Stranger Things: Pairing Cementing Fluid Technologies to Overcome Challenging Isolation Requirements

Abstract

Exploration wells tend to produce challenging cement placement conditions with varying design elements to achieve the isolation requirements such as avoiding lost circulation and exhibiting high mud removal efficiencies. To satisfy both of these design elements, development of a cementing fluid (spacer) has paired multiple technologies helping overcome these requirements. The cementing fluid combines a lost circulation spacer, shown to be a cement placement aid, and a scrubbing or scouring additive, demonstrating support for high mud removal efficiencies. Thorough function-based assurance testing helped mitigate the identified deployment risks, due to their plugging natures, in combining these technologies. The paper will document applications where the cementing fluid helped achieve the isolation requirements when faced with wellbore instability during placement as well as the associated mud removal challenges from these limitations. The use of the cementing fluid may help others achieve success when faced with similar challenges.