BJ SERVICES COMPANY

Plug Cementing

Engineering Guidelines

Prepared by: Krikor Kasparian – Senior Project Engineer

Revision Date: 21 November 2006

 PLUG CEMENTING ENGINEERING GUIDELINES

CONTENTS

GENERAL OVERVIEW OF SETTING PLUGS...............................................................................................3

1) HOLE SIZE AND FORMATION....................................................................................................................3

2) MUD CONDITIONING AND HOLE CLEANING.......................................................................................3

3) BOTTOM HOLE CIRCULATING TEMPERATURE (BHCT)..................................................................3

4) HOLE ANGLE...................................................................................................................................................4

5) SUPPORTING CEMENT PLUGS..................................................................................................................4

6) THE CEMENTING STRING...........................................................................................................................4

7) SIZE OF CEMENT PLUG...............................................................................................................................5

8) SPACER TYPE AND VOLUME.....................................................................................................................5

9) CEMENT SLURRY..........................................................................................................................................6

10) GEL STRENGTHS..........................................................................................................................................8

11) PLACEMENT OF CEMENT PLUG.............................................................................................................9

12) PULLING STINGER FROM CEMENT PLUG..........................................................................................9

13) WAITING ON CEMENT (WOC)................................................................................................................10

14) OPERATIONAL PROCEDURE.................................................................................................................10

15) PLUG DESIGN PROCEDURE....................................................................................................................11

16) CEMENT SLURRY DESIGN PROCEDURE..........................................................................................112

17) ALTERNATE METHODS FOR PLACING CEMENT PLUGS IN DEVIATED AND HORIZONTAL
HOLES…………………………………………………………………………………………………………13

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The following document is intended as the basis of good cementing practices to be used for the
engineering considerations and operational procedures for the placement of cement plugs.

General Overview of Setting Plugs

When a cement slurry is used for a plug, especially a kick off plug, it is the only time that the cement
has to provide all the desired properties by itself. In all other circumstances cement is supported and
protected in an annulus. In a cement plug the cement has to effectively replace a huge volume of
formation in a non-uniform, often oil-coated hole while being placed on top of a fluid usually incapable
of supporting it. It is generally done to overcome a problem with the well or when the well finished. It is
usually seen as a chore that has to done as quickly as possible. Cement designs are often required
the day the plug is to be placed and this limits time available for testing. After a few successfully set
plugs people become complacent, shortcuts are taken and a plug failure occurs eating up the small
time savings achieved by not following good practices. Given all the possible problems it is not
surprising so many plugs fail. Every plug job should be treated as if it was the second plug being set
after an unsuccessful first plug. Unsuccessful first plugs tend to concentrate minds and improve
performance. Plugs should be carefully planned and not rushed. As much effort should be put into
preparing for a plug job as for a production liner.

A) DISCUSSION OF WELL CONDITIONS

1) Hole Size and Formation

The size of the hole where the cement plug has to be placed must be carefully considered. As in any
other cementing operation it must be a cementable hole. It should be a gauge hole. If not gauge an
accurate determination of size should be undertaken using a 4 arm caliper log. If a caliper log is not
possible then reference to previous wells or offset data must be used. If mud losses, hole stability or
other similar drilling problems have been experienced in the plug setting section then large hole
washouts must be expected. If this is the case and no caliper is run then it is important to pump the
largest cement plug possible to ensure compete fill of the hole. It is likely that the first cement plug set
in a washed out section will fail due to mud/cement and/or spacer/cement contamination or insufficient
volume being pumped.

When setting a kick off plug, if practical pick a soft formation against which to place the cement.

2) Mud Conditioning and Hole Cleaning

As with all cementing operations this is of paramount importance to the success of the job. The
cuttings must be removed and the mud conditioned to ensure the whole of the annular mud volume is
circulating. The mud YP and gel strength should be reduced to the minimum achievable within the
mud's capability to transport cuttings and support weighting material. In washed out hole sections the
gelled mud can be very difficult to remove and jetting of this section should be undertaken using the
diverter tool mentioned later in this document. All actions possible to ensure the mud is in the best
possible condition prior to cementing are necessary to promote cementing success.

Plug setting after milling operations is particularly problematic due to the build up of milling swarf. This
is very difficult to remove and jetting of the milled hole section is necessary to remove the swarf that
will tend to settle in this area.

