BALANCED CEMENT PLUG

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Drilling Manual
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 Balanced Cement Plug Application
• The main application of balanced Cement plugs is to secure a well and cure mud losses, prior to a side track or in
the course of Well Abandonment.
• The spotting of the plugs inside the casing or in the open hole will be through drill pipe with a ‘cement stinger‘
(smaller bore pipe) extension.
• And of course, the usage of casing preflushes, spacers, and wiper plugs is useful to reduce contamination with
drilling fluid in the hole or (inside drill pipe).

• Usually, in the oil, gas, or water well, a plug may be required.

• However, this balanced plug is a relatively small volume of cement slurry, but we always use it in the wellbore for
various purposes:
o to sidetrack above a fish
o For initiating directional drilling
o to plug back a depleted zone or a well
o For solving a Mud Loss / lost circulation problem during drilling
o to test anchor.
 Sidetracking and directional drilling

• During directional drilling operations, it may be difficult to achieve

the correct angle and direction when drilling through a soft
formation.
• So, it is common practice to set a whipstock plug across the zone to
achieve the desired course and target.
• Also, After losing tools, drill string , etc., in the hole during drilling,
sidetracking the hole around, such non-retrievable fish may be the
only solution.

Sidetracking Cement Plug Drilling

 Plugback of a depleted zone

• Surely Depleted zones may require isolation to prevent the

possible migration of fluid and/or gas from productive intervals.
• Also, Isolation may also be important to protect a low-pressure
zone in an open hole before the completion of an upper interval .

Depleted Zone Cement Plug

 Lost circulation

• Setting properly formulated slurry across the thief zone

can stop and cure the Mud loss / Circulation Lost.
• Although the cement slurry may be lost to the thief
zone, it will harden and consolidate the thief or weak
formation.
• A balanced cement plug can also be set on top of a
zone to isolate it or keep it from being fractured under
the hydrostatic pressure that might be developed
during the cementing of a casing string (plugback
before a casing job).
• Usually, lost-circulation Material/additives are included
in such cement plugs to ensure a successful job .

Lost Circulation Plug Drilling

 Abandonment

• A dry hole is usually abandoned by setting balanced cement plugs at

various depths to prevent zonal communication or any migration of fluids
and/or gas that might pollute underground freshwater sources.
• Depleted zones or formations are plugged when they are they are
abandoned.

Cement Plugs in Abandoned Hole

 Test Anchor

When a soft or weak formation exists in an open hole

below a zone to be tested and it is impractical or
impossible to place a sidewall anchor or bridge plug, a test
anchor may be used to provide the necessary support.

