IADC/SPE 88018

Lightweight Cement Slurries Using Multifunctional Liquid Additives: A New Approach to

Offshore Well Construction
Kamolchai Pattanapong and Keittipong Kaotun, PTTEP, Jeff Hibbeler SPE, and Phil Rae SPE, BJ Services Company

Copyright 2004, IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology Conference and Exhibition
This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology
Conference and Exhibition held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 13–15 September 2004.
This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE Program Committee following
review of information contained in a proposal submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling
Contractors or Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s).
The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the International
Association of Drilling Contractors or Society of Petroleum Engineers, their officers, or
members. Papers presented at IADC/SPE meetings are subject to publication review by
Editorial Committees of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
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presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A.,
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Proposal
Recent technical and logistical challenges in the Gulf of
Thailand have driven the development of a new approach to
lightweight cementing. The industry has evolved from
numerous and complicated dry cement blends being used on
45-day well constructions to the present minimum liquid
additive, lightweight, single slurry approach used on 5-day
wells. As nearly all wells are now slimhole monobores, the
cement job has become one of the most important operations
in the life of the well. The absence of packers or other
isolation devices means that the cement job functions as a
primary pressure barrier and is the only technique to isolate
the numerous sands in each well. This combined with the
logistic issues of fast offshore batch drilling exact a premium
on cementing products and the entire cementing process itself.
For offshore applications it is advantageous to use an all-
liquid system so as to avoid relying on mud pits to blend
mixwater, to avoid the confusion of multiple dry blends in the
field and to have flexibility to make last minute changes in
slurry design. Recently a new approach to lightweight
cementing using Multifunctional Liquid Additives (MLA’s)
was developed so that on-the-fly mixing is possible with only
three to four streaming additives. MLA’s have reduced what
used to be a complicated set of dry blends to a few liquid
additives. By simply adjusting the cement:water ratio and
MLA concentration, the same base slurries can be tailored for
nearly any scenario. This approach has been used recently in
PTTEP’s Arthit gas field to construct a 1.60 SG. production
string slurry at 190oC. The same additives work for shallow
gas where temperatures are over 150oC cooler. Because the
systems are so robust, slurry charts have been implemented
such that the rig can decide what slurry to pump based on a
given bottom hole circulating temperature (BHCT) and
desired thickening time.
This paper illustrates the various ways lightweight slurries
using MLA technology have created a new approach to
offshore well construction in The Gulf of Thailand.
Introduction
PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited
(PTTEP) operate Thailand’s largest gas field, Bongkot, and
adjacent Arthit field. The concessions are located at 600 km
South of Bangkok and 203 km off the coast of Songkhla
province (Fig. 1). Water depth over the fields varies between
75 and 80 meters. Most of the wells in the fields are high
temperature wells with the average thermal gradient being
approximately 6o/100 meters of vertical depth. This equates to
180oC at 2,500 mTVD as an average. Pore pressure gradient
is generally hydrostatic in the early life of a field, but tends to
drop below hydrostatic over time. However, virgin pore
pressures in the Arthit Field have been as high as 1.50 SG in
deeper reservoirs. Gas is typically trapped in sand lenses,
along faults, in multiple levels of sand-shale sequence.
Over the years there have been several types of well design
implemented in these fields - among them; conventional wells
(with standard size geometry), tubingless wells, ultra-extended
reach wells, deep target wells, and horizontals. Wells have
even been drilling into the basement. At present, the standard
wells are based on slimhole architecture, which have been
extremely successful in the GOT. A typical slimhole well is
constructed with the following three sections.
• 11”1/2 hole x 9”5/8 casing, 500 mTVD / 500 – 550
mMD. Conductor Sharing technique is used for
development wells, two wells are drilled from one slot
that has been split by partition plate on 12-slot platform.
Casing drill-in is used if wells are appraisal well drilled
without platform.
• 8”1/2 hole x 7” casing, 1,200 – 1,600 mTVD / 1,200 –
2,000 mMD. After surface section was cased, the well
will be drilled to reach top of commercial reservoir, 7”
casing is run and cemented.
• 6”1/8 hole x 3”1/2 completion, 2,600 – 3,000 mTVD /
2,600 – 4,000 mMD. Reservoir section is drill with small
