Primary Cementing

Overview
231M001

1
 Primary Cementing - Objectives
• Definition and purposes

• Types of casing and cementing

• Cement job design basics

• Equipment

2 Initials

2
 Primary Cementing
The introduction of a cementacious
material into the annulus between
casing and open hole to : Fresh water
– Provide zonal isolation
– Support axial load of casing
strings and strings to be run Shale

later Salt water

or oil
– Provide casing support and
protection
– Support the borehole
3 Initials

The definition of Primary Cementing is the introduction or placement of a cementitious material in

the annulus between a casing and an open hole or previous casing. This means that we try to place
some fluid that becomes hard with time, for example, cement into an annulus. (Try to get students
to give the reasons) The reasons for this are:
The main reason to provide zonal isolation - to seal off certain zones from others (get examples of what
we are talking about from students),
Another reason is to provide axial support for this casing and other casings that may be run later (liners,
etc.).
Also to provide support and protection for this casing - against plastic formations (e.g. salt) and
corrosive formation fluids (e.g. H2S, CO2, etc.).
Finally to provide support to the borehole - for plastic, water-sensitive or unconsolidated
formations.

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 Types of Casings
• Conductor
• Surface
• Intermediate
• Production casing
or or liner

4 Initials

These are the main types of casing strings that can be run in a well. We will go into detail of each
one.

4
 Conductor
• Purpose:
– Prevents washing out under the rig
– Provides elevation for flow nipple
• Challenges:
30 ‘’ casing in 36’’ hole – Possible occurrence of shallow water flows
– Low temperatures (offshore)
or
– Drilling through gas hydrates under deep
20 ‘’ casing in 26’’ hole water conditions (offshore)
@ • Others:
30 ft - 200 ft – Large excess
– Stab-in cementing common
– Accelerated neat cement
5 Initials

Conductor
The conductor pipe does not need cementing most of the time since it is “driven” in. It is usually the
very first casing to be run and may even be in the ground before the rig arrives on location.
The main reasons for running this type of casing are to prevent washing out of the weak formations
just at surface (sands, gravels, etc.), and also to provide an elevation to connect a flow nipple to
allow for flow back to the rig tanks.
The conductor pipe is usually a fairly large size pipe ranging fro 36” to 16” and they can be
threaded or welded - when they are driven, they are typically welded pipes. This type of pipe may
not be standard API pipe - try to find 30” pipe in the handbook. If it is not, then special care must
be taken when pumping to avoid collapsing or bursting the pipe.

5
 Thru-Drill Pipe Cementing (Stab-in)
• Key Points:
– Less cement contamination
– Less channelling
– Small displacement volume
– Pump until cement to surface
– Less job time (rig time)
– Less cement

6 Initials

Thru-Drill Pipe Cementing

Cement contamination and channelling inside the casing is greatly reduced.
Displacement typical figures (get students to come up with values from the handbook): 400’ of 26”
casing is 223 BBls; whereas, 400 feet of 5” DP only takes 7 bbls. With smaller displacment volumes,
the job time can be dramatically reduced.
You can continue mixing and pumping until you have good cement to surface. This saves wasting
money on cementing and ensures that good cement has arrived on surface before the end of the
displacement.
This technique is used for most large casing sizes (OD > 13 3/8).

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 Outside Cementing (Top Job)
• Key points:
– Bring cement to surface
– Macaroni tubing used
– Max. depth 250-300 ft
Tubing – High friction pressures
moved
during
– Non-standard connections
job

7 Initials

Top Job or Outside Cementing:

Since the conductor casing is cemented in weak or unconsolidated formations, losses may occur or
excess volumes may not have been enough. This causes the top of cement to be too low. In these
cases, “top jobs” or outside cementing may be performed in order to bring the top of cement to
surface.
Small OD or “macaroni” tubing is used. 2, 3 or 4 strings can be run in the annulus
Usual maximum depths range from 250 to 300 feet.
In some cases the pipes can be left cemented in place. If not, they may be lifted out as the cement is
placed. However, this is a dangerous operation and quite difficult. Dowell employees should never
get involved in this part of the operation.
Friction pressures are usually very high while pumping and care must be taken to avoid bursting
the pipes.
The connections tend to be non standard, often made up by the rig welder just prior to the job. So
extra care must be taken with surface pumping pressures. We should avoid proposing to make and
supply these connections.