3) Bottom Hole Circulating Temperature (BHCT)

The minimum circulation of the mud normally used is bottoms up. It is for this reason that the API
have used a different temperature for plug or squeeze jobs compared with casing or liner jobs. As a
plug job can be set after minimal circulation, the well will not have been cooled by the mud as much
as during a casing or liner job, thereby producing a higher BHCT. It is clearly seen that the amount of
mud conditioning prior to setting a plug will can have a direct impact on the setting properties of the

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cement slurry. The present temperature calculation would indicate the need for more retarder than
may be required if circulation were continued over a longer period of time. Apart from the API
procedure there is no consensus among operators or service companies for deciding on a more
accurate BHCT to use. For critical and HPHT cement plugs computer modelling of the expected
circulating temperature should be performed using BJ's WellTemp program.

4) Hole Angle

As the wells angle increases it becomes more difficult to clean the hole of cuttings and maintain hole
stability. It also makes it more difficult to accurately place a cement plug. As in vertical wells the
cement slurry density will normally be higher than the mud weight. As the cement is often placed
directly on top of mud it is to be expected that the cement will slip down the hole. This causes the
cement to be strung out in the well, mixed with mud and have the top of the cement lower than
expected. This is why many cement plugs fail. At high well angles the interface of the cement/mud
and cement/spacer is much greater with consequentially greater scope for contamination. This can
occur during placement and slippage downhole. At very high hole angles the hydrostatic pressure
difference caused by underdisplacement maybe less than the friction pressure and or gel strength
necessary to allow the cement to flow out of the stinger. This can cause the pipe to be pulled wet.
Also the ability of the slurry to drop out of the stinger under its own weight and the thickness of the film
of slurry pulled with the stinger are both highly dependent on the well angle. See section on pulling
pipe and alternate methods of plug placement.

B) EQUIPMENT SELECTION

5) Supporting Cement Plugs

As discussed above cement slippage is a major factor in cement plug failures. It is therefore
necessary to avoid placing the cement directly on top of mud and use a fluid or mechanical support.
The type of support selected depends on the mud type, well tubulars, hole angle and available
running string. The most common type of support is a viscous pill placed below the cement. This is
often done using viscous mud, Xc Polymer, Bentonite, a viscous reactive pill, or an initial cement plug.
An initial cement plug may have similar problems to the main plug and has to be waited on to set, and
are therefore unpopular. Viscous mud is usually not viscous enough and will contaminate the cement.
XC polymer although having good suspending properties tends to retard cement slurries and easy to
pump even at high viscosities. This would indicate the heavier cement could easily displace it.
Bentonite pills can achieve high viscosities and are particularly useful for use in OBM where they form
a viscous mass when mixed together down hole. This viscous mass can provide a good support for
cement at hole angles up to 30 degrees. Above this angle the most successful viscous pill is the
reactive pill containing Bentonite and sodium silicate, BJ's A-3L. This forms the viscous mass as
previously described but as the cement slurry contacts the sodium silicate in the pill it gels the cement
at the cement/pill interface. This forms a layer to further stop the slurry flowing downhole. BP
Exploration and Talisman regularly use this system.

It is therefore desirable to place the cement on top of a mechanical barrier such as the bottom of the
hole, a cement retainer, a previous cement plug, an inflatable packer, or the BJ Parabow Tool.
Placing the cement on top of a fish is beneficial but may still allow some slippage down the annulus.
In a deviated hole the fish will be lying against the bottom of the hole, leaving a large annular space
for cement to fall into.

If cement is to be placed near to the bottom of the hole it is better, if operationally practical, to pump
more cement to fill the hole from the bottom to ensure a solid base for the plug. The use of a retainer
is limited to plugs in casing. It is commonly used in well abandonment when a cement plug is placed
above a retainer inside casing to give two barriers. It cement is to placed on the top of a previous plug
it should have been tagged to prove there is a solid base. It may be remains of a partially successful
first plugging attempt. Inflatable open hole packers are ideal bases for plugs but are expensive. The
BJ Parabow Tool gives a solid base for the plug and allows the cement placement in one trip. It is also

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drillable being made from fibreglass and fabric. See BJ Parabow brochure and running procedure.

6) The Cementing String

The cementing string should be run on clean drillpipe. The cement stinger used should be tubing at
least the same length as the plug. The size run should be as small as can be safely run in the hole
without buckling. Typically 2 7/8" tubing is used but 3 1/2" tubing can be used if hole size permits a
large annulus. The coupling OD of the tubing should be minimised to ensure minimum drag on
cement when pulling out. It is for this reason that the use of drillpipe in the stinger should be avoided if
possible. If a stinger is to be run through open hole or casing after a milling operation break circulation
every 5 - 10 stands to prevent blockage of the stinger.

