SPE 134169 Designing and Testing Cement System for SAGD Application

Rahul Patil, Halliburton, Andre Garnier, Gregory Galdiolo, TOTAL; Sandip Patil, Kris Ravi, and Luis Ferreira, SPE, Halliburton

Copyright 2010, Society of Petroleum Engineers This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition held in Florence, Italy, 1922 September 2010. This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE program committee following review of information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s). The material does not necessarily reflect any position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of SPE copyright.

Abstract In recent years, the focus of the oil and gas industry has shifted toward the production of oil from deep and harsh environments. This has been possible because of advanced technologies coming available to the industry. However, challenges still remain in designing materials to withstand certain harsh environment. To satisfy the ever-increasing demand for oil and gas, the industry is tapping heavy oil, which poses unique challenges. Steam-assisted gravity drainage (SAGD) technique has made it possible to reduce the viscosity of heavy oil and render it mobile. In this technique, steam is injected through an injector well and down to the reservoir where temperature can be raised to 260C (500F). This reduces the viscosity of heavy oil but imposes severe thermal stresses on the cement sheath and casing. Such stresses could hamper zonal isolation and result in the release of steam to the surface. Designing a cement slurry for such applications is challenging of various aspects, such as mixability, pumpability, placement in the annulus, sheath resiliency, permeability, and compressive and tensile strength, that should be optimized to meet the technical, economical, and operational requirements. This paper details the designing of cement systems for SAGD application and its rigorous testing by simulating downhole conditions. A fit-for-purpose slurry was designed that is chemically stable at the downhole temperatures and able to withstand the thermal stresses. The optimized slurry was subjected to thermal cyclic loading in an experimental setup designed to simulate downhole conditions, and the performance was evaluated. The cement sheath was intact after being subjected to several thermal loadings. No cracking or de-bonding was observed. In this paper, the experimental setup, slurry design, testing procedure, and the results are discussed in detail. The discussions presented in the paper should help the industry in constructing and operating SAGD wells safely and economically. Introduction In recent years, heavy-oil production has gained significant attention because of the abundance of heavy-oil reserves around the globe, as shown in Fig. 1. Heavy oil forms as a result of bacterial activity biodegrading hydrocarbons as they migrate to shallower, cooler depths. It is viscous and does not flow easily, and its API gravity can be between 10 and 20. Heavy and extra-heavy oil deposits are widespread, occurring in 127 basins, according to the USGS. Nearly 4,800 billion barrels of bitumen and heavy oil have been identified worldwide. Venezuela and Canada are major sources of oil sand deposits. The oil sands in Canada host at least 1,700 billion barrels of bitumen. However, only an estimated 178 billion barrels of this is considered recoverable. Bitumen resources have also been identified in the U.S., Russia, Venezuela, Trinidad and Tobago, Nigeria, Zaire, Madagascar, and China (Whaley 2010). SAGD is a proven method for reservoir heating to make heavy oil mobile. In SAGD operations, as shown in Fig. 2, two horizontal wells are drilled (Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage 2010). Generally, these wells are not that deep and could range from 80 m to 500 m TD. The bottomhole temperature during cementing in these wells is low and could be as low as 10C. After the well is cemented, steam is injected through the upper well and heats the reservoir. A typical temperature profile during well operation is shown in Fig. 3. As the heavy-oil reservoir is heated, the oil begins to drain into the lower, producing well. Depending on well and field conditions, it either flows freely to the surface or is assisted by surface-pumping equipment.