7
 Surface
• Purpose:
– Protect surface fresh water formation
– Case off unconsolidated or loss areas

– Provide a competent mechanical base

for subsequent operations (BOP, etc.)
• Challenges:
– Possible occurrence of shallow water
16 ‘’ casing in 20 ‘’ hole flows
or – Low temperatures (offshore)
13 3/8” casing in 17 ½” hole – Drilling through gas hydrates (offshore)
@
100 ft – 3000 ft • Others:
– Light weight lead and neat tail slurries
8 Initials – Large excess ( 50 - 150 %)

Surface Casing:
The main reasons for cementing Surface casings are the following:
To protect surface fresh water formations,
To case off unconsolidated or lost circulation zones near surface,
To support later casing strings,
To provide a means of connecting the BOP.
Typical casing sizes range from 20” to 9 5/8” or even less in the case of slim holes. They can be set
at any depth, the restriction usually being the weight limits of the rig and the types of zones deeper
in the well.

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 Intermediate Casing(s)
• Purpose:
– Isolate hole into workable sections
• Challenges:
– Potential problems: over-pressured, loss
zones, salt formations or heaving shales
– Narrow pressure window, between pore @
bottom & frac @ top

13 3/8” casing in 17 ½” hole

or
9 5/8” casing in 12 ¼” hole
@
3000 to 10,000 ft (vertical or deviated)
9 Initials

Intermediate casings are set between the surface casing and the top of the reservoir.
Theses sections might be long, with deviated portions. In mature fields, the pressure
window between the pore pressure and the fracture pressure may be very narrow.
This causes serious placement problems and exotic solutions are sometimes
required:
2 stages jobs
foamed cement

When zonal isolation problems are expected, very costly cement slurries are used
that can push the cost of the cement job to several thousand US dollars.

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 Intermediate Casing(s)
• Others :
– Often need a two-stage job
– Best cementing practices are required

– Cemented to surface or to previous casing shoe

– Typically filler slurries followed by high

compressive tail
– Specialised slurries (light, heavy, salt etc)

13 3/8” casing in 17 ½” hole

or
9 5/8” casing in 12 ¼” hole
@
3000 to 10,000 ft (vertical or deviated)
10 Initials

Intermediate casings are set between the surface casing and the top of the reservoir.
Theses sections might be long, with deviated portions. In mature fields, the pressure
window between the pore pressure and the fracture pressure may be very narrow.
This causes serious placement problems and exotic solutions are sometimes
required:
2 stages jobs
foamed cement

When zonal isolation problems are expected, very costly cement slurries are used
that can push the cost of the cement job to several thousand US dollars.

10
 Two Stage Cementing
• Key Points:
– Separation and isolation of zones
Stage – Reduces hydrostatic
Collar
– Can leave zone in the annulus uncemented
(cement at TD and surface)

1st Stage

11 Initials

Two Stage Cementing:

Two stage cementing is a technique where a special type of collar is placed in a casing string - this
collar allows ports or holes to be opened and circulation can be performed through them.
This is very useful in the following circumstances:
To isolate two problems zones within one open hole section, e.g. a high pressure zone and a low
fracture pressure zone,
To reduce the hydrostatic pressure in the well when a weak formation exists - the first stage
cement can be pumped and left to set and then the second stage can be cemented.
To reduce the wastage of cement in a well where only the bottom and an upper portion of the
casing is to be cemented - with two stage cementing, some part of the hole can be left un-
cemented.

Most of these applications can today be solved with LiteCRETE where mechanical properties of
set cement are not compromised for very low densities. That technology reduces rig time, does
not compromise casing integrity,and has less operational risk

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 Production Casing(s) or Liner(s)
• Purpose:
– Isolates the pay zone from other formations
and the fluids in them.
– Protective housing for production
equipment.
• Subsurface artificial lift
• Multiple zone completion
• Screens for sand control
Common sizes: – Covers worn or damaged intermediate
4 ½”, 5”, 7’’, 9 5/8” string.