6”1/8 bit. After electronic logging, 3”1/2 completion is
then run and cemented in place, which will be perforated
and gas is produced through. This makes cement as an
important part of well completion.
2 IADC/SPE 88018
History of Cementing in Bongkot / Arthit
PTTEP Bongkot field development was undertaken in 1992
and continues to the present, while the adjacent Arthit field has
been operated since 2000. A partnership between PTTEP and
the cementing service provider, focusing on continuous
improvement and new product technology, was incorporated
from the outset.
Over twelve years of drilling operations a total of 200
production wells, 45 exploration & appraisal wells in Bongkot,
and 26 exploration & appraisal wells in Arthit. During this time
primary cement jobs were performed within the backdrop of
45-day wells in the early exploration/delineation phase, 15-day
wells in the first development phase and more recently within 4
to 5-day wells. Therefore, logistics and chemical consumption
have become major issues. For this reason, careful
consideration is given daily to the offshore inventory of mud
and cementing products. Any lack of cement, cementing
products, barite or mud products could result in expensive rig
delays. Management of these products includes simplifying, in
terms of number of products and storage required, as well as
optimizing the capacity to drill ahead. Primary cement jobs on
271 wells in Bongkot and Arthit can be divided into 3
categories as following:
1. Surface casing cementing
2. Intermediate casing cementing
3. Production casing/tubing cementing
From the onset of Phase I Drilling (1992-1994), there were as
many as 14 cementing additives, both liquid and dry, used on
slurry formulations to ensure they were acceptable for down
hole conditions. Slurries were optimized for each section of
drilling in terms of viscosity, fluid loss control and gas control
properties. Due to the large number of additives used, two
mixing systems were required; 1) mixing at pit tank and 2)
with LAS of each primary cementing job and also storage area
and logistics to ensure that the quantity of chemical stock was
sufficient.
During Phase 2 and 3A Drilling (1995-1999), PTTEP and
BJ Services collaborated on designs with mostly liquid
products and only one or two dry products. The total number
of products to finish a well was reduced and ranged between 7
to 10. However, the mixing system still remained same, which
unfortunately was a combination of mud pits and LAS.
Finally, in Drilling Phase 3B-D and Arthit exploration phase
1 to phase 3 (2000-2004), the cementing formulation of each
primary cementation, was successfully converted to 100%
liquid additives. The number of products was also
systematically reduced to between 4-6 to cover the entire well.
Pushing the envelope to the next level, PTTEP and BJ Services
set out in late 2003 to development a new product to further
simplify designs while maintaining a high standard of slurry
properties. The new Multfunctional Liquid Additive (MLA)
was introduced during the recent Arthit campaign. For this
HPHT project a set of slurries incorporating only 3 liquid
products (all added via LAS) was implemented. The jobs were
successful, as evidenced by good cementing operations,
positive pressure tests and improved bond logs. Also, because
of the enhanced compressive strength development achieved by
the new MLA, time spent waiting on cement (WOC) prior to
perforation was reduced. Over the course of the project this
translated to a substantial savings in rig time costs.
Geologic Setting of Bongkot and Arthit Fields
Geology in the Bongkot and Arthit Fields is extremely
complex. Early through late Miocene pay sands are stacked
close together in an alternating fluvial / deltaic environment.
Bongkot Field is located in the northern part of the Malay
Basin (Fig. 1). The geological structure appears to be highly
faulted with the main structural trend being roughly NNW-
SSE and the faults exhibiting an important dip of up to 45º.
Faults have been accurately recognized and mapped from 3D
seismic calibrated with well data. Analysis of 3D seismic and
other data suggest that reservoirs have structural closure
against faults and/or stratigraphic traps. Due to the small
lateral extent of reservoirs, the aim of drilling will be to reach
the maximum of targets within each wellbore.
The stratigraphy and lithology of the Bongkot (Fig. 2) is
characterized by four cycles. From older to younger these are;
Fm0, Fm1, Fm2 and Fm3, which correspond to four different
types of depositional environment:
• Formation 0: Corresponds to mainly blackish claystone,
silty in parts, interpreted as lacustrine to alluvial fan
deposits with poor sandy interbeds (10-20%).
• Formation 1: Red colored series corresponding to a
continental, mainly fluvial environment, with sand bodies
deposited on channel fills (average SST: 20-30% of the
formation).
• Formation 2: Increase in coal and organic shale deposits
(which are the source rock) reflecting the influence of a
deltaic system and coastal environment. This is the main
reservoir formation. Large changes in reservoir
geometries have allowed following stratigraphic
subdivisions:
2A unit: Dark shale with few coal levels. Some
