IADC/SPE 98894
Large-Scale Feasibility Determination of Storing and Transporting a Cement Slurry
Below Deck Under Maritime Conditions
D. Doherty, SPE, C. Fanguy, SPE, and D.T. Mueller, SPE, BJ Services
Copyright 2006, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in Miami,
Florida, U.S.A., 2123 February 2006.
This paper was selected for presentation by an IADC/SPE Program Committee following
review of information contained in a proposal submitted by the author(s). Contents of the
paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the International Association of Drilling
Contractors or Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to correction by the author(s).
The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any position of the IADC, SPE, their
officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the International Association of Drilling
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is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The
abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was
presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O. Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A.,
fax 1.972.952.9435.
Abstract
As the search for hydrocarbons in the Gulf of Mexico extends
deeper, so does the operators need for improved technology
to meet the challenges associated with these increased depths.
Several operators already have wells in the planning phase
with projected depths in excess of 30,000 ft. Accordingly, the
casing programs will cause the well service companies to
investigate alternate methods of accommodating the large
cement volumes required to construct the well.
The volume required to cement one of the larger casings
back to surface can exceed 20,000 sacks of cement. The
conventional jack-up rigs that will be utilized to drill these
deep gas wells are generally limited to less than 10,000 ft3 of
bulk storage. This bulk storage is generally divided between
barite, bentonite, and cement. There is an existing offshore
infrastructure that is utilized daily to handle thousands of
barrels of liquid drilling mud. If a liquid cement premix
(LCP) slurry could be maintained in boat tanks enduring
maritime conditions for extended periods of time, it would
then be possible to perform a 30,000+-sack cement job from
an offshore supply vessel.
In order for the LCP cement slurry to be considered as a
viable alternative to conventional cementing technology, it
would be necessary to determine:
Is the agitation system in the liquid mud tanks
sufficient to maintain large quantities of premixed
cement slurry?
Can slurry maintenance be performed on the
slurry while it is in the liquid mud tanks?
What are the personnel requirements for liquid
slurry maintenance while at sea?
Can the boat transfer liquid cement at a high
enough rate to meet the job requirements?
Could the density of the original premixed slurry
be increased and/or decreased in the boat tanks?
This paper will outline the 10-day slurry stability test that
was undertaken aboard an offshore supply vessel. This test
was a large scale field trial, under anticipated storage
conditions, of a 600-bbl quantity of pre-mixed cement slurry
stored in the liquid mud tanks of a working offshore supply
vessel. This paper will also discuss the testing results and
conclusions drawn from the field trial.
Introduction
Driven by space and weight limitations for bulk cement on the
contracted rig the operator accepted an idea that was
considered unconventional by most. Would it be possible to
use LCP slurry to replace the enormous volume of bulk
cement that would be necessary to cement their well? The
first string of pipe was a 20-inch casing, 133-ppf set at over
12,000 ft. in a 26-inch open hole. The volume of cement
required to bring the top of cement to 6,000 ft. with 50%
excess was over 7,500 sacks of cement. The rig had capacity
for 6,000 ft3 (4,300 sacks) of cement. The second string of
pipe was to be 16-inch casing, 137.9 ppf set at over 17,000 ft.
The volume of cement for this string with the top of cement at
6,000 ft and 25% excess, was over 15,000 sacks or 3,000 bbl
at the design density. It must first be understood that in order
for the LCP slurry to be considered for use it must first be a
proven technology. Even though LCP slurry had been used in
hundreds of applications, the previous volume record was 750
bbl. A test based on a large-scale field trial was developed to
demonstrate that the LCP would operationally satisfy all