12 Initials

Production Casing:
The main reasons for running and cementing productioncasing strings are:
To isolate the pay zones and the fluids in them from other zones - the different zones may have
different pressures; water and gas may stop or slow down oil production; and so on.
To provide a protective housing for subsurface production equipment (completions).
To act as initial screens for sand control.
To cover worn or damaged intermediate casings.
Depths and sizes varying considerably as in the case of intermediate casings but can be typically 4
1/2”, 5”, 7” upto 9 5/8”. CLients usually maintain casings sizes as a set from the beginning of a well
to the end, e.g. conductor 30”, surface casing 20”, intermediate casins 13 3/8” and 9 5/8”,
production casing 7”.
Production casings can be run as complete strings from TD to surface or only from TD to 100 to
200 feet inside the previous casing - these types of strings are called liners.

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 Liners
Pump Down Plug
“Dart”
• Key Points:
Liner Hanger – Requires less casing
Liner Wiper
Plug – Deeper wells
Liner Over Lap
– Small annular clearance
Previous Shoe
– Specialized equipment

13 Initials
15

Liners:
Liners are strings of casing that are not run to surface but are hung off somewhere inside the
intermediate casing.
The principal reasons for running a liner are:
Less casing is required - casing can often be the most expensive part of a well.
In deep wells where the intermediate casing is already a small size, e.g. 7”, a liner will allow
production from lower zones with standard type production equipment.
Care should be taken when cementing liners as the annular clearances are very small and
rates and pressures are usually restricted to avoid overpressuring the well causing losses
and/or premature setting of the liner hanger or packer.
The liner equipment and corresponding cement head are not usually Dowell equipment so
good coordination and communication is necessary to avoid failures.

13
 Designing a Cement Job
• Compute fluid volumes
( Slurry, Wash, Spacer, displacement volumes )

• based on :
– Hole capacity
– Casing capacity
– Annular length

• Low cost implies:

– Good mixing and economical pumping

14 Initials

The very first step in designing a cement job is the calculation of the volume of
cement required … with an expected error on the actual volume of 100% since no
caliper log is usually run in this section.

Usually these volumes are large and to minimize the rig time the surface equipment
has to be able to mix and pump these volumes as quickly as possible.

Most of the time, the cement is pumped through a drill pipe that is run inside the
casing (this is called a stab-in configuration) since the internal volume of the casing
is large.

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 Designing a Cement Job
• Check that well security is respected:
– Simulate cement pumping process
to compute hydrostatic and dynamic
pressures and compare them to :
– Formation pore pressure
– Formation fracture pressure
– Tubular burst pressure
– Tubular collapse pressure (∆ P)

• Ensure well security when

Running In Hole
• Check Temperature and
thickening time
15 Initials

The fluids that are pumped have varying densities and relatively high “viscosities”.
Ensuring that the cement will be placed without fracturing the formation while
maintaining all permeable formations overbalanced during all phases of the job
requires accurate pressure predictions.
These predictions are complicated by the common U-tube - or free fall - effect due
to the difference in density between the various fluids.
The second key problem comes from the long distance between the shoe of the
previous casing and the hole depth. When considering normal temperature
gradients, this long distance corresponds to temperature differences between the top
of the cement and its bottom of several 10’s of degrees centigrade. On one hand we
want the cement to set as fast as possible - to minimize rig time - and on the other
hand, the temperature range is such that there is hardly any way to obtain such a
cement slurry.
Very good temperature predictions are therefore required that remain accurate for
this complex heat transfer problem. These temperature predictions are used to
verify, in the lab, that the cement slurry will not set too soon nor too late.
Often, the only solution is to perform a two-stage job, i.e. cement the annulus in two
successive operations, first the bottom half and then the upper half. This solution
significantly increases all costs - rig time and casing (since the subsequent tubular
must be a casing instead of a liner for safety reasons).