channel and bar sand deposits: Average SST: 20-
30%. Deltaic plain environment.
2B unit: Defined at bottom at the base of a thick sand
channel. Limited at top by a regional radioactive
marker (flood plain deposit). High sand content (40-
60%) in stacked and coalescent channels. Few coal
levels-some organic Shale-some thin beds Carbonate.
Deltaic to fluvial plain environment. Best gas
reservoir zone.
2C unit: Mainly organic shale section with minor thin
sand levels (<20%) interpreted as deltaic bars.
Highest coal levels. Delta front to shelf environment.
2D unit: Mainly shaly sequence with several thick
distributary sand channels associated laterally with
thin crevasse-splay (20-30% sand). Few coal beds-
organic shale. The upper boundary is defined by the
sudden appearance of amalgamated fluvial channels.
Environment: Upper to lower delta plain.
2E unit: Essentially stacked fluvial channel deposits.
Massive and thick sands (>80%). Rare coal layers.
Water bearing reservoirs.
• Formation 3: Fluvio-deltaic plain shale and fine-grained
sand deposited in an offshore marine environment
IADC/SPE 88018
(numerous Foraminifera). Easily picked on logs due to a
very low sonic velocity1.
Cement as the Second Safety Barrier
From the perspective of well control, PTTEP requires at least
two independent safety barriers all stages of well construction.
In most cases, drilling fluid hydrostatic acts as the first barrier
from reservoir pressure. While drilling and tripping, a BOP
stack acts as a second barrier in annulus. Inside the string,
float sub and IBOP act as the second and the third barriers.
While running/cementing casing, float equipment takes care of
well control inside the pipe and the BOPs take care of the
annulus. The BOP and X-mas tree handling over the well
requires a backpressure valve or plug inside pipe, and hanger
seal or packer in annulus, etc.
The same concept is applied for preparing the well for
production. On conventional wells, reservoirs are reached, for
example, with 8-1/2” bit and a 7” casing string is run and
cemented. Gas is produced from a 3-1/2” production tubing
string. Should the tubing leak, gas is still contained inside the
casing string – the second barrier, and a remedial operation
can be done to normalize the well. This is not the case of
slimhole architecture. In slimholes, 7” casing is run and
cemented just above the top reservoir. Then the reservoirs are
penetrated by 6-1/8” bit. Into this hole, a 3-1/2” completion
string is run and cemented. The potential area for gas leak
becomes the 7” x 3-1/2” overlap. Should the tubing leak, gas
pressure acts on the fluid column behind tubing. This pressure
behind the tubing at the 7” casing shoe can exceed the
formation strength and may cause underground leaking. This
is why cement inside the annulus of 7” casing and 3-1/2”
completion is so critical, it acts as the second safety barrier.
The cement inside the 7” casing by 3-1/2” annulus is
pressure tested prior to perforating. The rule is “negative
pressure test = unusable well”, and this is applied without
exception due to the safety concerns of annular gas and/or
fluid flow. To improve the odds of a good cement bond in this
annulus several changes were made. Some of these changes
were; 1) an increase in overlap cement height to 400 m, 2)
improved centralization by using a 20 ft. centralizer spacing in
this area, and 3) a new, more aggressive strength development
slurry incorporating a new multifunctional liquid additive.
Single Density Slurries
In most areas of the world a Lead / Tail approach has been
taken for primary cement jobs. Either economic and/or
hydrostatic considerations are the most common reasons for
using a Lead. In both cases the Lead slurry can fulfil the
mission rather well. Lead slurries, when used for economic
reasons, are typically used to give structural support to the
casing and provide a given top of cement (TOC) for statutory
of policy purposes. Thus, they tend to be lightened with the
cheapest possible products. Examples of low cost extenders
are bentonite and sodium silicate. The later is a commonly
used offshore in liquid form.
There are, however, several problems with the Lead / Tail
method of cementing that single slurries address. Some of
these problems include;
3
1. Lead / Tail means two mixwaters, which in turn means
twice the chance for a mistake in water preparation
whether it is on the fly or premixed. If mud pits are used
to premix, then it also doubles the isolated tank
requirement. These tanks need to be cleaned extremely
well, as most mud additives are not compatible with
cement slurries.
2. Mixing a Lead / Tail requires a higher level of density
control compared to single slurries. This becomes
especially critical on the production string cement jobs
where density control must be near perfect. Changing
from 1.5 SG. to 1.9 SG. at 5 bpm is not a trivial task. It
involves a change to bulk flow, which is not the most
easily controlled parameter of a cement job. Often this
change in density can be noted on job charts by large
density fluctuation during this transfer from Lead to Tail
or period of shutdowns where the Tail slurry had to be
“batched” to achieve the desired weight.