It has been proved that the use of a diverter sub will enhance the success of cement plug setting. A
diverter sub will direct the flow of cement sideways and reduce the jetting of the cement down the
hole. This jetting action will increase the likelihood of cement slipping down hole and getting strung
out. A diverter sub should have the end of a joint of stinger blanked off and a minimum of 10 holes
with a minimum of 3/4 Inch diameter cut into the last 6 feet of stinger. It is essential that two holes are
placed just above the blanked off end to ensure no fluids can be trapped in the diverter. It the plug is
to be set on top of a mechanical barrier the diverter sub is unnecessary.

To ensure the accurate displacement of the plug and to keep the drillpipe clean we recommend the
use of a latchdown wiper plug at the top of the stinger to give a positive indication of when the plug is
in place. It also cleans the drill pipe avoiding a build up of cement with time. Cement build up in the
drillstring after cementing operations is an recurring problem best overcome by wiper plugs. In wells
over about 12000 ft MD it is difficult to accurately place plugs without either accurate knowledge of the
displacement volume of the string or a mechanical device as above to give a positive indication of
correct displacement. If it is necessary to place a plug at depths of over 12000 ft MD and a positive
indicator is not available an accurate determination of the strings ID must be made to get the most
accurate displacement volume figure.

C) CEMENT SLURRY AND SPACER CONSIDERATIONS

7) Size of Cement Plug

If a caliper is not available and offset data is likely to be inaccurate then use the following excesses as
a guideline.
Hole Size(inches) % Excess(WBM) % Excess(OBM)
30 - 36 200 -
26 - 30 100 -
16 - 17 1/2 50 20
12 1/4 30 20
6 - 8 1/2 30 20

The actual excess used should take into account local knowledge of the particular area and current
well conditions.

If not set on top of a mechanical base it has to be assumed that the bottom 75 feet of cement will be
contaminated. The top 75 feet of cement should always be assumed to be contaminated and appear
to be "green". The cement in between these two areas should be expected to be good and this must
be taken into account when deciding on the length of the plug to set. Abandonment plugs are typically
200 - 500 feet and kick off plugs 300 - 600 feet. The length of the plug can be restricted by operational
considerations. However it is best to pump more cement and have to drill out cement, than have to do
a second plug job. Larger plugs can be stacked to create a combined long plug.

Plugs as long as 1500 feet have been placed using 12 hr + thickening times and densities of mud
weight plus 0.5 ppg. These are usually for recovery of expensive POBM's as they are cheaper than
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leaving the mud in the well and avoid the need to mix scavenger mud in a pit.

It the string is pulled wet, the cement will be be exposed to possible contamination, the top of the
remaining cement is going to be further down the hole than planned. On high angle wells where
pressure differentials are low and the pipe may be pulled wet additional cement to account for this
possible loss should be considered.

8) Spacer Type and Volume

A spacer must always be pumped in front and behind the cement slurry used for a plug, in order to
minimise contamination by the well and displacement fluids. The spacer must be compatible with the
cement and mud. The main job of the spacer on a plug job is to keep these fluids apart. Mud
contamination will seriously affect cement properties, most notably compressive strength.

The spacer should push the mud out of the way as a plug. This should be done at low displacement
rates to ensure plug flow. The chance of turbulent flow being achieved by a spacer in the annulus of
most plug jobs is small. We therefore recommend that the previous recommendations for turbulent
flow spacers for plug jobs no longer adopted and that future spacers are viscosified to a yield point
greater than that of the mud.

The spacer weight should be mid way between the cement and mud densities. Only if necessary due
to ECD considerations, should the spacer weight be reduced to that of the mud weight plus 0.5 ppg.
The combination of higher spacer density and YP will provide a hierarchy of fluids and prove an
effective tool in removing mud.

The volume of spacer to pump is dependent on the hole size and condition. It is generally agreed that
the greater the volume of spacer the greater the likelihood of a successful plug.

Unless specifically required due to ECD requirements or very bad incompatibility between the spacer
and the mud, we do not recommend that base oil be pumped ahead of the main spacer. We feel that
this thin fluid will reduce the desired hierarchy of fluid properties previously discussed, promote
intermixing of the mud and base oil and complicate the balancing of the plug. It is also postulated that
in high angle wells that base oil may slip past the mud on the high side of the annulus and produce
balancing problems. There may be an argument for using it to provide a lower hydrostatic pressure in
the annulus and thereby helping the pipe to be pulled dry if no base oil is pumped behind. However,
other procedures may be more efficient in ensuring pipe is pulled dry.