15
 Designing a Cement Job
• Check for an efficient mud removal to
prevent mud channeling and to ensure
good zonal isolation
– Optimize fluid properties
– Optimize the pumping rate
– Optimize casing centralization
• Ensure good wall cleaning
– Optimize pre-flushes volume, and flow rate

16 Initials

Proper zonal isolation requires that all the mud is effectively displaced from the hole:
In deviated holes the casing has a tendency to lie on the bottom side of the hole, trapping
immobile mud underneath it.
Often, the mud is an oil emulsion that is replaced by the cement slurry, i.e. an aqueous
suspension: the fluids are immiscible and incompatible
Centralizers are used to avoid differential sticking of the liner. A good centralization also ensures
good mud removal. A key drawback is that they induce a significant drag force when running the
tube in the hole. Specific software is used to help find the best compromise between cost and
stand-off while making sure the drag force will not prevent running the string to total depth.
From a scientific point of view, mud displacement involves the displacement of non-Newtonian
fluids in an eccentered annulus. So far this problem has no theoretical solution. We use simplified
fluid mechanics models and good engineering rules to help optimize displacement.
Another crucial problem is preventing the mixing of the various fluids on their way down, inside
the casing. We use mechanical devices (plugs) that wipe the inside of the casing. Two such plugs
are used to separate the fluids on the way down, but mixing can still happen in the annulus on the
way up. Our understanding of the basic physics of this mixing has significantly improved with
WELLCLEAN 2.

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 Casing
• Tapered string used to minimize well cost.
• Casing program for well based on :
– Burst Pressure
• API casing spec
– Collapse Pressure – OD 9 5/8”
– Tensile Load – Weight 53.5 lbs/ft (determines ID)
– Grade C75
– Burst pressure 7430 PSI
– Collapse pressure 6380 PSI
– Thread Buttress
17 Initials
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API Casing:
For a particular size and type of casing to be accepted as good for running into an oil well, it has to
meet certain requirements that have been setup by the American Petroleum Institute: OD, weight,
grade, collpase and burst (or internal yield) pressures, and thread type.
With the OD and weight of a casing the ID can be determined and then the internal capacity.
C75 corresponds to a steel with a yield-point of 75000 psi. This is then used to determin the collapse
and burst pressures as well as the tension the casing will stand before it goes from the elastic to the
plastic region and becomes permanently deformed.
Stress = Force / Area Stress = 75000 psi Area = Cross sectional area
The collapse pressure is always lower than the burst pressure due to a larger exposed area (OD vs
ID).
The thread type is important as this will usually be the weakest point in the string in terms of
tension.
Some clients will run tapered strings where the casing size changes or where different weights of
one size of casing are used. This is to try and reduce well costs - smaller casings and lighter casings
cost less.
The casing programme is based on the downhole conditions existing (formation pressures,
maximum hydrostatic and pumping pressures during the cementing operation, expected maximum
pressures during the life of the well, depth, etc.) as well as some surface conditions (how much can
the rig lift) which will determine the burst and collapse pressures and tensile loadings that the
casing will have to stand.

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 Thread Types
• 8 Round
– Seals on threads

– Use of couplings

• Buttress
– Seals on threads

– Use of couplings

• VAM
– Seals on threads & shoulder

– Use of couplings

• Hydrill
– Seals on threads & shoulder

– Integral

– 2 sets of threads
18 Initials

Thread Types
Buttress and 8-round are the oldest and most popular types of threads. These threads have a leak
path and can not be used for gas wells.. Buttress is a development over 8 round making it easier to
screw the two pieces together and enabling a higher axial load.
VAM used mainly for production strings and is becoming more popular although it not recognized
as an API type thread. It has the ability to seal on the threads (it is very similar to buttress threads)
but also on the shoulder in the coupling. New Vam which has a shorter length of thread and a
better sealing area on the shoulder. Buttress threads can be used together with Vam threads but
not with New Vam.
Hydrill threads are a special type of thread which are integral with the casing (they are machined
into each side of the casing), making them very expensive. They have three sealing areas - on the
threads, on the shoulders and on the middle shoulder. this type of thread is quite rare in the oilfield.
Special care must be taken in order to ensure that we have the correct crossovers and connections
for the cement heads, swages, etc.