3. The interface between Lead and Tail can be problematic
in the cement mixer and potentially downhole due to
incompatibilities. The additives used in a Lead slurry can
cause unacceptable viscosity increases in Tail slurries.
Also, there exists the possibility of a premature set if
enough mixing of Lead/Tail occurs due to the Lead
slurries extenders, which typically accelerate setting time.
4. Lead slurries incorporated for economic reasons typically
have very poorer performance characteristics than
premium slurries, both in the long and short term. High
fluid loss, poor strength development, high permeability,
tendency for long setting profiles with periods of
gellation, potential for free water are just a few of the
problems that are inherent with these slurries.
5. Conventional Lead/Tail cement additives have a fairly
restrictive temperature and density range.
The address the above issues, a single slurry concept has
been adopted in Thailand for all tubing cement jobs. To
account for hydrostatic considerations, the density can be set
between the Lead and Tail slurries in such a way that exactly
the same ECD is maintained. The slurry weight is optimized
for the pore versus frac pressure garadient for the field in
question (Fig. 5). With respect to the economic issue, by
taking out bulk cement from the Tail and adding cement to the
Lead the net amount of cement stays roughly the same and
thus costs are similar. It is also possible to achieve “near Tail”
cement performance with new Multifunctional Liquid
Additives (see Table-1). These products have the ability to
extend, increase strength, control free water and control fluid
all in one. This facilitates the use of single density slurries
that can be mixed on the fly without premixing the mixwater.
For PTTEP lightweight (1.6 SG, 13.3 ppg) single slurry is
used to provide zone isolation on all production strings. This
includes slurries for use up to 190oC in the Arthit and Bongkot
fields. This practice has been in place for four years and both
lab and field results have shown positive results. To date, over
100 production tubings have been cemented with single, on-
the-fly cement slurries incorporating MLA’s. The latest MLA,
introduced in January 2004, has a large operating envelope in
terms of temperature and density. This is advantageous in
HPHT wells where mud weights may suddenly jump by
4 IADC/SPE 88018
several points. For example, in the recent Arthit exploration,
the new MLA allowed the use of a single product for slurries
ranging from 1.6 to 1.9 SG.
Temperature Differential Concern
Temperature gradient in Bongkot and Arthit field is high,
around 6oC/100 mTVD. At typical well TDs, Bottom Hole
Static Temperature (BHST) is approximately 180oC and can
be as hot as 200oC in some locations (over 6.5oC/100mTVD).
See Figures 3 and 4 for a graphical summary of temperatures
in the area. As slimhole geometry results in minimal cool-
down from circulation prior to and during the cement job,
Bottom Hole Circulating Temperature (BHCT) is also
extremely high, and in the range of 150–180oC at TD. These
hot wells demand a significant concentration of retarder in the
cement slurry. Considering the cement job time plus 1-hour
safety margin, the typical 3-1/2” tubing slurry is retarded to
give 3 to 3.5 hrs. thickening time at BHCT.
A concern arises, when the slurry reaches TD, turns the
corner and comes up in the annulus. The wellbore
temperature decreases as cement slurry goes higher and higher
up the annulus. Of course this happens on every cement job to
some degree, but when a long TVD interval is cementing in
these GOT temperature gradient extremes, then problems can
occur at the TOC. That is, slurry with proper retarder loading
for BHCT can be over-retarded when it is circulated to
positions higher up the wellbore. The worst condition is at
tubing job TOC, where static temperature is 100oC cooler than
BHCT. This high temperature difference raises a concern of
cement quality at TOC, where it is especially critical to the
wells pressure integrity. The slurry retarded for 180oC will
take much longer to set at 150oC, but it might take an
inordinate amount of time to set at 80oC, where delta-T is
100oC, and when it does set, will the cement bond be
compromised. Over the years there have been several
approaches adopted to mitigate this problem.
Two-stage cementing is one of solutions to compete with
high temperature difference between bottom hole and TOC.
Two slurries with different retarder loading can be used to
match the hole condition for each stage. In the lower (first)
stage cementing, slurry is retarded to match bottom hole
condition, then retarder loading can be reduced for slurry in
the upper (second) stage. Therefore, slurry at TOC will not be
over retarded and the chance of a good cement seal increases.
However, this approach is not practically or economically
justified for slimhole completions. Stage cementing leaves
upper stage equipment in string that requires drill out. If this
technique were to be used on 3-1/2” completion string, it
would involve coil tubing drilling, which is not feasible.
Based on the same concept of reducing retarder loading for
slurry to be placed at top, a Lead/Tail with equal density but