technical and operational requirements.
Slurry Design
It was known from the onset of this project that the 20-inch
cementing operation would be pumped in the traditional lead-
tail format. The final mud density was projected somewhere
between 12-13.5 ppg. For the 20-inch casing, the lead slurry
design density was to be equivalent to mud weight to avoid
exceeding the collapse rating of the 20-inch casing. The tail
slurry would be in the range of 15.0-16.5 ppg to provide
support and to anchor the casing. The final mud density for
the 16-inch job would be in the range of 15-16.5 ppg and
would utilize a single density slurry design for the entire
operation. Based on these design parameters it was decided
that a 15 ppg LCP could be utilized for the lead and tail
slurries on the 20-inch casing string and a single slurry for the
16-inch casing string. The 15 ppg base slurry has the ability to
be extended to 11.5 ppg, with the base suspension fluid, while
2 IADC/SPE 98894
exhibiting no tendency to settle or segregate. It also can be
densified to 20 ppg with a weighting agent; once again,
exhibiting no tendency to settle or segregate. The 15-ppg LCP
had been used quite frequently in the Gulf of Mexico (GOM)
but had never been placed in the storage tanks of an offshore
vessel. Since the LCP could possibly be spending three to
seven days in the vessel before the job was pumped, it was this
time frame, plus a safety margin, that the test was modeled.
Test Overview
The actual test to determine slurry feasibility was designed to
parallel the actual job as closely as possible. The 15 ppg LCP
was to be mixed onshore at the bulk facility. The slurry would
then be transported into the GOM; and subjected to the actual
conditions of maritime travel that it would experience during
the cementing operation. The equipment used for the test mix
was to, parallel as closely as possible, the equipment to be
used on the actual job. The required time frame for
transportation of the 15-ppg slurry was determined to be seven
days. At the end of seven days, the slurry would then be
brought back to the dock and placed equally into two tanks.
One tank would be cut back to 12.5 ppg, an arbitrary density
picked to reflect a mid-range design density; and the other
tank would be weighted up to 16.5 ppg.
Test Data
The objective of the test was to collect data to determine
whether or not the slurry could withstand the rigors and
changing conditions that maritime travel would impart on the
slurry.
Test data to be gathered to include:
Temperature data
Viscosity data
Density data
Settling tendency
Thickening time data
Gelation tendency
Vessels capability to move the LCP
Logistical data
Temperature data was taken every six hours at five
different points to determine the effects of the external and
internal environment. The slurry was probed every six hours
to determine if settling of solids was occurring, and finally the
rheologies were run on a Fann 35 at ambient temperature.
Upon conclusion of these tests the slurry was agitated, with
permanently mounted fan mixers that are submerged in each
tank, for 30 minutes. All of the pertinent data was collected
and analyzed to determine the effects of agitation on the
slurry. Finally, a sample of the LCP was sent to the cement
lab to verify thickening time. This was done on day one and
every third day thereafter. Based on previous experience with
the LCP it has been noted that thickening time will decrease as
the slurry ages. This decrease in thickening time is due to the
inherent reduction in the retarders effectiveness over time.
Any acceleration in the thickening time reduction curve could
be a signal that the slurry was approaching the end of its
effective life. The thickening times were run at the anticipated
job temperature
Vessel Selection
Since it had already been decided that an offshore supply
vessel would carry the LCP and be the operation platform for
the job, it then became necessary to identify a suitable vessel.
Vessel requirements included: sufficient below deck storage
capacity for the LCP, transfer capabilities from below deck to
topside, sufficient topside deck loading capacity; draft
limitations and DP-II. DP-II provides the station keeping on
location by means of a satellite link and has 100% back up on
the systems used to position the vessel, alleviating fears that
weather would hinder the project. The test vessel also had 3
separate and segregated mud systems, which would allow the
isolation of the liquid premix without risk of contamination
