A Novel Oil Well Cementing Technology Using Natural Fibers

Abstract

In many industrial processes, the pipeline systems are lined with a protective layer of cement mortar. In petroleum wells, cement slurry is placed in a wellbore to be hardened into an impermeable mass that seals the annulus from fluid flow and protects the casing from corrosion for the life of the well. When uniform linings of neat cement fail in tension, one or more large cracks are formed and the pressurizing fluid or mud easily flows through the cracks. The necessity to check the damaging effect of plastic shrinkage in cement mortar, and thus the formation of cracks, has called for further studies in this topic. In the past, the most common research topic has been in the areas of polymer fibers that are expensive and environmentally unacceptable. In the quest of pursuing technologies that are environmentally friendly, inexpensive, and innovative, this paper suggests the use of human hair, a waste material, in order to replace polymer fibers. Hair waste has been used as a new natural fiber to reinforce mortar and cement and improve their impermeability. The investigation reported herein concerns the effects of human hair fibers on the reduction of shrinkage cracking of mortar. The influence of mix proportions on the plastic shrinkage of human hair fiber reinforced mortar has been studied. The approach selected in this study is based on the factorial design of experiments, in which the considered parameters are cement/sand ratio, water/cement ratio, and human hair fibers content. The results show that human hair fibers are effective in reducing the plastic shrinkage cracks area of mortar by a remarkable percentage up to 92%.

Preparation of epoxy resin elastic particles and their application in oil well cement

“…Due to the brittleness of ordinary Portland cement, the cement sheath is prone to damage and destruction under external forces, affecting the quality of cementing and thus affecting the normal production of oil and gas wells. In severe cases, it can even lead to permanent shutdown of oil and gas wells, resulting in huge economic losses 6–10 . Therefore, it is necessary to study and prepare materials that can be used to improve the elasticity of cement stone, in order to enhance the ability of cement sheath to resist complex stress impacts, ultimately achieving the goal of improving cementing quality and ensuring the long‐term normal production of oil and gas wells.…”

Improving the Iraqi Oil Well Cement Properties Using Barolift: an Experimental Investigation

“…Human hair (0.4% volume ratio) with length of greater than 2 cm was introduced to oil well cement type I. Plastic shrinkage cracking test was conducted and the result showed that human hair decreased the shrinkage cracking area by 92% [4].…”

Human Scalp Hair as Fiber Reinforcement in Cement Concrete

“…HSH's strand has high tensile strength and friction coefficient. Due to this reason, human hair has been used for reinforcing clay based construction in rural areas of India, Bangladesh, Syria [1,24] and in European countries [25] with clay and other binders in plastering the house walls. Using human hair as fiber can reduce the shrinkage of more than 90% [26].…”