Open hole Test Anchor

 Balanced Cement Plug slurry Design
• The design of the slurry varies according to the specific purpose of the plug and requirements common to all,
such as durability, good bonding characteristics, and resistance to contamination.
• Plugs must also be able to carry the weight of the drill pipe during testing for soundness, often practiced in
abandonment operations as required by local regulations.
• Abandonment and lost circulation plugs are designed for minimal contamination with hole/casing fluid content
to ensure good bonding and sealing against fluid movement.
• Strength is not a major criterion.
• Lost circulation plugs require design for the lowest practical density and early development of reasonably
minimum strength.
• Kick-off plugs need to be designed to develop a hardness higher than the formation to be drilled, as early as
possible.
• Formulating a denser slurry by reducing the water/cement ratio will meet both objectives.
• The denser and more viscous slurry is also less susceptible to mud contamination.
 Balanced Cement Plug Job design Considerations
• The design of a job starts with the definition of the objective.
• Setting a plug for lost circulation is quite different from setting a plug to abandon a depleted zone or plug back a
well.
• The design parameters to be considered are as following:
o Cement volume
o The Properties of Cement
o Cement plugback
o Reverse circulation
• The use of plug placement tools and drill pipe balls and darts.
 Cement volume
• The length and depth of abandonment of balanced cement plugs are normally stated by government
regulations.
• Whipstock plugs must be long enough to provide for a gradual deviation of the bit .
• If the exact depth for a balanced whipstock plug is needed, cement excess and reversing might be necessary.
 CMT Properties
• Cement slurries must be tested in the laboratory before use in the field.
• The testing parameters are slightly different from those used for primary casing cementing jobs, and the test design must
consider the different bottom hole temperatures and placement times and whether the slurry is to be batch mixed or not
• Cement Slurry densities usually range from 15.6 ppg to 17.5 ppg to ensure good cement compressive strength development.
• Lighter slurries are usually used for lost circulation control to avoid the loss of the circulation or cement into the formation.
Special cement slurries can also be used in certain cases.
• For sidetracking purposes, the ideal is to have set cement with a compressive strength higher than that of the formation.
• This can often be achieved by having a reduced-water or higher-density slurry.
• Reduced-water slurries (± 17.5 ppg) will develop compressive strengths of ± 8,500 psi, compared with ± 5,000 psi for a
normal 15.8 ppg slurry.
• The addition of sand or any other weighting agent will not improve the compressive strength of a lower-water-content slurry.
• Two important cement properties are rheology and cement thickening time/waiting on cement (WOC) time.
• Rheology: Viscous slurries with high drilling fluid gel strength are needed for lost circulation plugs to restrict flow into voids or
fractures.
• When the cement is placed via coiled tubing, the slurry rheology needs to be designed with low viscosity to avoid high
friction pressures during placement.
• Thickening time and waiting on cement time: A minimum of 500 psi in compressive strength is normally recommended for
drilling-out cement.
• Rig time can be saved with the proper slurry design.
• Early compressive strength depends heavily on thickening time.
• Slurries must be designed for a thickening time according to well conditions and job procedures, plus reasonable safety.
 Cement plugback

• As with all cement jobs, the objectives of a cement plugback are to place good quality,
uncontaminated cement slurry where it is required and to have the slurry develop good quality
set cement properties.
• Several tools can help achieve these objectives.
• Plug Back means a single operation whereby a deeper Zone is abandoned in order to attempt a
Completion in a shallower Zone.
 Diverter tool
• The diverter tool is connected to the end of the drillpipe or
tubing through which the balanced cement plug is placed .
• The tool contains jets oriented so that the fluids pumped
through it are directed upward into the annulus.
• A downward jetting action may result in CMT contamination
or the breaking of any viscous gel pill placed as a base below
the CMT plug.

Diverter Tool For Cement Plug – Drilling

 Drill pipe centralizer

• The use of a drill pipe centralizer to center the drill pipe and diverter tool will help achieve placement of the
cement as designed.
 Viscous pill
• A viscous pill can be spotted below the bottom of the balanced
cement plug before the cementing stage to help provide a base
for the heavier slurry in lighter muds and to prevent the CMT
from sinking.

Correct Plug and Fluids Placement

 Incorrect Plug and Fluids Placement

• The effects of incorrect balanced cement plug placement.

• No diverter tool is used.
• The jetting action of the cement coming out of the end of the pipe
breaks the viscous pill, allowing the cement slurry to sink down the
hole.
• The drillpipe is not centralized, so the cement channels as it exits
the drill pipe.

Incorrect Plug and Fluids Placement

 Reverse circulation
• To ensure the correct top of cement (TOC) in an open hole (especially
if the open hole size is unknown), it is common practice to spot extra
cement in the hole.
• The drill pipe is run in hole to the desired top of the cement, and the
excess slurry is reverse circulated out.
• Reverse circulation is preferred rather than conventional circulation
bottoms-up because it is faster and safer.
• Bottom-up circulation takes longer, and the slurry might set.
• If it is not completely circulated out, the drill pipe can get stuck.
• One important point to consider is fracture pressure safety limits;
reverse circulating tends to apply more pressure directly onto the
formation than does direction circulation because the friction pressure
is at the top and inside the drill pipe in the second case.
• The slurry thickening time should take into account this reverse
circulating time.