different retarder loadings may be employed. This technique
works in theory, but is rather risky. Unlike two-stage
cementing, every portion of slurry comes into contact with full
bottom hole temperature. This may result in a premature set if
the Lead slurry does not have enough safety margin for job
time, thus retarder loading cannot be reduced too much. A
balance point between the cement quality and job time safety
margin would have to be carefully optimized.
If the slurry can be put in place without passing and
subjected to high temperature at bottom hole, retarder loading
can be reduce significantly. Reverse cementing offers this
advantage; however, there are also many disadvantages to
implementing this technique for slimhole completions. Before
those disadvantages are overcome, or other techniques are
introduced, improving the slurry setting properties is the
answer to deal with the concern on high temperature
difference. To this end a new MLA was introduced to the
field in early 2004 for the Arthit Phase 3 Exploration
Champaign. The new product is able to withstand the high
BHCT with less retarder required and it also promotes high
early compressive strength at a range of temperatures. Figure
9 shows a typical UCA chart for the tubing slurry design
incorporating the new MLA. Note the high and rapid strength
development achieved. This has resulted in better bonding
across the TOC section.
Field Efficiencies using MLA’s
Logistics is a critical aspect of offshore well construction in
the GOT. This is due to the fact that wells are drilled fast and
supply boats are at a premium. The only product required to
be blended with cement is silica. In the GOT 40% silica is
used to ensure no strength retrogression occurs. To keep a
single type of cement in the field it was decided to use this
blend for all cement jobs. As this product is locally
manufactured there is not increase in cost to use it for all jobs.
A study conducted by PTTEP showed that cement bulk
losses due to multiple transfers to and from supply vessels
could be as high as 10%. This is a significant commercial
loss, but it would be much worse if dry additives were added
to the blend.
The fact that MLA’s do the job of several products also
makes them more efficient to store offshore. With the fast
drilling and limited deck space of GOT rigs this is a critical
issue. With MLA’s, product is sent to the rig in large,
stainless steel, reusable tote tanks. This makes handling on the
rig much easier and safer. Broken sacks and / or half-empty
drums are not an issue when the switch to tote tanks is made.
Proportioning bulk cement into mixwater is not a perfect
science. There are many challenges with respect to bulk flow
to the cement unit and then controlling bulk entry into the
mixwater stream. Therefore if the additives are part of the
bulk flow rate there exists the inherent change in additive
concentration with any bulk flow change. In contrast, liquid
additives are relatively easy to meter and they are not
dependent on bulk entry into the system. This means the odds
of having the wrong additive concentration are greatly
diminished. The obvious benefit of this is that the
performance of the slurry will be more homogeneous for the
short and long term.
With dry blends there is also the question of how well the
cement has been blended and how well the blend stays
“blended” over time. Due to large differences in particle size
and SG of different powdered cementing additives, there have
been reports of additive settling and or segregation of
additives with stored blends. If either of these occur, of course
the job will be compromised.
Other ways to formulate lightweight slurries have been
available for years and have their own unique pros and cons.
IADC/SPE 88018
For example, foam cement imparts excellent short and long-
term properties on the cement, but requires a well-metered
stream of nitrogen gas into a base slurry line. These jobs also
require a much larger footprint due to the extra equipment
required and thus are impractical from many offshore
applications. Hollow glass beads or microspheres have been
used extensively but are susceptible to segregation when dry
blended. Also, these blends tend to require large volumes of
beads to achieve low density and thus bulk storage itself can
become an issue as well as cost. Diatomaceous earth (DE),
which was used extensively in Thailand in the early 1980’s is
similar to bentonite in that it allows the addition on extra water
to achieve low density. However it tends to be expensive and
the quality of DE can be quite variable. Other low-density
solids such as expanded volcanic powder (Perlite) are now in
limited use primarily because final dowhnhole slurry density is
dependent on actual pressure seen during the job2. In all dry
blend scenarios an accurate blend delivered all the way to the
cement unit is a must. Recently systems incorporating muti-
sized particles to enhance cement packing have been
introduced to generate lightweight slurries. These systems are
limited to very specific density ranges where the optimized
particle size distribution (OPSD) was designed to be effective,
thus any non homogenous portion of blend may be
problematic to mix to desired weight. In summary, the use of