The spacer will preferentially flow past gelled mud in washed out hole sections. This can allow the
cement to be contaminated as it passes the washout. Consideration should be given to spotting a
separate spacer or WBM over the length of hole the cement plug is to be placed as well as jetting it
into the washed out section prior to the main plug job being carried out. It must be stated that
deficiencies in hole and mud conditioning cannot be overcome by a few barrels of spacer and the
cement itself.

9) Cement Slurry

The cement slurry used for the plug must be capable of supporting a "tag" of the cement with pipe
and/or a pressure test. This is usually required quickly to save rig time. In normal conditions plugging
operations can generally be carried out within 3 hrs, if the job is planned and rig crew are fully briefed.
Consequently the thickening time is usually short to promote a faster build up of compressive
strength. To attain the best possible cement slurry design that will provide a good plug, certain
information needs to be obtained.

i) The MD, TVD and well angle at the base of the plug - This should be available from the rig or
drilling engineer.

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ii) Estimated mixing and displacement rates - For all plug jobs should be similar for a particular rig
but needs to be confirmed.

iii) Cementing string sizes and length - This does not have a major influence on the cement testing
but can have a bearing on slurry selection if a narrow annulus exists.

iv) An estimate of time taken to do job, specifically highlighting periods where pumping has stopped
and cement is stationary e.g. dropping plugs, setting up equipment and pulling pipe. - This should
be available from the rig or drilling engineer. Care should be taken not to generally accept given
figures all efforts should be made by the rig and operator to provide the shortest accept

v) The most accurate information on the BHST likely at the base of the plug -

The BHST can be obtained from previous casing jobs, previous plugs, logged data (best) or offset
data. This temperature is the best estimate of the native formation temperature at the given TVD.
It is required to calculate the BHCT. The BHCT is the most critical parameter in designing a
cement slurry for any cement job.

As discussed previously this temperature is reduced by drilling and subsequent circulation of mud
in the well. As each well is going to have very different drilling and circulation times prior to a plug
job, along with possible changes to the mud system and drilling systems, it is virtually impossible
to accurately determine what the BHCT of the well will be at the base of the plug. API
squeeze/plug BHCT predictions have been used to date. These predictions are based on
information gained from wells greatly different to those in the North Sea. They do not include wells
with POBM and high stepouts or horizontal sections. A cement slurry designed with the API plug
BHCT will require more retarder than a plug designed with the standard casing BHCT.
Consequently if the well was circulated for a long time prior to the job the plug may be over
retarded.

It can be seen from logged temperature information that formations can take a considerable time
to return to their native BHST. Typically logged data shows that BHST is not achieved until over
24 hrs have passed after circulation has stopped. This makes nonsense of the specified API
procedure of testing compressive strengths by ramping temperature up to BHST in 4 hours. If
BHST is not reached until this time what temperature should the compressive strengths be tested
at? Obviously with no specified criteria as guidance, any temperature picked will be a rough
estimate. However, it is apparent that the temperature to be used must be less than BHST and
above the casing BHCT. The worst case is to test at BHCT, as it is the lowest temperature
expected. The thickening time tested at BHCT has proved that the cement is starting to set and
would therefore be expected to set soon afterwards if left in a static condition. The strength
development of such a test would be likely to be inadequate for a plug that had to be tagged or
pressure tested soon after placement. BP has occasionally used a temperature midway between
the plug BHCT and the BHST as a compromise temperature for strength tests. No one has
however decided on how soon it reaches this temperature. This will have a major influence on the
strength development.

With the advent of computer temperature modelling programmes such as BJ's WellTemp some of
the unknown aspects of BHCT are removed. However it is important to realise that the data
obtained is a simulation and is only as good as the data provided. If this is done then it is very
important that the fluid volumes, circulation times and rates used to simulate the BHCT are used
on the actual plug setting operation. In HT wells it is also very important to follow the slurry testing
temperature sensitivity guidelines detailed in BJ's HPHT recommended practices document.

The cement slurry should ideally be designed to have a yield point higher than that of the spacer
to continue the hierarchy of fluids as discussed earlier. Thin cements will tend to be more easily
mixed with other well fluids than thicker cements. This is particularly important if the cement is not
being placed on top of a mechanical support. Thin slurries will more easily fall out the pipe leaving

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the pipe to be pulled dry. However, if the cement is viscous and the pipe is pulled wet the
remaining cement will be less likely to mix with the other fluids, thereby maintaining designed
strength properties.

