Cement Quality-Control Program Shows Substantial Savings

Abstract

This paper shows improved results and savings from a quality-control program that emphasized controlled cement slurry properties and good field practices, including the use of spacers, controlled displacement rates, proper centralization, casing movement, and close monitoring of the cement blending. This study focuses on eight onshore and offshore fields in southern California. RDughly 135 wells with more than 180 casing strings were analyzed. These wells, drilled from 1980 to the present, range in depth from 2,000 to 14,000 ft [610 to 4270 m]. Two-thirds of the wells were drilled before the cement quality-control program was initiated in Aug. 1985.