MLA-based slurries provides the following advantages;
1. Eliminates the cement additive waste associated with mud
pit tanks bottoms.
2. Eliminates cement additive waste associated with
pneumatic transfer (10% in bulking losses is common).
3. Reduces rig volume/storage of cement.
4. An all-liquid system is easier to meter and control thus
providing a more homogenous and predicable slurry.
5. Eliminates confusion of multiple dry-blends in the field.
6. Allows flexibility to make last minute changes in slurry
design that is not possible with dry blends.
Lightweight Cements – Are They Strong Enough?
For many years, it has been standard industry practice to
cement production intervals and casing shoes with slurries at
15.8 lbm/gal. A question that is invariably posed whenever
lower density cement is suggested for oilfield applications is,
“Will it be strong enough?” Of course, such cements are
routinely used as “fillers”, in non-critical applications, but
many are uncomfortable with the idea of using low density
cements for more demanding conditions. In fact, many wells
are cemented, at least partially, with so-called "neat" (15.8
lbm/gal) cement, for reasons, related more to the properties of
the cement powder than to the mechanical requirements for
wellbore construction or long term zonal isolation. Actually,
under confinement, all cements eventually have strength
essentially approaching that of the surrounding formation,
regardless of the initial slurry density4.
In wells where the mud density is actually several lbm/gal
lower than 15.8 lbm/gal, there would appear to be little
justification in using a cement at such a density. In fact, a
growing body of evidence suggests that it would be beneficial,
in many cases, to use a single, properly designed, cement
slurry with a lower density. It is possible to save both time and
5
money using such a strategy and it can greatly simplify the
cementing operation by eliminating the discontinuity that
inevitably results from mixing lead/tail systems. Furthermore,
the mechanical properties of such low-density cements, when
set, can make them more tolerant to changing well conditions.
The main functional requirements for cement include
casing support and protection, as well as long term zonal
isolation. This requires acceptable shear bond, reasonable
compressive strength, low permeability, dimensional stability
and good flexural and tensile strength.
Cement bonding is not accomplished by a chemical
reaction but by a physical interaction. Therefore, bonding is
more related to cement ductility and casing roughness.
Ductility is an advantageous property of cement, since it
allows cement to sustain large displacements without losing its
load-bearing capacity. It is true that cement adherence, or
shear bond, is somehow related to cement compressive
strength through its tensile strength relationship but the
addition of other materials to the cement slurry can greatly
affect the result. Obviously, most low density cements are not
as strong as “neat” cements. In such lightweight cements,
however, the ratio of tensile to compressive strength can be as
high as 1:2, depending on slurry composition. Since the
amount of tensile strength required for casing support in most
situations is only a few 10’s of psi, this implies that such
cements are perfectly adequate for providing rapid, structural
support for the casing.
Zonal isolation is a more complex issue since it is mainly
dependent on the hydraulic bond of cement to the interfaces
and the permeability and structural integrity of the cement
sheath. For a good seal in the annulus, the cement must be
flexible enough to behave as a packing element does in a
packer. Under confinement, cement becomes ductile and it
deforms easily under pressure. Every time there is casing
contraction, due to hydrostatic pressure or temperature
reductions in the well bore, the cement will elastically expand
until it becomes plastic and the hydraulic bond is broken
(formation of a micro annulus). Improving the elasticity of
cement or its flexural and tensile strength is an elegant
solution to prevent de-bonding. Special polymer-based
multifunctional liquid additives, designed to improve the
tensile characteristics of the cement, while simultaneously
providing improved strength development and low
permeability during liquid:solid transition and after set, were
developed specifically for this work.
Cement QC for High Temperature Applications
In the case of high temperature applications, as found
throughout the Gulf of Thailand, the control of cement
properties is particularly important. Slurry designs must be
simple, elegant and robust enough to handle the inevitable,
minor fluctuations in cement performance. Rapid turnover of
cement batches, due to high drilling and completion rates in
the area, makes this even more critical.
Portland cements are industrial products and, as such, are
subject to variations in composition and properties. These
variations can be minimised by careful selection and grading
of raw materials and by close attention to the proportionation
and process control during manufacture. It is, therefore,
mandatory to closely vet the cement supplier for their ability
6 IADC/SPE 88018