The density required for a kick off plug design is dependent on the strength of the formation it is
being placed against. Increasing densities up to around 17.5 - 18.0 ppg tend to provide greater
compressive strength but reduces tensile strength cements. Above this density there is
insufficient water to provide full strength and a weighting additive is necessary in order to increase
the water ratio. A 17.0 ppg slurry will typically provide around 50 - 60% of the strength of a 17.5
ppg slurry. The viscosity of the 17.5 ppg slurry also needs to be considered. It may dependant on
circumstances and job procedure be better to use a 17.0 ppg slurry as the extra water will allow
greater fluidity and lower gel strengths.

Standard plugs are normally designed at 16.0 ppg to ensure a reasonably fast set without the
addition of more cement or special additives.

Cement for plugs should be batch mixed where possible to ensure the slurry is mixed as near to
the laboratory specified properties as possible. If it is not possible to batch mix the slurry, batch
mix the additives into the mixwater. This will provide a highly accurate and uniform mixwater for
the job. The cement can than be mixed accurately to the required density using a BJ RAM unit.

Where equipment restrictions exist such as on satellite or old platforms BJ Services can provide
Liquid Stone cement which is a premixed cement slurry that can be send in tanks to the site and
pumped into the well. This does away with cement mixing and bulk silo equipment requirements.
This slurry is pre-tested in the BJ Laboratory using a sample of the actual cement mix sent to the
job thereby providing the best possible quality control.

10) Gel Strengths

Gel Strength consideration is important, as the gel strength will effect the ability of the slurry to drop
out of the stinger. Lower gel strength improves the ability of the slurry to drop out of the stinger. A
quick approximation to calculate the maximum gel strength that cement can develop to drop out of the
stinger under the effect of gravity is given by:

T = 15.58 * p * d* cos (A) (1)

Where

T = Maximum allowed gel strength, lb/100 ft2

P = Slurry density, lbs/gal
d = ID of the pipe, in
A = Average angle of deviation (degrees) across cement plug length

Where:

TC = ½ {(D(D + [0.0641664 * T/(p * cos A)]))1/2 –D} (2)

Tc = Thickness of the cement film around the outside of the stinger, in

D = OD of the stinger, in

Equations 1 and 2 are developed using force balances between the density of the slurry trying to

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cause the slurry to flow, and the stress at he wall of the pipe (generated by the slurry’s gel strength),
trying to keep the slurry from flowing.

The purpose of understanding the gel strength of the slurry is important, because the ability of the
slurry to drop out of the stinger under its own weight and the thickness of the film of slurry pulled with
the stinger are both highly dependent on he well angle. For example, a 17 ppg cement slurry to keep
form falling out of the inside of a 2 ½” ID tubing in a 12.25” vertical hole, would have to develop over
660 lbs/100 ft2 of gel strength downhole ( a consistency similar to silly putty). However, the same
slurry would only have to develop about 60 lb/100 ft 2 gel strength if the angle was 85 degrees. (in
which case it might not fall by its own weight out of the tubing.

D) JOB PROCEDURE

11) Placement of Cement Plug

Run in hole with stinger to required depth. While rotating the pipe (3 - 10 rpm), condition the mud and
reduce the BHCT to that of a casing BHCT. This may take 2 - 4 hrs. If necessary jet into washed out
sections while reciprocating the string. Once the mud is conditioned reciprocation should stop and
rotation continue, the cement plug can be now be placed. It is important to ensure that any stoppage
of mud movement in the well is minimised to prevent gel strength building. This will reduce the chance
of placing a good plug first time.

While continuing to rotate pipe, pump spacer ahead, cement and spacer behind to balance as fast as
possible within ECD limitations to the top of the stinger. This is not to get the spacer or cement in
turbulent flow but to ensure the fastest circulation of mud to reduce gels and try to keep entire mud
volume circulating. Slow down to 2 -3 bpm and place fluids into position. The hierarchy of fluids will
ensure that little contamination occurs and that mud is removed from the area leaving an
uncontaminated plug.

The following rule of thumb can be used to underdisplace the plug to pull dry pipe. Use the theoretical
displacement volume to the balance point, and then take the volume of the surface lines being the
underdisplacement volume, or one barrel whichever is greater. To ensure correct displacement, use a
latchdown plug system in the drillpipe at the top of the stinger, as discussed previously. This can also
be placed above the top of the cement the string to provide a specific underdisplacement volume.

