© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

Salt Cementing

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 Cementing Across Salt

• Cementing across salt is a unique challenge:

– Salts are soluble - react with cement
– Salt is plastic and deforms under pressure
– Casing must be protected from collapse and corrosion

• Locations:
– Europe - Germany, Holland and North Sea
– Gulf of Suez
– Algeria
– N. America - Gulf of Mexico, Williston and Permian Basins

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• When ?
– Salt zones of 10 m or more
– In front of Magnesium chloride brines

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 Gulf of Mexico Subsalt Wells

Louisiana

Texas

Piercements
Teak Mickey
Mouse
Gemini

Horizontal Injection Mahogany

Enchilada

Ridges and Walls

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Salt Tongues

Discovery

Plugged and Abandoned

(Source: Schlumberger Oilfield Review, Spring 1996)

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 Salt Zone Drilling Problems

Radial Stress Relaxation
Salt creep ledges
Salt
impinge on drillstring
Borehole wall weakened
by leaching water, gas
and other minerals from
salt
Wellbore enlargement
 Salt Creep/Flow
– Radial Stress Relaxation
• Horz. Stress = Overburden
• f Mud PH < In-Situ Salt Stress
– Borehole Restrictions
– Stuck Pipe
 Salt Leaching
– Borehole Wall is Weakened
 Salt Dissolution

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from salt dissolution
– Washouts
Accumulated cuttings
stick drillstring  Cuttings Accumulation
(Source: Schlumberger Oilfield Review, Spring 1996)

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 Salt Zone Pipe & Completion Problems

150°F
Caprock
Shear Zone
 Pipe Deformation
Flow
Salt ~3 in/yr
 Lateral Pipe Movement

 Unconsolidated Zone

200°F  Pressure Transition

 Temperature Transition
Potential

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Overpressure
Unconsolidated
Zone

(Source: Schlumberger Oilfield Review, Spring 1996)

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 Temperatures

150°F
• High temperature
gradients
• Temperature transition
Salt • Unusual circulating
temperature
• Rapid return to static
200°F • Offset data unreliable

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• API correlations - invalid
• BHLT to BHST - invalid

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 Reducing Casing Deformation

 Cemented Concentric Casings

 Heavy Wall or Special Grade Pipe
Salt  Effective Cement Placement
 Uniform Cement Sheath - Standoff
 Adequate Cement Top
 Rapid Strength Development

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

 Casing Set in Tension

(Source: Schlumberger Oilfield Review, Spring 1996)

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 Keys to Successful Cementation

 Effective Cement Placement

 Appropriate Slurry Properties

 Appropriate Set Cement Properties

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

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 Effective Cement Placement

• Effective Mud Removal

– Washout Minimization
– Circulate and Condition
– Compatible Spacers and Washes
– Effective Placement Techniques
– Pipe Movement

• Uniform Cement Sheath

• Displacement Technique
– Turbulent flow only if fluids are near saturation. Erosion may
still be a problem.
– Effective Laminar Flow is preferred.

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

– Standoff to meet flow criteria.
– Multiple bottom plugs.

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 Appropriate Slurry Properties

• Density
• Zero Free Water
• Suitable Rheology
– Easily Mixed
– Friction Pressure for Mud Removal
– Acceptable ECD
• Fluid Loss Control
• Appropriate Thickening Time

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

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 Appropriate Set Cement Properties

• Rapid Strength Development

• Adequate Strength to Protect the Pipe
• Uniform Sheath Around Pipe
• Low Permeability
• Resistance to Brine Attack

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

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 Effect of Salt on Thickening Time

7
136°F
6 154°F
179°F
5
Thickening Tim (hr)

210°F
4

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

1

0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30
NaCl (% BWOW)
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 Effect of Salt on Compressive Strength

800
180°F
24 hr compressive strength (psi)

160°F
0
140°F

600

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400

0 5 10 15 20 25 30
0 NaCl (% BWOW)
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 Cement Design - Salt Poor

Salt Poor NaCl <15%BWOW

• Advantages
– Controllable Rheology
– Easily Controlled Fluid Loss
– Short Thickening Time
– Good Compressive Strength Development
– Easy to Mix in the Field

