This past year’s Cementing and Zonal Isolation papers indicated that our industry continues to maintain high levels of innovation and optimization. We saw a healthy mix of both academic and field-specific content. The evident collaboration between operators and service providers continues to propel technical developments at rates otherwise not possible.
Geopolymer cementing-systems-development took center stage again, with 11% of the published papers covering this topic, with the ultimate goal of reducing the CO2 footprint of wellbore-sealing materials. Last year’s column described the geopolymer-systems-development timeline and how we had yet to have any case studies published. This year, I invite you to read a paper highlighting the first published field implementation of geopolymer in primary casing cementing, paper OTC 32218. This paper describes techniques that ensure that geopolymer systems are suitable for the downhole application, compatible with existing pumping equipment, and scalable to current operations. Several other papers published this past year describe these specific geopolymer topics in detail.
Academic paper SPE 213763 describes the development, testing, and results of a novel resin-cement blend. This innovation stands out because, among other reasons, it presents improved bonding of cement to the casing, which enhances wellbore integrity over the well life cycle. Such materials can provide long-term isolation, especially in environments where conventional cement does not always endure mechanical stresses, vibrations, or shocks.
Paper SPE 214768 is a robust case study on the implementation of foamed cements in shallow thermal well applications to mitigate gas migration. This paper showcases best practices for generating solutions to challenging downhole conditions from well design, drilling, and cementing perspectives. While the discussed geology and steam-assisted gravity drainage processes are largely unique to Canadian oil sands operations, I recommend this as an informative read for any operator or service provider facing similar downhole challenges.
I hope you gain valuable insight from these selections and am looking forward to what the next year of publications brings to the cementing and zonal isolation space. Some excellent case studies and technological developments are also listed as additional reading.
This Month’s Technical Papers
Geopolymer Implemented in Primary Casing Cementing
Resin-Cement Blend Enhances Wellbore Integrity
Foamed Cement Mitigates Gas Migration in Shallow Thermal Wells in Alberta
Recommended Additional Reading
SPE 217797 Cementing: The Good, the Bad, and the Isolated—Techniques To Measure Cement Quality and Its Impact on Well Performance by Kyle Haustveit, Devon Energy, et al.
SPE 216911 Well Life Extension Through Casing Corrosion Controlby A. Yugay, ADNOC, et al.
SPE 214538 Using Ultrasonic Flexural Measurements To Validate Casing Standoff Simulations: A Kuwait Case Study by Ahmed Nour, Kuwait Oil Company, et al.
SPE 213099 Biomineralization: Surface Injection Eliminates Bradenhead Pressureby Dwight Randy Hiebert, BioSqueeze, et al.
Paul Henderson, SPE, is a business development leader at Innovex, with previous roles in product management and development. With more than 18 years of industry experience, Henderson has supported a wide variety of well-construction and well-completion initiatives across the globe in land and offshore operations. He has significant experience with primary cementing equipment, casing hardware, and isolation packers. Henderson holds a BS degree in mechanical engineering from Queen’s University at Kingston and is a professional engineer with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta. He can be reached at paul.henderson@innovex-inc.com.