Novel Cementing Solutions to Impede Lost Circulation with Highly Crush-Resistant Lightweight Cement System and Engineered Fibers

Abstract

Seguni field and Sejadi field are smaller regions of Sepinggan field in offshore of East Kalimantan, Indonesia, which were drilled and developed by the operator since 1977. Seguni-V (redrilled well) was prognosed to encounter several depleted sandstone formations with reduced pore pressure due to produced hydrocarbons. Consequently, the utilized drilling fluid density was set as low as reasonably practical and this methodology had successfully prevented any lost circulation event until the total depth (TD) was reached. Nonetheless, the risk of losses were greater in the cementation phase of the 3 1/2-in tubing due to long column of cement (>7000 ftMD) required. Therefore, the challenge was to reduce the cement slurry density that still can achieve a required compressive strength within timely manner. The reduced slurry density was also predicted to be instable downhole due to the immense bottomhole pressure, which might crush the conventional cenospheres in the slurry as lightweight materials and result in an increase of downhole slurry density. Therefore, to minimize the risk of induced lost circulation caused by slurry density increase, a novel lightweight material with highly-crush resistant property was proposed. The result of the job with this cement system was satisfactory with no losses occurred and the targeted intervals were covered with good cement. Sejadi field, on the other hand, had experienced losses while drilling, from seepage losses which were commonly found, up to 170 bbl/hr of loss rate at one of the wells in the field. A particular lost circulation case with persistent loss rate into depleted formations was observed at Sejadi-X well. 728 bbl of synthetic based mud (SBM) had been lost into the hole when a loss rate of >40 bbl/hr was encountered while drilling 8 1/2-in open hole (OH) section. The loss rate could not be reduced even after spotting three times of 30 bbl conventional lost circulation material (LCM) pill and had cost significant volume of SBM and LCM amount lost to the formation, as well as 2 rig days spent in attempt to cure the loss. The study of the previous failure on similar problems in the neighboring well led to the solution proposal to use engineered, optimized fiber in cement slurry for lost circulation plug. The result was prominently effective and drilling operation could be resumed to total depth. This paper describes the features, case histories, challenges, field applications, as well as the acknowledged results of mentioned technologies. Lastly, this paper also introduces a mutualistic technical feature when the two technologies are combined to both prevent and mitigate lost circulation.