12) Pulling Stinger from Cement Plug

It is generally accepted that the stinger must be pulled out of the plug with as little disturbance of the
plug as possible. This will require the pipe to be pulled relatively slowly, reducing swabbing of the
cement and intermixing of the mud, cement and spacer. The speed that the pipe should be pulled has
not been specifically detailed in the majority of the literature sources researched. The only reference
found indicates pulling the string at a rate 1/2 stand/min. This was the same as the rate we consider
would be most suitable. If a typical connection time of 3 minutes per stand is used, a 500 ft plug would
take about 20 minutes to pull to 500 ft above the top of the cement. If a rotating head is used this can
add about another 15 minutes onto this time, giving a total of approximately 35 minutes to get out of
the cement. To give a margin of safety this should be assumed to be 60 minutes. By pulling too slow it
is possible that the cement could gel up in the stinger if it was being pulled wet. Pulling too slowly may
also contribute to pulling wet by not providing an initial force to overcome the cements gel strength. As
we recommend that the cement is relatively thick, this will also tend to produce a higher gel strength.
Continue to pull a further 500 ft above the top of the cement. If the pipe was pulled wet pump a
minimum of the drillpipe volume to clear the cement in the string. If possible the spacer should be
sized so as the end of the stinger is in the spacer when circulating out the cement. This will ensure the
mud and cement do not meet. Many mud/cement mixtures will create a high viscosity, which could
increase the pressure required to circulate out the cement.

Ideally, any remaining cement should be reverse circulated out of the string. This is the quickest

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method of removing the cement and minimises the interfacial contact the cement has with mud.
Reverse circulation should only be carried out when formation can withstand the extra ECD
developed during reversing. Otherwise the string should be circulated the long way. If losses are
possible in the formations at or below the cement plugs position, the plug may move and the job
quality may be severely damaged.

Rotation of the pipe prior to and during cement placement is a recognised method of improving the
plug quality. However, no references could be found to rotating the pipe while pulling out. We feel that
rotating the pipe while pulling out may encourage cement on outside to follow the pipe up the hole,
stringing out the plug. This is due to the additional surface area creating friction during rotation.
Rotation while pulling may be useful if their was a chance the cement was setting up, as shearing the
cement will lengthen the setting time of the cement. Overall we cannot specifically say rotation is
damaging to the plug. If rotation when pulling out requires additional time to rig up equipment and
lengthens the time taken to pull out we recommend that it is not carried out at this time.

If a wiper dart was not used to clean the string during placement of the plug, one can be dropped at
this time. Another method successfully being used to clean off cement film inside drillpipe is the
pumping of a slug of crushed walnut shells during circulation of the string.

The cement plug is now in position and should be allowed to set undisturbed. But for how long?

13) Waiting on Cement (WOC)

As previously discussed the retarder concentration, the temperature decided on as the test
temperature for compressive strengths and the time taken to reach this temperature are the factors
influencing the expected compressive strength development as determined under laboratory
conditions. In the well these conditions are also the main factors but other factors also have a bearing
on strength build-up. e.g. contamination, effective placement and slurry quality. Therefore
compressive strengths quoted from laboratory testing must always be considered as an idealised
case and depending on the procedures put in place for the job, extra time may be required to add a
margin of safety before pressure testing or tagging a plug.

E) GENERALISED PROCEDURES

14) Operational Procedure

Also refer to discussion of considerations and procedures.

A) Prepare cement mixwater in batch tank. Prepare spacer in clean mud pit.

B) Run in hole with drillpipe using the BJ Services Parabow tool assembly. This will allow the
cement to be mechanically supported. See attached Parabow General Operating Parameters.
Alternatively run in hole with a latch down wiper plug assembly on top of a stinger (stinger
length = length of cement plug) and if required a diverter sub. The diverter sub will be
necessary if not setting on top of a mechanical support.

C) At required depth while rotating and reciprocating pipe circulate and condition mud to reduce
gels/YP and remove cuttings or debris. Continue circulating for 2-4 hrs to reduce BHCT. If a
viscous pill needs to be set to support the cement plug place this 200 ft below base of cement
plug, pull up slowly to top of pill and start conditioning mud. See attached procedure for
mixing and placing a viscous reactive pill.

D) Stop reciprocating and continue rotating. Pump a minimum of 30 bbls of spacer.

E) Accurately mix and pump cement slurry (if possible mix in batch tank).

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F) Drop indicator plug and then pump calculated volume of spacer behind to balance plug.

G) Displace as fast as possible within ECD and equipment limitations until the spacer ahead
reaches the top of the stinger.

H) Slow pump rate to 2 - 3 bpm to place spacer and cement in hole. As indicator plug nears
baffle assembly at top of stinger slow to see pressure rise and shear out of baffle. See
attached information on Halliburton Indicating Plug Catcher. The cement is now correctly
placed. If no indicating plug catcher is used it is important that the best information available
on the strings volume is used to calculate displacement. Displacement should be carried out
with the cement unit. Volumes used for underdisplacement can vary greatly. One method is
to use the theoretical displacement volume to the balance point, and then take the volume of
the surface lines as being the underdisplacement volume, or one barrel whichever is greater.