SPE 134169

The steam-injection technique is different from geothermal applications. In the former, cement hydration occurs at relatively low temperatures before being subjected to thermal loadings; whereas, in the latter, the cement hardens in the high-temperature environment. As can be seen from Fig. 3, the cement sheath is subjected to a significant increase in temperature during steaminjection and hydrocarbon production. The cement sheath is subjected to decreases in temperature when steam injection is suspended for maintenance. Thus, the cement sheath is subjected to thermal cycling. The thermal stresses exerted on the cement sheath during thermal cycling can hamper its integrity. The cement sheath could lose its ability to provide the desired annular seal because thermal or mechanical stresses exceed the cements ability to withstand one or more of the failure modes: compressive shear, radial cracking, or de-bonding. Cement-sheath integrity can be challenged throughout most of its functional life. Most challenges can be grouped in two phases: (1) the well-construction phase, which includes drilling, cementing, and completions and (2) the operational phase, which includes perforation, fracturing, interventions, subsidence, depletion, moderate-versus-HPHT operations, steam- or water-injection operations, gas storage, production, etc. Any challenge that stresses the cement to failure could result in communication and unwanted fluid migration, especially oil, gas, and steam, either between formations or to the surface. Although the successful placement of cement slurry could result in a good hydraulic seal initially, subsequent well operations could induce stresses to compromise cement-sheath integrity. Such types of stresses are severe in the case of SAGD wells. The stresses induced by the temperature gradient across the wellbore could cause the cement sheath to no longer seal the annulus as intended. This could ultimately pave the way for a leakage of steam and/or hydrocarbon from the reservoir. The cement-sheath can experience either compression or tension stresses. The magnitude and direction of the stress to be endured is dependent on the borehole condition, the sealants shrinkage/expansion characteristics, and its bond to the formation and casing. For example, a compressive type failure can be expected when large in-situ compressive stresses are present. The results obtained from finite-element simulations carried out by Bosma et al. (1999) highlights some important points: (1) if the Youngs modulus of the sealant is higher than that of the rock, large tensile stresses, possibly resulting in tensile cracking, can be expected when pressure and temperature inside the casing is increased, (2) expanding sealants were shown to underperform when the sealant was stiffer than the rock, and (3) shear is a possible failure mechanism if the cement sheath has low cohesion. Several authors have presented their case studies, and all of them agreed to the point that special cement-slurry systems should be designed to survive in high-temperature conditions (SAGD wells) (Ravi et al. 2002; Dean and Torres 2002; DeBruijn et al. 2008; Stiles 2006; Kulakofsky et al. 2005; Garnier et al. 2008). Goodwin et al. (1990) conducted an experimental study to evaluate the performance of different cement slurries subjected to various pressure and temperature changes. The study clearly demonstrates that stiff cement sheaths or cement sheaths that possess a high Youngs modulus are more susceptible to damage caused by pressure and temperature change. Benge et al. (1982) successfully implemented resilient cement systems in Gulf of Mexico, particularly in HPHT applications. Nevio et al. (2009a; 2009b) used blended cement systems to achieve optimum placement characteristics and mechanical properties of the cement sheath and successfully implemented them in the field. Designing cement jobs for SAGD wells still remains a challenge. Though efforts are made to design unique solutions for such wells, the testing of cement systems by actually simulating downhole conditions is important. Moreover, limited information is available in literature on cement-sheath integrity and design for steam-injection applications. Considering the chain of events occurring in a SAGD well, it is possible to define a methodology to design cement systems to maintain well integrity. This paper highlights key cement design factors that should be optimized. This paper also presents results for a cement system that has been tested rigorously by actually simulating downhole conditions. Objective The general belief in the industry has been that high compressive strength alone improves the durability of the cement sheath. However, work completed in the last few years has clearly shown that other properties of the cement sheath, such as Youngs modulus, Poissons ratio, tensile strength, and hydration volume change can be equally and sometimes more important in affecting the integrity of cement sheath. The cement slurries for SAGD applications are characterized using both conventional and specialized testing procedures. These tests are discussed and presented in detail. These tests are extremely important because SAGD operations are extremely demanding of the cement sheath, and a thorough investigation of their downhole behavior should be simulated in the lab. The objective of this work is to evaluate the effect of thermal cyclic loading on the integrity of the cement sheath. A resilient cement system was designed and exposed to thermal loadings in the laboratory at accelerated conditions. The on-off cycles of thermal loading followed by visual inspection provides a clear picture about the survival of the cement system. This technique is useful to accurately predict whether the cement sheath is competent and can withstand the thermal stresses in the wellbore. Moreover, it provides an opportunity to modify and optimize mechanical properties of the cement system to meet specific welldriven requirements.

