IADC/SPE 87211

Issues and Solutions for Cementing Expandable Liners: A Case History

Rashid Abdul Rahman, SPE, BJ Services Company, Ahmad Humaizy Zulkafly, Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd

Copyright 2004, IADC/SPE Drilling Conference

This paper was prepared for presentation at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference held in Dallas,
Texas, U.S.A., 2–4 March 2004.
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Abstract
The oil and gas industry has in general already in place an
established set of good cementing practices to meet the overall
objectives of cementing. These practices have been refined
and perfected over decades of industry experience in the
discipline. However, new technology of expandable liners
brought about its own set of cementing issues and
requirements based on the equipment design constraints. Some
of the requirements run counter to the established good
cementing practices. This paper discusses some of the new
cementing issues and requirements for expandable liners and
their implications on the overall effectiveness of the cement
job. Optimizing the cement job involves addressing the issues
and taking a compromise between the new cementing
requirements and the established good cementing practices.
This paper discusses some of the available solutions for the
cement job optimization with a view to meet the overall
cementing objectives. Finally, a case history where the above
has been successfully implemented is presented and discussed.
Introduction
Expandable liner is one of those new technologies that has
allowed the industry to expand the drilling operating
envelopes. Its main advantages are to allow the preservation of
larger wellbore sizes and case off troublesome zones such as
overpressured and lost circulation zones. Installing expandable
liner starts with drilling an overgauged hole. The overgauged
hole allows the liner to be run through a casing of certain size,
expanded and cemented, while still preserving the wellbore
size large enough to run the casing regularly run through the
previous casing. For example, installing an expandable liner
through a 9-5/8” casing would still allow the operator to run
the 7” liner or casing through the expandable liner. After the
open hole is drilled, the expandable liner is run with a launcher
subassembly installed at the bottom of the liner. The launcher
subassembly contains the expansion mandrel that will be used
to permanently deform the liner. An inner workstring is run
and latched into the top of the mandrel. Cement slurry can
then be pumped through the inner workstring into the annulus.
Later, a latching dart is pumped behind the cement slurry to
seal off the float equipment below the launcher subassembly
to create a pressure chamber between the shoe and the
expansion mandrel in the launcher subassembly. Pressure is
then increased in the pressure chamber to first break burst
disks and then transmited to the base of the expansion
mandrel. The pressure drives the mandrel up to expand the
liner. The inner workstring is continually pulled out of hole as
the mandrel moves up, with each stand of the workstring is
broken out and racked back before next section of liner
is expanded1, 2, 3.
Good Cementing Practices
Decades of cementing experience taught the industry to
establish good cementing practices to be followed to achieve
the overall objectives of cementing. This has been well
documented in numerous literatures available to everyone
interested. The authors will attempt to cover briefly only on
the relevant practices here for the benefit of relating them to
the requirements for cementing expandable liners. Thus, it is
not the intention of the authors to deal with all the established
practices here. The practices that will be considered are only
the following main issues:
• Well conditioning
• Pipe centralization
• Mud removal
• Cement slurry design
Well Conditioning
The first thing to consider is the wellbore geometry. Assuming
that the driller has done all that is possible to ensure the hole
contains as fewer washouts as possible and that it is as near
gauge as possible, it is important to determine the hole size
accurately. This can be done by using a 4-arm open hole
mechanical caliper and pumping fluorescent dye to further
confirm the measurement with the caliper.
Next, one must consider the mud conditioning. Significant
change to the mud rheology should be performed during the
last trip of drillpipe prior to running the casing. Mud needs to
be circulated before removing the drillpipe. Otherwise,
unconditioned mud may have sufficient time to gel during the
2 IADC/SPE 87211
period when drillpipe is removed, logging and running
casing4. After the casing is landed to TD, the mud should
again be circulated to remove entrained gas and cuttings, break
gelled mud and lower its gel strength, yield stress and plastic
viscosity. Measurements of the mud’s 10-minute gel strength
should continuously be taken to confirm that it is kept low to
allow efficient mud removal. Along with volume of mud