I) Pull the string slowly out of the cement without rotation at a rate of 1/2 stand per minute.
Ensure everyone on rig floor is prepared and ready to carry out the pulling of the string with
minimal stoppages between stands. Try and avoid using equipment that extends the time
taken to pull out. Consider pumping for a short time at minimum rate to initiate cement
movement in the string if it is being pulled wet.

J) Pull up to 500 ft above the top of the cement and reverse circulate bottoms up. If ECD is a
problem circulate the long way. If the string was pulled wet consider just pulling up 1 stand
clear of the cement and pumping to clear the gelled cement before pulling up further.

K) Wait on cement.

15) Plug Design Procedure

Also refer to discussion of considerations and procedures.

i) Find out the condition of the well.

a) Formation type or casing size - Is formation going to allow a good cement bond, is it
softer than cement if a KOP is required, does it contain hydrocarbons, is its
permeability going to affect the cement, etc.

b) Hole size and condition - Will a narrow annulus be created with the setting string
causing ECD problems or dehydration problems if permeable, is it washed out, is the
hole stable, has it been cleaned of cuttings/cavings. Need to know these things to
determine size of cement plug and spacer volume.

c) Mud type and density - Type of mud will affect volume and choice of spacer. It will
also influence how well the hole will clean up.

d) Mud condition - Once cuttings have been removed the PV, YP and gels should be
reduced to a minimum without creating barite sag.

The above items must be considered to determine where the plug should be set or if no choice exists
what can be done to make the best of the given conditions.

ii) Consider orientation and depths where plug is to be set.

a) Depths - Once the site of the plug is decided the MD and TVD for both the top and
bottom of the plug must be determined. The deeper the plug the less accurate will be
the displacement.

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b) Angle at plug depth - The angle of the hole section where the plug is to be placed
must be known to ensure correct procedures are adopted to prevent slippage down
hole or slumping to one side of hole if horizontal or very high angle.

c) BHST - This will be determined by the TVD at the plug base. Determine whether a
plug has been previously successfully set near this depth on previous wells in the
area. Has any new logging taken place to confirm expected BHST? The BHCT is
determined from the BHST.

iii) What equipment is available?

a) What size of stinger is most suitable for hole size, depth and angle? Is it available?

b) A diverter sub should be permanently available on the rig. Check its condition to
ensure all holes are clear, especially the bottom ones.

c) Get an indicating plug catcher sent to the rig.

d) If not being set on top of a good solid support send a BJ Parabow tool to the rig. If a
particular problematic section regularly requires plugs consider keeping a Parabow
on the rig at his point in the well.

e) Use clean drillpipe if possible and find out its ID to promote accurate displacement.

f) Ensure a batch tank is available to mix the cement additives and if possible the
cement slurry.

e) Ensure Bentonite and BJ A-3L are available to make a viscous reactive pill, if
necessary.

f) Ensure equipment is available to allow rotation of string when conditioning mud and
pumping spacer and cement.

g) If a sidetrack plug is to be set consider the use of a mechanical whipstock instead of

a cement plug. These are becoming more popular.

16) Cement Slurry Design Procedure

Also refer to discussion of considerations and procedures.

1) Data necessary for accurate cement design and testing.

a) Determine reason for plug.

b) Determine MD and TVD to base of plug.

c) Determine type of formation.

d) Determine BHST form previous jobs at this depth on wells in the area, from logged
information or from last casing job.

e) Calculate BHCT for plugs or if the well is to be circulated for 2 - 4 hours prior to the
job BHCT for casings.

f) Determine expected displacement rate for cement to MD at plug base.

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g) Determine mud density and type.

h) Determine string size and pipe weight.

i) Determine expected shutdown time to pull pipe to 500 ft above cement top.

j) Ensure rig cement and additives are available.

k) Determine when job will be carried out.