SPE 134169

Experimental Setup and Test Procedure The thermal cyclic-loading tests were done in the large-scale testing facility at CSTJF Laboratories in Pau, France. The experimental setup used for the investigation is shown in Fig. 4. The cemented casing is placed inside a ~100-L tank. The cemented casing is prepared by (1) mixing the cement slurry, as shown in Fig. 5, and (2) pouring it between the casing and a mold that simulates an unconsolidated formation, as shown in Fig. 6. The formation at the shallow depth in SAGD wells is unconsolidated. After the cement sheath is cured, the cemented casing is placed in the tank, and the center of the casing is filled with lowtoxicity mineral oil. The oil is heated by an electric-resistance heater, and the oil is stirred by an agitator to maintain uniform temperature. Temperatures at various points in the test setup are measured and collected by data acquisition. The setup is equipped with safety devices to cut off power to the heater if the water temperature was to exceed 90C (194F) and if the oil bath temperature was to exceed 190C (374F). The tests are run as follows: Oil is heated with a ramp fixed at 0.6C/min (1.08F/min). The oil is heated to 180C (356F). The test setup is held at this temperature for two hours and then the setup is cooled down. After the test setup has cooled down, the cement sheath and casing are inspected for any damage. Then temperature cycling is repeated, and the cement sheath is reinspected for any damage. Cement System The cement slurry designed contained a combination of Portland cement, resilient materials, tensile-strength enhancing materials, suitable retarder, fluid-loss additives, and silica. The silica was optimized to help prevent strength retrogression at the high temperatures the cement sheath would be subjected to during steam injection. The particle size of silica was optimized to improve mixing, rheology, stability, and slurry placement. The percentage of resilient materials, tensile strength-enhancing materials, and other components were adjusted and optimized to meet the following objectives: Mixable using conventional field equipment Ease of placement in the annulus Low permeability Stability Resiliency Optimum mechanical properties Chemical stability at high temperatures Mechanical stability from thermal cyclic stresses The cement-slurry rheology, fluid loss, thickening time, stability, and compressive strength were tested using conventional testing apparati and procedures. The thickening-time plot is shown in Fig. 7. As can be seen from this figure, the slurry does not show bumps in consistency during the simulated placement time, and after about 10 hr, the consistency increases rapidly. The fluid loss of the slurry is low, at 34 cc/30 min, and the slurry is stable. These values are shown in Table 1. As can be seen from this table, the deviation in density of the cement sheath from the designed value is less than 0.6%. The compressive strength of the slurry was determined in an ultrasonic cement analyzer (UCA), and the plot is shown in Fig. 8. The crush strength of the cement is much higher than the calculated value shown in Fig. 8. The crush-strength plot is shown in Fig. 9. It is common to obtain large variation between the crush and ultrasonic values of compressive strength. The crush strength is a direct measurement of the compressive strength. Whereas, the UCA-reported value is indirectly obtained from correlations between the strength and the transit time for an acoustic wave to pass through the cement specimen. Results and Discussion The temperature cycle used to test the cement sheath in the test setup is shown in Fig. 10. The cement sheath and casing as prepared for placement in the test setup is shown in Fig. 11. The cement sheath is stable and intact without any damage. The cement sheath is then subjected to the first thermal cycle. After holding this temperature for two hours, the temperature is gradually decreased, simulating well shutdown. The cement sheath is visually inspected again. The cement sheath after the first thermal cycling is shown in Fig. 12. As can be seen, the cement sheath is intact, is not damaged, and is able to withstand the thermal stresses induced. The cement sheath is then subjected to the second thermal cycling, and the process is repeated. The cement sheath is shown after the second thermal cycling in Fig. 13. Again, the cement sheath is intact and is able to withstand the thermal stresses induced by the temperature increase simulating the steam injection. Fig. 14 shows the compressive-strength development in the ultrasonic cement analyzer simulating the thermal cycle. This figure shows that the cement sheaths compressive strength is almost unchanged after being subjected to the thermal cycling. This