from another fluid being transported on the vessel. The vessel
was equipped with two progressive cavity pumps that were
each capable of 660 gpm @ 200 ft of head.
The plan for the job was to have the progressive cavity
pumps supply LCP to the suction manifolds of the downhole
triplex pumps positioned on the deck of the supply vessel.
This rate gave a 30% safety margin above the planned rate for
the job. Due to the downhole rate requirements, the test would
have to determine if the boats pumps were adequate for the
rate and pressure requirements. The total storage capacity of
the liquid mud system was 8,000 bbl, which was more than
double of any planned volume for liquid premix. This 8,000-
bbl liquid storage capacity equates to nearly 21,000 sacks of
cement based on the 15-ppg base slurry. In addition, the
vessel had a dry storage capacity of 11,300 ft3. The dry
storage could be used for weighting material to bring the 15-
ppg slurry to 16.5 ppg as required. The feature that was the
most attractive on this particular vessel was the fan style
mixers that were permanently mounted inside of each liquid
storage tank. Each tank was equipped with two submersible
fan style mixers, each operating at nearly 500 rpm, and
theoretically capable of circulating the entire contents of the
tanks in less than 12 minutes.
LCP must be agitated on a regular basis to maintain
optimal viscosity characteristics. The fan style mixers offered
good agitation and fluid movement, without imparting the
severe shear conditions that would be experienced when
circulating with a standard centrifugal pump.
Slurry Mixing
A suitable offshore supply vessel was identified and leased for
a ten day period. The vessel sailed to Port of Fourchon, the
site chosen for the blending of the LCP. The base gel
suspension was prepared 24 hours prior to the arrival of the
vessel and was stored in a tank especially chosen for this task.
This tank minimizes the risk of degradation of the bio-
polymers due to microbial action. Prior to hydration the base
gel suspension is susceptible to contamination and pH
variations. It must be mixed under controlled, but
manageable, conditions. The mix water is placed in a clean
blender; and the pH is measured and adjusted as necessary.
The base gel is then added and allowed to hydrate. When
fully hydrated and viscosity acceptable, the base gel was sent
to the storage tank to be monitored.
As the mixing process progressed, close attention was
given to the amount of time each step consumed. This
logistical information would be valuable when the volume of
IADC/SPE 98894
LCP to be produced for the actual operation was increased by
a magnitude of four. The mixing process began when the
vessel was ready to accept the LCP. The total batch would
amount to 600 bbl of 15-ppg slurry. Two 120-bbl blenders,
equipped with an eductor system, would accommodate the
introduction of the dry cement into the base fluid. The liquid
suspension gel was transferred into one of the two blenders
and the additional liquid components were added. These
include the plasticizer, retarder, and free fluid control agent.
The additional components were homogenized for 20 minutes;
and the rheology of the base fluid was measured and
compared to lab values. When homogenization was complete
and the viscosity was at the designed values, the dry cement
blend was then added to the base fluid via a bulk line
connected to a standard eductor system that re-circulated the
base fluid. The time to density was then recorded. Once the
LCP was at the required density, the slurry was homogenized
for a minimum of 30 minutes. The homogenization period for
the LCP is critical. Experience with the LCP indicates that
improper homogenization can cause slurry longevity issues.
For this reason the base slurry is held to a viscosity standard of
no more than a +/- 5% of the laboratory Fann 35 600 & 300
values and no more than +/- 20% for the 6 & 3 values. If
these values are not within range additional homogenization is
required. Only one of six batches that were prepared for the
field trial required additional homogenization.
As each batch was completed, and QA / QC checks were
completed the LCP was transferred to its respective tank on
the vessel. This task was accomplished with a high volume
diaphragm pump.
Liquid Storage Tank Modification
A special riser with a hatch was built then attached to the
manhole of that tank. The function of the riser was to allow
access to the tank in the event of rough seas where water