• Disadvantages
– Properties Change with Salt Dissolution

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– Thickening Time : Increased or Flash Set !
– Rheology modified (Ty PV increased)
– Fluid loss control alterd
– Continued Leaching After Cement Sets

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 Salt Dissolution into Cement Slurries

45
Salinity of Interstitial Water

40
35
30
25
20
15 Fresh Water
10 7.5% NaCl (BWOW)
5
37% NaCl (BWOW)
0
0 50 100 150 200 250 300

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Time (min)

(Source: CIM Paper No. 88-39-104)

Test Temperature = 140°F

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 Cement Design - Salt Rich

Salt rich system : NaCl > 18%BWOW (18 to 37%)

• Advantages
– Properties Relatively Unchanged Across Salt
– Improved Bonding Across the Salt
– Limited salt dissolution or nil
– No flash set
– Predictable placement
• Disadvantages
– Difficult to Control Fluid Loss
– Uncontrollably High Rheology
– Difficult to Mix in the Field

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

– Long Thickening Time
– Poor Compressive Strength Development

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 Schlumberger SALTBOND Cement

• SALTBOND* Cement - salt-rich, with none of the

disadvantages of conventional salt-rich slurries.
– Single additive for dispersion and fluid loss control
– Fluid loss control
– Thin rheology
– Easily mixed
– Good strength development
– 120oF - 250oF (50oC - 120oC)

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

*Mark of Schlumberger
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 Effect of Salt on Cement Properties

Fluid Loss (mL/30 min) Yield Point Plastic Viscosity

1000 200
800
150
600
100
400
200 50
0 0
No Fl Conv. SALT- No FL Conv. SALT-
Ad FL Ad BOND Ad FL Ad BOND

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

30% NaCl (BWOW)
BHCT = 160°F

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 Effect of Salt on Cement Properties

8 Hr Compressive Strength (psi)

7
136°F
6 3000
Thickening Time (hr)

154°F BHST = 93°C

5 179°F 2500
4 210°F 2000
3 1500
2
1000
1
500
0
0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 Salt 30% Salt SALT-
NaCl (%BWOW) Free Salt with BOND

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

FL

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 SALTBOND* Slurry Composition

• Sodium Chloride - typically 18-30% BWOW

• Additive to control fluid loss & rheology.
– DTDS - D80A
– ETDS - D604AM
• Retarder Modified Lignosulfonate, (D800:D801)
Hydroxycarboxilic acid (D110) or Uniset
• D144 defoamer

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*Mark of Schlumberger
FPP-FOR00753 page 20 -
 Hassi-Messaoud 7’’ Casing

• Drilling fluid
– Salt saturated
– Density = 2.04 S.G
• Spacer: • FW0 ml
• FL 88 ml
– Density = 2.06 S.G
• SaltBond Slurry : • Rheology
– Density = 2.08 S.G – VP 74
– D144 Defoamer 0.02 gps – YV 24
– D0604AM : Saltbond 0.85 gps
• Thickenning time

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

– D801 Retardeur 0.04 gps
40 Bc 8 H 15
– D044 Salt 18 % BWOW 80 Bc 8 H 20
– D076 Hematite 10%

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 Key Points (1)

 Salt presents unique challenges in well construction

because of its solubility and plastic nature.

 A quality cementation is necessary to provide a seal

and to protect the casing from damage by salt flow
and from corrosion.

 Drilling practices must provide a quality hole to allow

successful cementing.

 The cementation must be designed for effective mud

removal and placement of quality cement.

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

 The cement slurry must be designed for rapid
strength development to protect the casing from
plastic salt flow.

FPP-FOR00753 page 22 -
 Key Points (2)

• The cement slurry must be designed for a quality seal by

control of free water and good fluid loss properties.
• SALTBOND* cement meets the slurry requirements in a
salt rich slurry.
• Temperatures, which are extremely important in cement
slurry design, will be much different across massive salts
than across other formations.
• The presence of magnesium salts makes isolation even

© 2008 ENSPM Formation Industrie - IFP Training

more critical.

*Mark of Schlumberger
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