to consistently produce cement suitable for demanding oilfield Conclusions

applications3. This should certainly involve a careful • Cementing in slimhole monobores is critical for two
inspection and audit of the cement plant and a careful review reasons; 1) it is the single chance and means of zone
of the quality control, pre-, post and during the manufacturing isolation, and 2) it acts as a second pressure barrier.
process. Above all, it is imperative that the manufacturer • Even with slimhole cementing’s significant challenges, it
demonstrates the commitment to work with the service is possible to formulate lightweight, single density slurries
company and operator and to respond to the challenges using all liquid additives that provide more than adequate
implicit in the development of a quality local product. Detailed strength and fluid loss/free water control. All of this can
examination of cement chemical composition and routine be achieved at the extreme temperature of 195oC (383oF)
tracking of such data help to ensure that variations are kept using just three liquid additives.
within reasonable ranges, thereby avoiding unpleasant • Adopting a minimal additive approach has resulted in a
surprises. reduction in the total additives required in the Bongkot
Any cement, whether API certified or not, may show wide field from 14 to 5.
differences in its behavior when exposed to natural waters • Using the single slurry approach, as opposed to a
and/or cement additives. For this reason, major cementing Lead/Tail combination, eliminates many problems with
service companies normally institute more rigorous, in-house little or no cost impact. In fact, the question becomes –
testing procedures when evaluating slurry designs for field why not use single slurries for all cement jobs?.
use. Such testing helps detect potentially problematic batches • The development of MLA’s has facilitated tremendous
of cement and allows designs to be modified, if necessary. logistical improvements. Gone are the days of multiple
This strategy has reduced dramatically the number of cement blends in the field with complex additive loadings
unsuccessful cement jobs performed in recent years. Indeed, and the confusion / limitations that caused.
laboratory testing of cement slurry designs is the key to • Switching exclusively to on-the-fly mixing using MLA’s
success and is the cementing company's commitment to better has saved PTTEP and others in the GOT millions of
service. dollars in wasted product arising from the preparation of
mix-water in mud pits and pneumatic transfer losses.
Simplified Slurry Design and Testing • The advent of slurry charts and new cement QC
Slurry design in the Arthit and Bongkot fields requires close procedures have dramatically simplified the engineering
attention to downhole pressure and temperatures. The arrival effort required for cementing in a batch drill scenario.
of batch drilling at super fast speeds in the GOT, created a
desire to move away from traditional slurry pilot testing using Nomenclature
an interative, hit-or-miss approach. After months of lab tests GOT - Gulf of Thailand
and sensitivity analysis, “slurry charts” were born. These m - Meters
charts allow all involved in the design, supervision and TVD - True Vertical Depth
placement of cement to share a common document as a design SG - Specific Gravity
basis. To make the task of creating slurry charts possible it BOP - Blow Out Preventer
was important to reduce the numbers of products required. tcf - Trillion Cubic Feet
MLA’s fit the bill perfectly by acting an all in one extender- bcf - Billion Cubic Feet
fluid loss-free water-dispersant additive. Below is a table LAS - Liquid Additive System
showing the typical production tubing cement job for the BHST - Bottom Hole Static Temp
Bongkot gas field. Note that only 3 additives are required at BHCT - Bottom Hole Circulating Temp
180oC BHCT. No extra extenders, stabilizers, or fluid loss gpt - Gallons (additive) Per Tank (10 bbl water)
additives are required to give excellent slurry properties. bwoc - By Weight of Cement
FL - Fluid Loss
Table-1: Summary of Tubing Slurry Design
Additives: 3-1/2” Tubing @
FW - Freewater
180oC BHCT TT - Thickening Time
Silica flour 40% bwoc CS - Compressive Strength
Liquid Add.1: MLA 44 gpt UCA - Ultrasonic Cement Analyzer
Liquid Add.2: Retarder 12 gpt
Liquid Add.3: Defoamer 1 gpt Acknowledgements
Properties: The authors wish to thank the management of PTTEP and BJ
Services Company for permission to publish this paper.
TT (hr:min) 3:30
FL (cc/30 min) ~90 References
FW (%) at 45 deg. Trace 1. PTTEP Standard Drilling Instruction, PTTEP Mud and Cement
CS, 8 hr (psi) ~1,600 Guidebook, PTTEP WP-14 Drilling Proposal.
CS, 24 hr (psi) ~1,900-2,000 2. Smith, D.K.: “Cementing, SPE Monograph Volume 4”,
published 1990 by Society of Petroleum Engineers, pgs. 21-26.
3. Hibbeler, J., Rae, P., Gilmore, T, and Weber, L.:”Using
Alternative Sources of Oilwell Cement”, IADC/SPE 62746,
IADC/SPE 88018 7

presented at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific Drilling Technology

Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11-13, September, 2000.
4. DiLullo, G and Rae, P.: “Cement for Long Term Isolation –
Design Optimization by Computer Modelling and Prediction”,
IADC/SPE 62745, presented at the IADC/SPE Asia Pacific
Drilling Technology Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 11-
13, September, 2000.
8 IADC/SPE 88018

95° 97° 99° 101° 103° 105°

21° 21°

ลาว เวียดนาม
Laos Vietnam
19° 19°
เมียนมาร์ น่าน
Nan
Myanmar

ตาก
17° Tak 17°

15° 15°

สุพรรณบุรี
Suphan Buri

กรุงเทพฯ
Bangkok

ทะเลอันดามัน
13° Andaman Sea 13°

กัมพูชา
อ่าวไทย Cambodia
Gulf of Thailand

Cambodia Claimed 1972

11° 11°
73
19
ed
m
ai
Cl

เวียดนาม
ai
Th

Vietnam
a- 1
di 9
สุราษฎร์ธานี bo 19
m m
Surat Thani Ca na
9° et 9°
Vi
PTTEP
นครศรีธรรมราช B14A Unocal
Th
ai-

Nakhon Si Thammarat Moeco

Vie

B15A
tna
m

B15
19
97

B16A
PTTEP B16
TotalFina Elf
British Gas B17

สงขลา Vie
7° Songkhla tna
mC 7°
laim
ed
ยะลา 197
1
Yala

N
0 50 100

อินโดนีเซีย มาเลเซีย
Kilometers

Indonesia Malaysia
Ref : DMR (July 27, 2001)
FOR INTERNAL USE ONLY
5° 5°
95° 97° 99° 101° 103° 105°

Fig. 1 – The major PTTEP fields (Bongkot and Arthit) lie in the southern Gulf of Thailand area
and are the two largest gas fields in Thailand. Gas is sent via pipeline to Rayong where it is
processed. Bongkot produces ~ 570 mmscf/day average and has likely reserves in excess of 4
1
tcf. Arthit in not yet on production and has reserve estimates in the 2.5 tcf range .
IADC/SPE 88018 9

TON SAK-6 &

GEOLOGICAL PROGNOSIS
TON SAK-6(ST)