frequently covers the entire work deck. The riser elevated the
opening of the hatch three feet. The hatch on the riser was
built with quick connect style dogs to facilitate easy access.
The only other modification deemed necessary was the
addition of a 2-inch chemical injection line. This line was
installed in the advent that it became necessary to treat the
LCP during the field trial. The line was attached very near to
the intake side of the lowest fan mixer in the tank and
extended to inside the riser, just below the hatch. Because of
the position of the lower end of the injection line, it would be
possible to distribute treatment chemicals quickly and evenly
throughout the tank by introducing them directly into the LCP
as it passes through the fan mixer.
Sea Trial
The sea trial was scheduled to last a total of 10 days. The first
seven days would be spent with the LCP at the 15-ppg density.
At the end of 7 days, the slurry would be brought to the dock
and split evenly. The original tank would retain 300 bbls; and
300 bbls would be transferred to another tank, where the
density would be decreased to 12.5 ppg. The original tank
would be weighted up to 16.5 ppg with a weighting agent.
The LCP occupied one tank once it was transferred into the
vessel. The total capacity of the tank chosen for the test was
750 bbl. The total volume of LCP on board was 600 bbl of 15
3
ppg. The slurry was agitated for 30 minutes prior to the initial
data gathering being completed. Samples were then taken
from the tanks and sent for laboratory analysis. The vessel
was released and headed to sea.
The plan was to travel at a high rate of speed to a point 50
miles offshore and secure the vessel to a platform or buoy.
This would simulate the initial voyage of the LCP to the rig
and the resultant standby. After spending 12 hours on the
buoy, the vessel would then traverse open water alternating
between 12-hour periods of open water travel and standby.
Since the only time the DP-II would be engaged would be at
the rig during the job, it was decided not to include time on the
DP-II as a part of the test. The reason for this omission is that
the only time the DP-II would actually be engaged would be
when the LCP was being pumped into the wellbore. No
significant information could be obtained by using the DP-II
during the field trial.
Data was gathered every six hours both before and after
the slurry was agitated. Data gathered included:
1. Stability of the LCP using a probe
2. Density of LCP
3. Rheology at ambient temperature
4. Temperatures were recorded at these locations with a
laser type thermometer:
Gulf of Mexico
Top of Slurry
Deck (Ambient)
Below Deck Compartment
Void Adjacent to Liquid Mud Tanks
There was considerable amount of speculation that the heat
lost from the surrounding environment would be excessive
and would cause longevity issues for the LCP. No data could
be found to substantiate or alleviate these concerns. One
reason for this lack of data is that liquid mud does not gel to
the point of becoming a solid when heated, as would a cement
slurry. Therefore latent heat is of minimal concern to the
drilling fluids industry. Fig 1 illustrates the effects of the
external temperatures and their impact on the LCP. This field
trial was conducted late in the year and the data seems to
suggest that heat was lost from the LCP and not the opposite.
The GOM temperature was nearly 20F cooler than the initial
temperature of the LCP. The temperature curve of the LCP
closely resembles the ambient temperature curve as well as the
GOM temperature curve.
Since the heat generated by the engines and the mixers in
the tanks appear to have little effect on slurry temperature, we
could predict that in the summer months the LCP temperature
would not rise much over the temperature of the GOM, or the
ambient temperature, whichever is greater. The rise in
temperature seen after agitation was due to the fact that the
slurry was cooler near the surface than it was in the center of
the tank and the warmer slurry was brought to the surface
during agitation. Temperature was monitored at various
points in the agitation process to determine if the heat gain
was from agitation. The gain in temperature did not come
from the agitation process, but a layering effect produced by
the slurry cooling at the top.
4 IADC/SPE 98894
Another data set gathered was the slurry viscosity. As
with temperature, viscosity was also monitored every six
hours both before and after agitation. Viscosity data was