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 Running Casing
• Inspection of Casing • Running
– Tuboscope – Casing crews
– Pipe tally – Too fast
• Hole Preparation – Landing Casing
– Mud condition – Nippling up
– Clearance

19 Initials
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Running Casing
The running of the casing is not Dowell’s business, however, we do need to understand the different
steps as we see if something is not being done which could cause problems during the cement job
later on.
Before being sent out to the rig, each joint of casing is inspected using Tuboscope and other
specialized methods of inspection. These methods typically use X-ray or magnflux to determine if
there are faults in the steel or threads.
On the rig, the casing can be inspected again, but the inspection deals mainly with a visual
inspection of the threads as well as measuring each joint of casing.
Prior to running in the hole, the drilling fluid is conditioned and circulated to make sure the well is
clean and free of obstacles. The clearance between the open hole and the casing is checked - a
comparison can be made between the caliper of the hole and casing collar OD which is usually the
largest OD in the string.
The casing is usually run by specialized casing crews, e.g. Franks, Weatherford, who have all the
necessary equipment to do the job efficiently and safely. On some rigs, the rig crews run the casing
themsleves.
Special precautions should be taken while running the casing, for example, running the cassing too
fast may cause the formation to fracture.
Once the casing is run, it is landed either on bottom or just off bottom. Special connections may
need to be made just at the wellhead which is referred to as nippling up.

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 Equipment On-Shore

Bulk Plant
Silos, WBB, Compressor, Dust
Collector

CemCAT

Batch Mixer Fill

Density, rate, pressure

Diesel Engine
20 Initials

20
 Equipment Off-Shore

Batch Mixer

CPS
LAS Cement Pump Skid
Liquid Addtive System

Cement Head
Slurry Chief (Sub Sea System)
21 Initials Mixing System

21
 Cement Heads
Surface Expres Conventional
cement head
Oil Level Indicator
cement head

PDD

22 Initials

Two types of Cement Heads are actually used, the classical cement head with
manual plug release and the Express Head with remote operated plug release.

Classical Cement Head:

After circulating the well, pumping wash and spacer, the bottom plug (with
membrane) is released manually and the slurry is pumped behind. Once all the
slurry is pumped in the casing the top plug is released by removing the second pin.
Very often the mud pumps of the rig are used to displace all fluids in the well with
the mud which is pumped behind the second plug.

Express Head:
Bad plug releases (e.g. the plug gets stuck or is sucked in the casing during
circulation even though the pin has not been removed), lead to Major Operation
Failures (MOFs). To reduce the probability of MOFs the Express Head has been
developed. Top and bottom plugs are pre-loaded into the head. The Express Head is
then operated remotely. The bottom plug is dropped by moving the piston
hydraulically to the previous end of the top plug, which launches the bottom plug.
After pumping the slurry the same operation is repeated for the top plug.

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 Cementing Through Well Life
• Squeeze operations
– Repair improper zonal isolation
– Fill annulus to raise top of cement
– Plug perforations to control water
production
– Repair corroded casing

• Plug and Abandonment

Oil
Water cone

After few years of production ...

23 Initials

So far, we have just covered what is called “primary cementing”.

The cementer has other tasks. Cement is the prime candidate for plugging any hole.
It is therefore widely used in all remedial operations.

A remedial operation may be required in a variety of situations:

The primary cementing operation did not achieve its objectives, e.g. perfect
zonal isolation or top-of-cement depth
After some time, the operator wants to plug specific zones to change
production
Corrosion of the steel leads to pollution of the fluid produced from the
reservoir by brines from other formations.

In all these situations, a cement squeeze operation is required. Here, there are even
more unknowns than in primary cementing. Most of the time we do not known what
the exact problem is!
At the end of the productive life of a well, regulations require the operator to plug
the well and guarantee its perfect imperviousness for centuries… This is another
challenge for cementers and we leave the duty of verifying the result to our
children.

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 Primary Cementing - Summary
• Definition and purposes
– The introduction of a cementacious material into the annulus between
casing and open hole to

• Types of casing and cementing

– Conductor, Surface, Intermediate, Production or Liner

• Cement job design basics

– Hole & casing capacities, Formation temperature & pressures, Static &
dynamic hydrostatic pressures, Flow regimes, etc

• Equipments (On-shore & off-shore)

24 Initials
– Cement pump skid, Cement pump truck, Bulk plant, Batch mixer, Cement
heads, Liquid Additive System, Cement mixing system

24