Reverse Circulating Pressure

 Plug placement tool

• The plug placement tool consists of a landing sub at the end of

the drill pipe (above the diverter tool) and a locator sub set at
a calculated distance above the landing sub.
• The depth of the locator sub depends on the length of the
balanced cement plug and hole or D/Ps dimensions.
• Darts with a burst disc are used ahead of and behind the
cement slurry.
• When they land in the locator sub, the burst discs rupture,
indicating slurry placement.
• The darts must be dropped from a plug launcher at the
surface.

Plug Placement Tool Locator Sub and Dart

 Drill pipe balls and darts

• Drill pipe darts (with rubber fins), sponges, or rubber balls can be
pumped ahead of the cement slurry to clean the inner diameter of
the drill pipe and indicate balanced plug placement.
• Rubber darts or balls are more effective than the sponge balls.

Ball Exiting Drill pipe

A sponge ball exiting the end of
the drill pipe is .
Balanced Cement Plug Placement Techniques

• Using Dump Bailer

• Balanced Plug Method
• Two Plug Technique
 Cement Plug By Dump Bailer Definition & Procedure
• By dump-bailer under low-pressure conditions, in cased holes.
• The bailer is run on a wire-line, containing a low gel cement slurry.
• At the desired depth the bailer is opened and the cement dumped onto a ‘bridge’, formed by sand/gravel or a permanent plug.
• Balanced Cement Plug Definition & Procedure
Balanced plug method
• Is based on pumping preflush, cement slurry, and spacer (in that order) into a D/P with a stinger attachment positioned at the desired
plug setting depth.
• The fluid train is displaced with mud until the hydrostatic pressure inside the pipe or stinger equals that in the annulus.
• This requires the hydrostatic pressures of pre-flush and spacer columns to balance.
• When hydrostatic pressures balance the pipe is pulled, leaving the balanced plug in place.
Two (Bottom & Top) Plug Technique
• The two plug technique for placing plugs at greater depth, in situations where precise calculation of cement volumes is impossible or
for small cement volumes.
• The method uses bottom and top wiper plugs inside an open-ended drill pipe fitted with a catcher for the top plug.
• The cement is contained between the plugs, which ensures minimum contamination and being displaced with mud.
• The pipe is pulled back when the top plug seats.
• The plug is dressed off at the desired depth and excess cement is (reverse) circulated out.
 Balanced Cement Plug Job Procedure
• Firstly, Run D/P or tubing with a diverter sub to the depth at which the bottom of a CMT plug is required.
• Then, circulate to condition the hole and mud and to make sure the bottom hole temperature stated in the job
design is the actual bottom hole temperature.
• Secondly, Pressure test the treating lines.
• Thirdly, Pump spacer or wash ahead of the cement slurry.
• Fourthly, Mix and pump the cement slurry.
• If the slurry volume permits, use batch mixing.
• Fifthly, Pump spacer or wash behind the cement slurry.
• Also, The volume should be calculated to balance the cement plug.
• Sixthly, Displace the calculated amount of displacing fluid.
• And under-displace by 1/2 bbl to 1 bbl for safety.
• Seventhly, Open the return lines to the displacement tank on the unit, and allow the plug to balance itself
either by return flow or by vacuum.
• Eighthly, Pull the drillpipe up above the top of the cement.
• (Observe whether flowback occurs when the drillpipe joints are broken.)
• Ninthly, Reverse circulate if conditions allow to clean the hole.
• Also, observe the returns for spacer, wash, or cement.
• The last step of CMT plug procedure is to pull out of the hole and WOC.
 Balanced Cement Plug Job Calculation
• Before performing the plug procedure, perform its calculation.
• This Calculation is so simple as you will have to calculate the
following:
• The balanced cement plug slurry volume calculation
• The heights of the plug and pre-flush with the drillpipe in place
calculation (required to calculate the displacement volume)
• Also, The required displacement volume to balance.

