7-4 - 1320 83 100 - 1300
 Table 4 (Cont'd)

NORTH SEA SHALLOW GAS

CEMENTING OPERATIONS
Slurry Design

1 Case
Number
Slurry
Type
Slurry
Density
(Iblgal)
Thickening
Time
(hr:min)
Fluid Loss
(cc130 min)
Free
Water
(%)
Compressive
Strength
(psi)
WOC
Time
(hr:min)

GLC' 13.0 825 28 0 500 in 31 hrs 71:lO

I GLC 1 13.0 1 820 1 35 1 0 1 500 in 19 hrs 1 49:40

I CLC 1 13.0 1 4:30 1 34 1 0 1 340 in 24 hrs 1 30:OO

1 GLC 1 12.5 1 7:45 1 45 1 0 I 500 in 30 hrs 1 35:30

I GLC 1 12.5 1 9:05' 1 36 1 0 I 250 in 24 hrs 1 34:30

I GLC 1 12.5 1 6:38' 1 56 1 0 1 150 in 14 hrs 1 98:00

73 I GLC 1 13.0 1 10:12 1 24 1 0 I 500 in 33 hrs 1 37:30

GLC 1'2.5 9:lO 36 0 NS in 14 hrs4 14:OO

100 in 24 h n 4

'GLC = Gastight Lead Cement

'Measured at 60°F
'Gas Zone Covered by Tail Cement
?ested at 77°F
 GAMMA RAY DEPTH RES(STIVITY
(API) n MD

3 0 CASING @ 592 FT
(SUBSEA) MD

GASTIGHT LEAD SLURRY

GAS FORMATION @ 1860 FT

26" HOLE
TAIL SLURRY

20" CASING @ 2469 FT

- GAS STRINGER @ 1860 FT

-
Fig. 1 - Case Well No. 1 Typical Wellbore -
Fig. 2 Case Well No. 1 .- Well Configuration
Stratigraphy after Cementing.