SPE 134169

is an indirect measurement for the compressive strength. This involves using a correlation between the time taken for an acoustic wave to travel through the cement sample and the compressive strength. The cement sheaths compressive strength was also obtained from a direct measurement, by crushing the cement sheath sample. This value is shown in Fig. 9. As can be seen, the crush value or the measured compressive strength is about 1,250 psi. The calculated value was about 500 psi. It is not uncommon to obtain variation between the measured and calculated compressive strength of the cement sheath. In particular, the variation is higher when the cement sheath consists of materials that are much different from what was used in the cement slurries when the correlations between compressive strength and acoustic wave transit time were developed. Fig. 15 is another picture of the cement sheath after being subjected to thermal cycling to simulate the SAGD application. As can be seen, the cement sheath is intact and is able to withstand the thermal cycling. The cement sheath in Fig. 15 is intact after thermal cycling and is observed to be in similar condition as it was before being subjected thermal cycling (Fig. 11). Summary A cement system has been successfully designed and tested to withstand the thermal cycling expected in SAGD applications. The cement slurry meets and exceeds all the conventional properties required for mixing, pumping, placement, and stability. The cement slurry, as designed, meets the chemical and mechanical stability requirement at these high temperatures. Experimental setup and testing procedures can be used to test cement-sheath integrity for SAGD application. The cement system that was successfully designed and tested should help maintain well integrity in SAGD wells. Acknowledgements The authors thank the management of Halliburton and TOTAL for the permission to publish this paper. References
Benge, O.G., Sauer, Jr., C.W., and Spangle, L.B. 1982. Foamed Cement Solving Old Problems with a New Technique. Paper SPE 11204 presented at the Annual Fall Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2629 December. DOI: 10.2118/11204MS. Bosma, M., Ravi, K., Driel, W.V., and Schreppers, G.J. 1999. Design Approach to Sealant Selection for the Life of the Well. Paper SPE 56536 presented at the 1999 SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, 36 October. DOI: 10.2118/56536-MS. Dean, G.D. and Torres, R.S. 2002. Novel Cement System for Improved Zonal Isolation in Steam Injection Wells. Paper SPE CHOA 78995 presented at the SPE international Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium and International Horizontal Well Technology Conference, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 47 November. DOI: 10.2118/78995-MS. DeBruijn, G., Siso, C., Reinheimer, D., Whitton, S., and Redekopp, D. 2008. Flexible Cement Improves Wellbore Integrity for Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) Wells. Paper SPE CHOA 117859 presented at the SPE International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, 2023 October. DOI: 10.2118/117859. Garnier, A., Saint-Marc, J., Bois CurisTec, A.P., Kermanach, Y. 2008. A Singular Methodology to Design Cement Sheath Integrity Exposed to Steam Stimulation. Paper SPE 117709 presented at the International Thermal Operations and Heavy Oil Symposium, Calgary, 2023 October. DOI: 10.2118/117709-MS. Garnier, A., Saint-Marc, J., Bois CurisTec, A.P., and Kermanac'h, Y. 2008 An Innovative Methodology for Designing Cement-Sheath Integrity Exposed to Steam Stimulation. SPE Drill & Compl 25 (1): 5869. SPE 117709-PA. DOI: 10.2118-117709-PA. Goodwin, K.J. and Crook, R.J. 1990. Cement Sheath Stress Failure. Paper SPE 20453 presented at the Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, 2326 September. DOI: 10.2118/20453-MS. Kulakofsky, D., Armstrong, K., Szymanski, M., and Raabe, G. 2005. New Ultra-lightweight Ultra-high Temperature Slurry Design Provided the Required Resilience for Steam Injection work in Kuwait. Paper SPE 97682 presented at the SPE International improved Oil Recovery Conference in Asia Pacific, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 56 December. DOI: 10.2118/97682-MS. Nevio, M., Zanchi, A., Barbieri, E., Ravi, K., Mesmacque, A., and DAncona, E. 2009. Intelligent and Interventionless Zonal Isolation for Well Integrity in Italy. Paper SPE 119869 presented at the SPE Middle East Oil and Gas Show and Conference, Bahrain, Bahrain, 1518 March. DOI: 10.2118/119869-MS. Nevio. M., Repetto, C., Dettori, N., and Ravi, K. 2009. Zonal Isolation Achieved in Kashagan Field Through Integrated Approach. Paper SPE 119296 presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference And Exhibition, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1719 March. DOI: 10.2118/119296-MS. Ravi, K., Bosma, M., and Gastebled, O. 2002. Improve the Economics of Oil and Gas Wells by Reducing the Risk of Cement Failure. Paper IADC/SPE 74497 presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Dallas, Texas, 2628 February. DOI: 10.2118/74497-MS. Steam-Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD). Conoco Phillips, www.conocophillips.ca/EN/tech/sagd/Pages/index.aspx. Downloaded 4 June 2010. Stiles, D. 2006. Effects of Long-Term Exposure to Ultrahigh Temperature on the Mechanical Parameters of Cement. Paper IADC/SPE 98896 presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Miami, Florida, USA, 2123 February. DOI: 10.2118/98896-MS. Whaley, J. ed. The Heavy Oil Conundrum. GEO ExPro, www.geoexpro.com/hydrocarbo/heavyoil/. Downloaded 4 June 2010.

SPE 134169

TABLE 1MEASURED PROPERTIES OF 13.5-LB/GAL CEMENT SYSTEM Top Middle Bottom Density variation in the cube after 24 hr, lb/gal 13.43 13.49 13.55 API fluid loss 34 ml/30 min

Fig. 1Heavy-oil prospects around the world. Source: http://www.geoexpro.com/hydrocarbo/heavyoil/

Fig. 2A typical SAGD application. Source: http://www.conocophillips.ca/EN/tech/sagd/Pages/index.aspx

SPE 134169

Fig. 3A typical SAGD operations temperature profile.

Fig. 4Experimental test setup.

SPE 134169

Fig. 5Cement slurry mixed for pouring into the test setup.

Fig. 6Cement slurry poured for cement sheath preparation.

SPE 134169

Fig. 7Thickening-time chart for the cement slurry.

Fig. 8Compressive-strength development of the cement slurry under placement conditions.

SPE 134169

Fig. 9Crush strength of cement cube after thermal cycling.

Fig. 10Thermal cycling applied to the cement sheath in the test setup.

10

SPE 134169

Fig. 11Competent cement sheath before subjected to thermal cycling.

Fig. 12Cement sheath intact after first thermal cycling.

SPE 134169

11

Fig. 13Cement sheath intact after second thermal cycling.

Fig. 14Cement sheath retains strength after thermal cycling.

12

SPE 134169

Fig. 15Cement sheath is intact after series of thermal cycling.