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F. ALTERNATE METHODS OF PLACING PLUGS

17. ALTERNATE METHODS FOR PLACING CEMENT PLUGS IN DEVIATED AND HORIZONTAL
HOLES

Balance plug methods are relatively simple to apply in vertical to slightly deviated holes ( up to 20
degrees). For wells with deviations of greater tan 20 degrees, other methods have been more
effective. These methods do not depend on gravity to spot the cement plugs and are effective
because they allow better control during the spotting of the plug, and they minimise the possibility of
stringing out (swabbing) the cement when pulling the stinger out of the plug.
These methods are:

The Pump and Pull (PAP)

The Modified Pump and Pull (MPAP)

A) Pump and Pull Method

The Pump and Pull method is best suited for cased hole sections and is pumped while pulling the
work string.
The procedure for PAP is to run in hole with the stinger equipped with the diverter tool plus
centralisers to the bottom of the plug depth and condition the hole. If possible, rotate and/or
reciprocate while conditioning. Recommended rotation speeds is 50 – 80 rpm. Leave the stinger on
bottom and stop reciprocating. Continue to rotate, and displace the spacer. Next displace enough
cement around the stinger to have about 50 –150 ft of cement column in the annulus. Use 50 ft inside
casing, and larger volumes in open-hole and when using larger diameter stingers, depending on the
shape of the hole. This “buffer” volume of cement will be maintained essentially constant during
placement of the rest of the cement slurry using this method and should be considered “sacrificial”
cement volume. It is contaminated during placement and at the end of the job with the spacer/mud in
the hole. This slurry volume helps to compensate for lack of synchronisation between pumping and
pulling and irregularities in the hole. Displace the rest of the cement while pulling the pipe to the top of
the desired plug depth. The recommended pulling speed is 2 min/stand (about 45 ft/min). When
possible, rotate the pipe during pumping/pulling. The rate of pumping needs to be such that it fills the
volume of the hole below the stinger is pulled. Thus, with this method, the rate of pumping needs to
be such that it fills the volume of the hole below the stinger as the stinger is pulled. Thus, with this
method, the rate of pumping is independent of the size of the stinger and is given by the equation:

RPAP = 0.0009713 * D2H * PS

Where

RPAP = pumping rate for the pump and pull method, bpm
DH = hole diameter, in
Ps = Pulling speed, ft/min

The speed of pulling and the rate of pumping needs to be synchronised as much as possible during
operations, such that the cement sees only cement when it leaves the diverter tool (minimise
contamination).
Total volume of slurry pumped should include an excess, as dictated by experience in the area (20–
50% is used in the North Sea). The volume of cement to use is therefore the hole volume to the
desired TOC plus the excess volume. Follow the cement with an appropriate volume of spacer as
done in the balanced plug method. Continue to pump and pull for a minimum of 250 ft above the
expected depth of the spacer. Circulate if desired and pull out of hole. WOC the length of time
needed for the cement to develop the desired CS at the top of the column, as measured in the lab

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using the UCA.

B) Modified Pump and Pull

The Modified pump and pull (MPAP) is very similar to the PAP method. The main difference being
that instead of only spotting 50-150 ft of cement column in the annuls to start with, the cement is
displaced all the way to the desired top of the plug with the stinger at the desired bottom of the
cement plug. The MPAP is recommended for open holes where he hole size is not accurately known.

For the MPAP, run in the hole with a diverter tool and condition the hole as with the PAP method,
recommended rotation speed is 50 to 80 rpm. Run the stinger to the desired bottom of the cement
plug and stop reciprocating. Continue to rotate. Displace the spacer. Next, displace the cement
slurry around the stinger to the desired top of the cement plug depth. Leave enough cement in the
tubing to pump and pull.

The minimum slurry volume left inside the tubing to pump-and-pull should be equal to the closed end
displacement of the tubing x the desired length of the plug x a safety factor dictated by field
experience ( for example 1.5 or 2.0). If for example, the volume of slurry pumped during the pump-
and-pull is exactly equal to the closed end displacement of the pipe, the depth of the cement top will
remain essentially constant during pump-and-pull. As before, the rate of pumping must be calculated
using the speed of the pull. The recommended speed of pull is again 45 ft/min. When possible, rotate
the pipe during the pump-and pull. The pumping rate during the pump and pull is given in this case by
the equation:

RMPAP = 0.0009713 * D2 * PS

Where

RMPAP = pumping rate for the modified pump and pull method, bpm
DH = hole diameter, in
Ps = Pulling speed, ft/min

The MPAP pumping rate is the minimum rate that can be used to maintain the cement top at the
desired depth. For example, with a 45 ft/min speed of pull, and 3” OD stinger, the minimum pump
rate is 4 bpm. Faster pump rates than a minimum calculated rate tend to cause the cement top to
rise. (this is ok). Pump at faster rates than a minimum calculated rate to prevent swabbing. Faster
pump rates require more cement in the tubing to make sure that there is enough cement in the tubing
all the way to the cement top.
Excess cement slurry left in the tubing, once the tubing reaches the desired top of the plug will raise
the cement top, but it will be contaminated. Because of the excess cement, the shape of the hole,
etc., the exact depth of the cement plug will not be known at the end of the job.

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