Cement Plug Calculation Exercise

 Calculate The Volume Of Cement (Vcmt )
Vcmt = L × CH × excess factor
Where:
L = Length of column of cement in open hole
CH = capacity of open-hole from standard tables ( ft3/ ft)
Excess Factor = 20%
Calculate The Length Of Balanced Plug With Work String In Place (Lcmt )

Where:
CAN = capacity of the annulus between drill pipe or tubing and open hole (ft3/ft)
CTBG = capacity of tubing or drill pipe (ft3 /ft)
 Calculate the volume of spacer behind the cement (VSP2 )

Where:
VSP1 = Volume of water/spacer that planned to be pumped ahead.
CAN = capacity of the annulus between drill pipe or tubing and open hole (ft3/ft)
CTBG = capacity of tubing or drill pipe (ft3/ft)
Calculate The Length Of Spacer Behind Cement (LSP2)
 Calculate The Displacement Volume (VD )

Where:
D = depth of workstring (bottom of balanced cement plug, ft)
Note : The plug is desirable to be under-displaced by 0.5 bbl to 1 bbl.
 Balanced Cement Plug Calculation

1. Determine volume of cement that

you need.
2. Determine height of cement and
spacer when pipe in hole.
3. Determine displace volume to
balance the hydrostatic both sides.
When the displacement is completed,
have equal height of
cement/spacer/mud.
4. Pull cement stinger, have the
balance set properly .
 Example for the balanced cement calculation
• Plan to set abandonment plug in the open hole across the pay sand.
Well information
• 7” casing shoe is set at 6000’MD/5500’TVD.
• 7” casing grade 23 ppf BTC, ID = 6.366 inch.
• Drilling fluid: 10.0 ppg oil based mud
• Hole size = 6.25” based on caliper log.
• Hole TD = 12,000’MD/10,000’TVD
• Pay sand is from 9000 – 9500 ft
• The planned cement length is 1,000 ft.
• The planned bottom of cement plug is 9,600 ft.
• Spacer: 50 bbl of spacer and weight of spacer 10.5 ppg.
• Cement stinger: 1200 ft of 2-7/8” tubing.
• 2-7/8” tubing ID is 2.44 inch.
• Drill pipe size: 4” DP and ID of drill pipe is 3.35 inch.
• Use 0% excess
• Cement weight 16.0 ppg
• Determine how much cement needed and how the displacement plan be.
• 1. How much cement do we need for this job?
• Hole capacity of the well = 6.252 ÷ 1029.4 = 0.0379 bbl/ft
• Volume of cement = length of cement x hole capacity
• Volume of cement = 1000 x 0.0379 = 37.9 bbl
• 2. How height of cement while the cement string in the well?
• Cement stringer (2-7/8” tubing) capacity = 2.4412 ÷ 1029.4 = 0.0058 bbl/ft
• Annular capacity between hole and cement stinger= (6.252 – 2.8752) ÷ 1029.4 = 0.03 bbl/ft
• Since there is pipe in the hole, the top of cement (TOC) will be higher.
• The TOC is calculated by the following formula:
• Length of cement with pipe = Cement Volume ÷ (Drill pipe capacity + Annular capacity)
• Where;
• Length of cement with pipe is in ft.
• Cement Volume in bbl.
• Drill pipe capacity in bbl/ft.
• Annular capacity in bbl/ft.
• Length of cement with pipe = 37.9 ÷ (0.03+0.0058) = 1,059 ft
• It means that height of cement is 1,059 ft, therefore TOC when pipe in hole is 8541 ft (9,600-1,059).
• 3. Height of spacer while the cement string in the well
