Methods for producing fluid migration resistant cement slurries
Methods including providing a wellbore in a subterranean formation; providing a proposed cement slurry; calculating a fluid migration threshold; manipulating the proposed cement slurry based on the fluid migration threshold so as to produce a fluid migration resistant cement slurry; introducing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry into the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and curing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry in the wellbore in the subterranean formation.
1. A method comprising:
providing a wellbore in a subterranean formation;
providing a proposed cement slurry comprising a base fluid and a cementitious material;
calculating a fluid migration threshold pressure, the fluid migration threshold pressure (P C ) being the critical pressure required to cause a break in the proposed cement slurry during hydration and based on elastic fracture mechanics due to crack propagation shape, and calculated using the formula:
P
C
=
K
IC
6
/
5
π
3
/
5
(
1
-
v
2
)
(
12
V
bub
E
)
1
/
5
,
where K IC is a tensile fracture toughness of the cement slurry, ν is Poisson's ratio, E is Young's modulus, and V bub is an initial volume of a crack propagation fluid bubble;
manipulating the proposed cement slurry based on the fluid migration threshold pressure to maximize the rate of increase over time of the fluid migration threshold pressure and produce a fluid migration resistant cement slurry, such that the fluid migration threshold pressure exceeds a formation pore pressure and is achieved at or above a time of intersection with a net formation pore pressure (ΔP net ) determined by the formula:
ΔP net =ΔP cement −ΔP ob , where ΔP cement is a transient hydrostatic pressure drop in the proposed cement slurry during hydration and where ΔP ob is an overburden pressure between initial hydrostatic pressure of the proposed cement slurry and the formation pore pressure,
wherein the proposed cement slurry is manipulated by adding, removing, or adjusting an amount of the base fluid, the cementitious material, or a combination of the base fluid and the cementitious material;
introducing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry into the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and
curing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry in the wellbore in the subterranean formation to form a cement sheath therein.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cementitious material is a hydraulic cement.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the cementitious material.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the base fluid.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation further comprises a pozzolanic material.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the pozzolanic material is selected from the group consisting of silica fume; metakaolin; fly ash; diatomaceous earth; calcined or uncalcined diatomite; calcined fullers earth; pozzolanic clays; calcined or uncalcined volcanic ash; bagasse ash; pumice; pumicite; rice hull ash; natural and synthetic zeolites; slag; vitreous calcium aluminosilicate; and any combinations thereof.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting an amount of the pozzolanic material.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the proposed cement slurry further comprises a cement additive selected from the group consisting of a defoamer; a cement accelerator; a cement retarder; a fluid-loss additive; a cement dispersant; a cement extender; a weighting agent; a lost circulation additive; and any combinations thereof.
9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the cement additive.
10. A method comprising:
providing a wellbore in a subterranean formation;
providing a proposed cement slurry comprising a base fluid and a cementitious material;
calculating a fluid migration threshold pressure at a given time, the fluid migration threshold pressure being the critical pressure required to cause a break in the proposed cement slurry during hydration and based on elastic fracture mechanics due to crack propagation shape, and calculated using the formula:
P
C
=
K
IC
6
/
5
π
3
/
5
(
1
-
v
2
)
(
12
V
bub
E
)
1
/
5
,
where K IC is a tensile fracture toughness of the cement slurry, ν is Poisson's ratio, E is Young's modulus, and V bub is an initial volume of a crack propagation fluid bubble;
calculating a fluid flow potential ratio value at the fluid migration threshold pressure at the given time using the formula:
F
F
P
=
(
Δ
P
cement
)
threshold
Δ
P
ob
,
where FFP is the fluid flow potential ratio value, (ΔP cement ) threshold is hydrostatic pressure drop in the proposed cement slurry during hydration at a time in which the fluid migration threshold pressure is reached, and ΔP ob is overburden pressure defined as a difference between initial hydrostatic pressure of the proposed cement slurry and formation pore pressure;
manipulating the proposed cement slurry based on the fluid flow potential ratio to reduce the value of the fluid flow potential ratio below a value of 1 and produce a fluid migration resistant cement slurry, and such that the fluid migration threshold pressure exceeds a formation pore pressure and is achieved at or above a time of intersection with a net formation pore pressure (ΔP net ) determined by the formula:
ΔP net =ΔP cement −ΔP ob , where ΔP cement is a transient hydrostatic pressure drop in the proposed cement slurry during hydration and where ΔP ob is an overburden pressure between initial hydrostatic pressure of the proposed cement slurry and the formation pore pressure,
wherein the proposed cement slurry is manipulated by adding, removing, or adjusting an amount of the base fluid, the cementitious material, or a combination of the base fluid and the cementitious material;
introducing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry into the wellbore in the subterranean formation; and
curing the fluid migration resistant cement slurry in the wellbore in the subterranean formation to form a cement sheath therein.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the cementitious material is a hydraulic cement.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the cementitious material.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the base fluid.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation further comprises a pozzolanic material.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the pozzolanic material is selected from the group consisting of silica fume; metakaolin; fly ash; diatomaceous earth; calcined or uncalcined diatomite; calcined fullers earth; pozzolanic clays; calcined or uncalcined volcanic ash; bagasse ash; pumice; pumicite; rice hull ash; natural and synthetic zeolites; slag; vitreous calcium aluminosilicate; and any combinations thereof.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting an amount of the pozzolanic material.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the proposed cement slurry further comprises a cement additive selected from the group consisting of a defoamer; a cement accelerator; a cement retarder; a fluid-loss additive; a cement dispersant; a cement extender; a weighting agent; a lost circulation additive; and any combinations thereof.
18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the proposed cement slurry formulation is manipulated to produce the fluid migration resistant cement slurry by adding, removing, or adjusting the amount of the cement additive.