Many good well-construction-technology papers came out last year, as well as a couple on older technologies that either had not been published earlier or had been released and were underappreciated. Two papers on cement technologies offer improved, relatively easy cementing success. The paper on the new, larger-diameter, high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) casing valve offers new capabilities for reducing risk in some managed-pressure-drilling applications.
Stinger or Tailpipe Placement of Cement Plugs. Everyone knows how to balance a cement plug, right? Well, if you are using the same approach to balance plugs with a stinger as that used without a stinger, this paper does an excellent job of demonstrating why you are performing your stinger applications incorrectly. While this technology has been available in a couple of forms for several years, I think it is still underused. This paper does a very good job of illustrating and explaining in simple terms how we may be contaminating 40% or so of our cement plug from unintended overdisplacement.
Newtonian Fluids in Cementing Operations in Deepwater Wells. The first field applications of this technology were as early as 2000, but this is its first publication. This technology is simple and relatively easy to apply and is most beneficial in wells where one is trying to gain increased cement coverage farther up the annulus when fighting a narrow pore-/fracture-pressure window. Improved mud-displacement efficiency can be an ancillary benefit. The authors have done a good job of detailing some of the more recent deepwater Gulf of Mexico case histories.
New Casing Valve in a Deep-Well Sour Environment. In HP/HT managed-pressure drilling, many bottomhole-assembly (BHA) components are too large to be tripped through the rotating head. Opening the rotating head to pull large BHA components requires a delicate fluid balance between losing and gaining while completely out of the hole, a high-risk operation. The equipment and techniques described in this detailed case history could add a significant safety barrier for similar HP/HT managed-pressure operations.
Thanks to John Lofton, Chevron senior drilling advisor, for his help with selection of these papers.
This Month's Technical Papers
Stinger or Tailpipe Placement of Cement Plugs
New Casing Valve in a Deep-Well Sour Environment
Newtonian Fluids in Cementing Operations in Deepwater Wells
Recommended Additional Reading
SPE/IADC 168056 Experimental Assessment of Casing Expansion as a Solution to Microannular Gas Migration by Darko Kupresan, Louisiana State University, et al.
SPE/IADC 167956 Constructing Difficult Colony Wash Lateral With Innovative Rolling-Cutter Technology Improves Drilling Performance by Greg Bruton, Chesapeake Energy, et al.
Bob Carpenter, SPE, is a research consultant with Chevron Exploration and Technology Company’s Cement Team. He has 35 years of experience in field operations, technical support, and research and development (R&D). Previously, Carpenter was with Arco Exploration and Production Technology and BJ Services’ Technology Center. He has served on the SPE Drilling and Completions Advisory Committee and the SPE International Symposium on Oilfield Chemistry Program Committee, along with other industry groups. Carpenter has authored or coauthored 15 SPE papers and several JPT articles and has been issued 23 US patents. His areas of expertise include technical support and R&D of all areas of primary and remedial cementing. Carpenter also has extensive expertise in coiled-tubing cementing, spacer-fluid development, and remediation of sustained casing pressure. He serves on the JPT Editorial Committee.