• The plan is to pump 50 bbl of spacer; therefore, there might
be some spacer up above the cement stinger.
• Volume of spacer from top of cement to top of cement
stinger (Spacer volume1)
• Spacer volume1 = annular capacity between hole and cement
stinger x length of cement stinger from TOP to top of stinger.
• Spacer volume1 = 0.03 x (8541-8400) = 4.23 bbl.
• The rest of spacer which is 45.77 (50-4.23) bbl is in between
drill pipe and hole.
• Length of spacer between drill pipe and hole = spacer volume
÷ annular capacity between hole and 4” DP
• Annular capacity between hole and 4” DP = (6.252-42) ÷
1029.4 = 0.0224 bbl/ft
Length of spacer between drill pipe and hole = 45.77 ÷ 0.0224
= 2043 ft
• So the top of spacer is equal to top of stinger minus length of
spacer between drill pipe and hole.
• Top of spacer = 8400 – 2043 = 6357 ft.
 4. Volume of space to that has equal height of spacer in the annulus
• The volume of spacer inside string is equal to volume
of spacer in cement stinger plus volume of spacer in
4” DP.
• Volume of spacer in cement stinger = cement stinger
capacity x length from top of stinger to top of
cement
• Cement stringer (2-7/8” tubing) capacity = 2.4412 ÷
1029.4 = 0.0058 bbl/ft
• Volume of spacer in cement stinger = 0.0058 x (8541-
8400) =0.8178 bbl.
• Volume of spacer in 4” DP = 4”DP capacity x length
from top of stinger to top of spacer
• 4” DP capacity = 3.352 ÷ 1029.4 = 0.0109 bbl/ft
• Volume of spacer in 4” DP = 0.0109 x (8400 – 6357) =
22.27 bbl
• Total spacer volume in the string = 22.27 + 0.8178
= 23.1 (round up figure) bbl.
 5. Volume of mud displacement
• In order to balance hydrostatic pressure, volume of mud displacement is
volume from surface to top of spacer.
• Volume of mud displacement = capacity of 4” DP x top of spacer
• Volume of mud displacement = 0.0109 x 6357 = 69.3 bbl.
• Pumping steps for balanced cement plug are as follows:
• 1. Pump 50 bbl of spacer.
• 2. Pump 37.9 bbl of cement.
• 3. Pump 23.1 bbl of spacer.
• 4. Pump 69.b bbl of drilling mud.
• May under displace 2-3 bbl to create cement falling effect in drill pipe.
• 5. Pull slowly above TOC
• 6. Circulate bottom up
• 7. Pull out of hole to surface.
• Final cement in place after pulling the cement stinger out of hole is below.
https://www.drillingmanual.com/cement-plug-procedure-calculation-excel/

3.5" DP Cap. 0.00658 bbl/ft Cement :

5" DP Cap. 0.01776 bbl/ft Cement with out stinger 75.5 bbl
3.5" M.D 0.00532 bbl/ft Plug height with stinger in 134.03 m
3.5" DP Length 234.00 m
TD 1725.00 m Spacer :
OH Dia. 13.50 in Spacer ahead height 36.91 m
Stick Up 10.00 m Spacer behind 0.8 bbl
OH Cap. 0.1770 bbl/ft
OH x 3.5" DP Cap. 0.1651 bbl/ft Displacement:
OH - 3.5" DP M.D 0.1717 bbl/ft 3.5" DP 1.4 bbl
Plug hieght 130.00 m 5" DP 87.5 bbl
Spacer ahead 20.0 bbl TOTAL 88.8 bbl

CEMENT DESIGN :

Cement 1.113 cuft/sk 380.9 sk 16.2 MT

Mix water 4.695 gal/sk 1,789 gals 42.6 bbl
Defoamer 0.020 gal/sk 7.6 gals
Retarder 0.035 gal/sk 13.3 gals
Mix fluid 4.750 gal/sk 1,809 gals 43.1 bbl
THANK. YOU