WELL NAME : TON SAK-6

COORDINATES : X : 880086 Y : 889251
WATER DEPTH : 75 m RTE : 26 m

TOTAL DEPTH : 2785 m TMD 2670 m TVD-

MSL

FORMATION AND DEPTH SEISMIC

MARKER/
AGE DEPOSITIONAL TVD-MSL LITHOLOGY HORIZONS
RES.NAME
LOGS CASINGS REMARKS
ANOMALIES
ENVIRONMENTS (m)
1000
L H05
A )

ALLUVIAL
/CNT

T PLAIN 2E
E AIT/BHC/LDT/GR
(optional

1200
H10
7”
M
I
H20
O
C DELTAIC 1400
PLAIN 2D
E
N
E H30

1600 H33

E M15-00
DELTA 2C
A FRONT
R H37 M16-00
L 1800
Y H40 CNT
- UPPER “H40-2” 17-50
DELTAIC 2B
PLAIN “H40-4” 18-55
M H44 M18-60 VSP

2000
I
Pressure
D
Testing +
D DELTAIC Formation Fluid
L 2A H50 M20-40
PLAIN Sampling
E 2200 “H50-1” 20-90
“H50-2” 21-30
H60 M21-40
M AIT/BHC/LDT/GR
I
ALLUVIAL
O PLAIN FM1 2400
“H60-2” 23-00
H65
C
E
N H70

E
2600
25-20

TD

2800

PTT EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION

PUBLIC COMPANY LIMITED
TON SAK-6 Date : Drn. By : cdr
GEOLOGICAL PROGNOSIS
Bongkot Asset Author : Drg. :

Fig. 2 – The typical stratigraphic section of PTTEP’s Bongkot development wells has a number
of pay sands in the early to mid Miocene age interbedded with shales and coal seams. Several
1
faults can be bisected by a single well .
10 IADC/SPE 88018

Fig. 3 – The temperature gradient in the GOT is variable. It is therefore important to know from a planning
perspective what temperature will be encountered. The above figure is a temperature gradient isopach.
Where the lines are close together, there exists a high degree of lateral temperature change.
IADC/SPE 88018 11

Fig. 4 – Temperature in the Bongkot and Arthit Fields is extreme. In some cases 200C is encountered while drilling.
This puts a premium on all aspects of drilling and completion. It is therefore important to know in advance what
temperatures will be seen in any given well at any given depth. The chart above is continually updated with new
1
information to keep all involved with drilling aware of the various temperature regimes possible in the GOT .
12 IADC/SPE 88018

Fig 5 – Pore pressures in the Bongkot and Arthit fields can vary, especially depending on degree of
depletion of a given reservoir compartment (in the case of Bongkot). Slurry weight of the production
string cement job is kept low (1.6 SG), so as to avoid losses. Any lost cement could result in a low TOC,
1
which would in turn jeopardize the well in terms of well control safety requirements .
IADC/SPE 88018 13

F
E
J
B H
E
W W F 1 E
W G
A J W
M
W
E M
G E
E
TON SAK- L
6 W WP11
J

WP14
K L
TON SAK- E E
5

LEGEN
D Drilled well
Structural 0 1 km
closure

Fig 6 – A plan view of platform WP-14 wells illustrates the high degree of lateral travel in GOT wells. As
can be seen above, many wells cross major faults, which creates a challenge for both drilling and
cementing. ECDs are minimized by keeping slurry weights at 1.6 SG even across the all important pay
1
section of the wells. A and B circled above denominate individual compartments .

Schematic WP14 cross section

W E
TSK- 6 WP14 WP11 TSK-1X
TSK- 5 TSK- 3

"A" "B1
" "B2 "C"
"B3" "D
"
"

FM3
2E
2D LEGEND
2C
Drilled
2B well

2A Pay zone

FM1 EW JW JE FW GW ME KE11J GE LE MW
LWF HE
E

Fig 7 – A cross section of recent platform WP-14 drilling shows the high degree of accuracy required for
GOT drilling. Wells must be placed exactly on course so as to intersect as many pay sands and in some
case fall barriers must be closely followed. All of these pay sands must be isolated from each other as
1
production is commingled and any water intrusion could kill the well .
14 IADC/SPE 88018

Fig. 8 – Early strength development was improved with the new MLA introduced in 2004. The UCA
o o
chart depicts early time on a 1.60 SG tubing slurry at 179 C (380 F). The data shows that 1,500 psi
is achieved in 4:25 hrs:min and over 1,600 psi in 8 hours. This same slurry yielded over 1,000 psi at
o
a much cooler 7” casing depth static temperature (80 C) in 24 hours, which improved the sealing
ability of the cement between tubing and 7”. As mentioned earlier, a good bond in this annulus is
required for well control as a second barrier. Moreover, because of the fast strength development it
was decided that early perforation for well testing was safe on Arthit exploration wells. This in turn,
saved several hours of rig time in WOC for each well. For example, successful perforation and
testing in some Arthit wells was performed less than 12 hours from the end of the cement job.