gathered and plotted on both a log and linear scale. Based on
these data, it was determined that the fluid exhibited properties
matching the modified power law model for fluid behavior.
Points plotted on the log/log plot produce a straight line,
which indicates a match for power law fluid behavior.
Figs. 3-4 illustrate values for n & K that were calculated
using the viscosity module of a current cementing wellbore
simulator. Days 1-7 are plotted. The viscometer readings
used were those taken at midnight. Temperature data for
points plotted can be seen in fig.1. (Note the increase in K
after day 2.) K is the consistency index, an increase in K
could indicate gellation of the LCP. On day two an additional
quantity of anti-settling agent was added to the LCP by means
of the chemical addition line. The amount per/bbl was equal
to the amount that was originally blended into the LCP at the
blending facility.
Being a polymer with a very high water requirement as
well as high viscosity, it was important to determine if this
additional amount of anti-settling agent could be added to the
tanks or would have to be incorporated into the original blend.
After the addition of the anti-settling agent, the K value
increased which would indicate that the fluid was being
incorporated into the LCP and returning settled solids to the
mixture. The n value, which is the flow behavior index,
indicates the slurry is becoming less Newtonian immediately
after the addition of the anti-settling agent. Viscosity data
indicates a gradual thinning of the 15 ppg LCP over the 7-day
period. The post-agitation density of the LCP remained a
constant 15 ppg until day 5 with a gradual decrease to 14.9
ppg on day 7.
Sea Trial : Day 8
The vessel returned from offshore on day eight to the bulk
blending facility, where the slurry was split into two tanks.
This was accomplished by using the vessels progressive
cavity pump. The slurry was pumped via the discharge system
that is used to deliver liquid mud to the rig. The slurry is
pulled from the bottom of the liquid mud tank through a 12-
inch suction line, discharged through the pump, and then on to
the discharge manifold on the deck of the vessel. A 3-inch
hose was connected to the manifold and run into the top of the
tank that the new slurry would occupy. This tank was also
fitted with a riser to prevent seawater contamination. It must
be noted, that during the transfer, the maximum rate of the
vessels progressive cavity pump was tested. It was
determined that at 80% capacity the pump could transfer fluid,
on deck, 240 gpm faster than what was required for the actual
job
Upon completion of splitting the volume of LCP, liquid
suspension gel was added to the first tank in the amount of 18
gpb in order to reduce the density from 15 ppg to 12.5 ppg.
With this task complete, a weighting agent was then
introduced to the remaining tank. This was accomplished by
utilizing the same circulating system previously mentioned
and circulating the 15-ppg LCP back into the tank. The
weighting agent would be introduced through a standard
eductor system mounted on the riser. The weighting agent
was stored at the bulk blending facility in the permanent bulk
tanks and was blown to the tank until the appropriate density
was achieved. Density data for the 15-ppg slurry can be seen
in fig. 2.
Sea Trial : Final 3 Days
The two slurries were then subjected to 3 more days of sea
trials. Data was gathered following the same format set up for
the 15-ppg base slurry. The 12.5 ppg slurry showed almost no
solid settling and absolutely no density reduction. Calculated
n and K values yielded results opposite the 15-ppg slurry.
The n value decreased which indicates the fluid moving away
from Newtonian flow behavior. The K value increased
slightly indicating a possible increase in solids concentration.
Although slight the slurry was actually gaining viscosity.
These same changes were seen in the n and K values for the
16.5 ppg slurry. The 15.0 ppg slurry was weighted up to 16.5
ppg on Dec 13 and pumped off the vessel on Dec 16, a 100-
bbl sample was retained at the bulk blending facility for an
additional eight days for evaluation. The slurry remained
pumpable with no settling or gelation.
Discussion
A large-scale test was devised that which demonstrated that
LCP technology could be utilized by taking advantage of an
infrastructure being used primarily for the transport of liquid
drilling mud. It was the goal of this test was to ascertain if
