Offshore Cementing Basics

W E L L S E R V I C E S

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Learning Objectives
 To know the different types of offshore drilling rigs
 The cementing technique differences in those rigs
 Explain the different equipment used for offshore deepwater drilling and
cementing

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Agenda
 Drilling environment
 Offshore rigs
– Types
 Cementing
– Techniques
– Equipment (Cementing units and cement heads)

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Drilling Environment
According the drilling environment, there are different types of rigs:
 Onshore:
– Components include: mud tanks, mud pumps, derrick or mast, the drawworks,
rotary table or topdrive, drillstring, power generation equipment and auxiliary
equipment.
 Offshore:
– The rig includes the same components, but those are installed in a vessel or drilling
platform itself.

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Drilling Rigs (Offshore / Onshore)
DRILLSHIP SEMISUBMERSIBLE JACK-UP SUBMERSIBLE LAND RIG

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 Fixed Platforms (Jack-up)
 A self-contained combination drilling rig
and floating barge
 Fitted with long support legs that can be
raised or lowered
 Is towed onto location with its legs up
and the barge section floating on the
water. Upon arrival at location, the legs
are jacked down onto the seafloor.

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 Fixed Platforms

 The entire structure is slowly

raised above the water to a
predetermined height, so that
wave, tidal and current loading
acts only on the relatively small
legs.
 Mobile Jack-up type
 Rig has three (or more) legs for
stability
 Used in shallow water – up to
100m

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Semi-subs (Floating)
 Floating vessel that is supported
on large pontoon-below the sea
surface.
 Advantage of submerging most
of the area of components in
contact with the sea, minimizing
loading from waves and wind.
 Usually anchored with six to
twelve anchors, to maintain
station keeping.
 Used in deepwater environment.

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Semi-subs (Floating)

On location

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Drillships (Floating)

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 Offshore cementing
 The cementing design and execution are quite similar
 Main differences to remember:
– Rig type
– Sub-surface configuration, TOC (Top of cement)
– Fluids return depth
– Cement heads (conventional / deepwater)

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 Comparison

Execution / Fixed and Floating rigs

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 Fixed Floating rig
Drilling (Surface csg.)
rig

RIG FLOOR

SEA LEVEL

SEA BED
Fluid returns to sea bed

Drilling
string
O O
H Drilling H
15 fluid
 RIH Casing

RIG FLOOR

Drill Pipe

Casing
CSG top CSG
from TD from TD
to to Sea
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R.Floor Casing bed
shoe
Running the Casing / Deepwater
 The basic components when RIH
casing are:
– Drill pipe
– Casing hanger running tool
– Plug launch assembly
– Casing hanger
– Casing

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Running the Casing / Deepwater
 Following a basic procedure for
RIH casing in deepwater:

– Make up cementing sub and plugs

(cementing company) to casing
hanger running tool (casing
company)
– Stab running tool with cement plugs
into casing hanger
– Run in hole casing
– Attach casing hanger (with running
tool) to the last casing joint

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 Running the Casing / Deepwater
 Run in hole with drill pipe and
land casing hanger
 Cement as programmed
 After cementing, proceed with
running tool operations, then
release running tool from
casing hanger
 Pull out of the hole with casing
hanger running tool and drill
pipe

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 Sub-sea
Cementing Cement Head

Conventional
Cement Head

Drill Pipe

TOC @ Sea bed

Fluid returns to sea bed

Cement slurry

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 Rig floor (Sub-sea cement head)

SEA LEVEL

DP

SEA BED

Casing hanger
running tool + plugs

O
H
CSG
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Subsea BOP Stack
 The main function of the subsea
blowout preventer (BOP) stack is
to maintain control over high
pressure conditions .
 The main BOP stack components
are:
– Wellhead connector
– Guide posts
– Accumulator rack
– Hydraulic connector
– Rams and annular preventer
– Flexible joint
– Kill lines
– Riser

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Marine Riser
 Marine drilling riser provides a
tubular conduit from the rig floor
to the subsea BOP.
 The riser guides downhole tools
and equipment from the surface
to the wellbore
 Permits drilling fluids to circulate
back to the rig.
 Carries the BOP stack as it is run
or retrieved.
 Is composed of series of
specially designed joints

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 Riser / BOP’s Installation
 Riser diameters are based on BOP
size.
 Common sizes are: 21” for 18 ¾”
BOP and 18 5/8” for 16 ¾” BOP.

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Riser / BOP’s Installation

Subsea stack and RISER going down

to the Sea bed

ROV used to install and check

any sub-surface equipment

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 Riser installation after cementing /
drilling next section

FLUIDS RETURN TO SURFACE

(RISER) RIG FLOOR

SEA LEVEL

SEA BED
TOC next Csg @ SEA BED

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 RIH next casing with DP RIG FLOOR
(inside the riser and
previous casing)

ACTUAL CSG OPEN HOLE

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 Cementing
(fluids return to rig floor)
FLUIDS RETURN TO RIG FLOOR
(annulus between riser and DP)

TOC @ SEA BED

ACTUAL CSG CEMENT

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 POOH drill pipe, WOC RIG FLOOR

Running tool released and POOH

TOC @ SEA BED

ACTUAL CSG CEMENT

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Cementing Equipment

ONSHORE EQUIPMENT

OFFSHORE EQUIPMENT

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Cementing Heads

Conventional cement head Deepsea Express Conventional Sub-sea Cement head

(shallow water) (deepwater) (deepwater)
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Cementing Plugs

Conventional cementing plugs (Bottom /

Top)
Onshore / Offshore – shallow water
Sub-sea cementing plugs (Bottom / Top)
Offshore deepwater

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 Sub-sea head with Dart (ball)
Cementing Plugs
Conventional cementing head with
plugs

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DeepSea Express* Cement plugs

Subsurface plug launch system

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What about this drilling rig?

…..are you ready to pump a cement job here?

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 QUESTIONS?

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