Relationship between operational variables, fundamental physics and foamed cement properties in lab and field generated foamed cement slurries

Journal Article · Mon Mar 21 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2016.03.014· OSTI ID:1247546

Glosser, D. ^[1]; Kutchko, B. ^[2]; Benge, G. ^[3]; Crandall, D. ^[4]; Ley, M. T. ^[5]

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1. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States); Oak Ridge Inst. for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
2. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, (United States)
3. Benge Consulting, The Woodlands, TX (United States)
4. National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Morgantown, WV (United States)
5. Oklahoma State Univ., Stillwater, OK (United States). School of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Foamed cement is a critical component for wellbore stability. The mechanical performance of a foamed cement depends on its microstructure, which in turn depends on the preparation method and attendant operational variables. Determination of cement stability for field use is based on laboratory testing protocols governed by API Recommended Practice 10B-4 (API RP 10B-4, 2015). However, laboratory and field operational variables contrast considerably in terms of scale, as well as slurry mixing and foaming processes. Here in this paper, laboratory and field operational processes are characterized within a physics-based framework. It is shown that the “atomization energy” imparted by the high pressure injection of nitrogen gas into the field mixed foamed cement slurry is – by a significant margin – the highest energy process, and has a major impact on the void system in the cement slurry. There is no analog for this high energy exchange in current laboratory cement preparation and testing protocols. Quantifying the energy exchanges across the laboratory and field processes provides a basis for understanding relative impacts of these variables on cement structure, and can ultimately lead to the development of practices to improve cement testing and performance.

• Research Organization: National Energy Technology Lab. (NETL), Pittsburgh, PA, and Morgantown, WV (United States). In-house Research
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE)
• OSTI ID: 1247546
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1430369
• Report Number(s): NETL-PUB-20121; PII: S0920410516300912
• Journal Information: Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, Vol. 145, Issue C; ISSN 0920-4105
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
42 ENGINEERING
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
58 GEOSCIENCES
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING
foamed cement
energy
fundamental physics
energy balance
materials characterization