LCP could withstand the rigors of maritime travel, as well as
the associated logistics, without losing the value for which it
was intended. The test vessel required very little in the way of
modifications because of the similarity of drilling mud and
cement in its liquid state. Pending a successful test it would
then be possible for the appropriate vessel to transport,
maintain, and deliver the equivalent of tens-of-thousands of
sacks of cement to a rig in one run.
The major areas of concern were addressed and the
evaluation was structured in such a way as to find any
weaknesses in the system prior to implementing the
technology in a full scale operation, which would first be the
execution of the aforementioned 20-inch job. Since an LCP
had never been intentionally placed in the liquid mud tanks of
an offshore vessel, there was no prior history to rely upon. The
end result of this full scale field trial was the decision to
employ the LCP in a large volume 20-inch casing cementing
operation.
Conclusions
1. The test demonstrated liquid cement premix could be
readily adapted to large, complex cement jobs with
the use of existing, properly equipped offshore
vessels.
2. The test demonstrated the stability of the base premix
as well as diluted slurry and weighted slurry for
extended periods of time and the effects of the low
frequency vibration and heave produced by the vessel
were minimal.
3. Temperature effects from the vessels equipment
below deck were not as pronounced as first
presumed.
IADC/SPE 98894
4. The test demonstrated that although the agitation in
the vessels tanks is more than adequate for the LCP,
highly viscous fluids with a high water requirement
could not be injected directly into the tank and
incorporated into the mixture efficiently.
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the field operations personnel in
Houma and Port of Fourchon for their support in this field
trial. The authors also wish to thank Ms. Issa Mendez for her
assistance in the preparation of this manuscript and to the
management of BJ Services for permission to publish this
paper.
Nomenclature
GOM =Gulf of Mexico
LCP =liquid cement pre-mix
gpm =gallons per minute
bbl =barrels
gpb =gallons per barrel
K =consistency index lbf - secn
n =flow behavior index (dimensionless)
ppf =pound per foot
ppg =pounds per gallon
DP =dynamic positioning
References
1. Benge, G., Darby, J., Peroyea, M., Aquilar, T., Mueller,
D. T., Doherty, D. R.: "Deep Gas Well Cementation: A
Review of Risks and Design Basis for use of a Liquid
Cement Premix for Large Offshore Cementing
Operations," paper IADC/SPE 98970 presented at the
2006 IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, Miami, FL 21-23
February, 2006.
5
2. Merritt, J.W.: "Premixed Cement Slurry Solves Problems
Associated With Conventional Oilwell Cementing," paper
SPE 93897, presented at the 2005 Production and
Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, OK, 17-19
April, 2005
3. Rae, Phil and Johnston, N.: "Liquid Cement Premix
Introduces New Solutions to Conventional Cementing
Problems," paper IADC/SPE 35086 presented at the
IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans, LA, 12-15
March, 1996
4. Anderson, J.W., Buchanan, A.I., and Susanto, A.: "New
Technology Eliminates Bulking in Cementing
Operations," paper SPE 36478 presented at the SPE
Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Denver,
CO, 6-9 October 1996.
5. Judge, Robert A and Benge, G.: "Advances in Metering
and Control Technology Improves Design and Execution
of Foamed Cement Jobs," paper IADC/SPE 47831
presented at the IADC/SPE Asia Drilling Conference,
Jakarta, Indonesia, 7-9 September 1998.
6 IADC/SPE 98894

90

85

80

75

70

65

60

55
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Mid. Temp. before agitation
Mid. Temp after agitation
GOM Temperature
Noon Deck Temp
Empty Tank on Bottom
Noon below deck Temp

Fig.1 Temperature effects on base slurry (days vs. F)

15.15

15.1

15.05

15
Density

14.95

14.9

14.85

14.8

14.75
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Mid. Density
Days before agitation
Mid. Density after agitation

Fig. 2 Density days 1-7

IADC/SPE 98894 7

0.5800

0.5750

0.5700

0.5650

0.5600

0.5550

0.5500

0.5450

0.5400

0.5350
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Fig. 3 n (days vs. flow behavior index)

0.1200

0.1100

0.1000

0.0900

0.0800

0.0700

0.0600
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Fig. 4 - K (days vs. consistency index)