filtrate, the 10-minute gel strength greatly influences the mud
mobility factor (MMF), which critically determines the
percentage of mud removed from the annulus5. Both the
volume of mud filtrate and 10-minute gel strength need to be
reduced to maximize MMF.
Next, the hole should be cleaned from cuttings especially in
the build and horizontal sections, where applicable. To achieve
this, studies indicate that the mud annular velocity should be
kept above 262.5 ft/min6 or a circulation rate of at least 500
gal/min should be maintained7. Also, it was concluded that
there appears to be a threshold value of yield points below
which a continuous solids channels will appear. The minimum
yield point values of 20 lbf/100ft2 and 28 lbf/100ft2 are
required for 60° and 85° deviation respectively7. Some studies
indicated that at high angle, a minimum of 50 lbf/100ft2 is
actually required to properly remove drill cuttings8. Thus, it is
essential that the mud properties be monitored and controlled
to meet these criteria prior to cementing operations.
Lastly, mud circulation should be at least “bottoms up” but
preferably two hole volumes. It should be continued until a
minimum of 95% of the circulatable mud has been moved9.
Turbulent flow should be maintained provided formation
breakdown pressures are not exceeded.
Pipe Centralization
Centralization is essential to provide an annulus with open
flow paths. If the casing is not centralized, the pipe will trap
mud against the low side of the hole. Because of the
differences in the flow path, there is no flow regime or
practical flow rate that can remove the trapped mud. Studies
concluded that when the API casing standoff was less than
60%, mud contamination and significantly poor displacement
efficiency prevailed despite careful control of mud, preflush
and cement slurry properties10. Although API recommends a
67% casing standoff, it is recommended that a standoff of at
least 80% be designed, because the actual standoff will
normally turn out to be less than the designed value as the
centralizers embed to some extent into the formation.
Centralization is difficult in highly deviated wells. To
maintain optimum standoff, it is recommended to keep the
spacing between the centralizers below 20 ft or 6.1 m9. Solid
body spiral centralizers are recommended because they give
positive standoff even when extreme loads are placed on the
centralizers. The centralizers should be allowed to move freely
between 2 stop rings and not be fixed onto the casing with set
screws. Fixing the centralizers onto the casing will cause the
centralizers to deteriorate because of wear during the rotation
and reciprocation of the pipe.
To further improve the pipe centralization, it is recommended
that a self-centralized float shoe and collar be used to ensure
good cement coverage around the shoe joint. The effectiveness
of the equipment is greatly enhanced with its up-jet flow
profile at the side of the float shoe, in addition to the standard
downward flow. It is reported in various publications that the
equipment significantly reduced the chances of having to
perform squeeze jobs.
Mud Removal
Assuming that the necessary well conditioning and pipe
centralization have been performed, the mud removal process
prior to cementing can be optimized by ensuring that the
following practices are followed. It is a simple concept to
grasp that to get a good cement coverage and bond around the
pipe in the annulus, the existing mud needs to be displaced for
the cement to take its place. To achieve this goal, the first
thing to do is to optimize the chemical wash and spacer.
Chemical wash and spacer should always precede the cement
slurry11. Ideally, all fluids should be in turbulent flow,
including the mud. However, it is normally difficult to achieve
turbulent flow with the cement slurry and the weighted spacer.
So, turbulent flow can instead be achieved with the chemical
preflush. The weighted spacer and cement slurry can then
easily displace the thinner fluids (mud and chemical wash),
which have low resistance to flow. In addition to turbulent
flow, other factors to consider in chemical wash and spacer
design are the required volume and its chemical properties.
Numerous studies have indicated that the more spacer volumes
used, the better chances of optimized mud displacement being
achieved12 while others have shown the opposite result13,14.
However, the actual recommended volumes to be used are
inconclusive with some recommending 4 minutes contact
time, while others recommending 10 minutes as the
minimum4. Still others recommended 8 minutes contact time15.
In any case, the chemical wash and weighted spacer must be
tested for compatibility with the cement slurry and mud.
Based on the authors’ experience, volumes of 20 bbls of
chemical wash and 80 bbls of weighted spacer have
consistently worked well in 9-5/8” casing and 7” liner jobs in
deviated wells. The 20 bbls chemical wash is essentially water
mixed with strong water wetting surfactant. It is intended to
break and/or thin the mud and mud filter cake in the annulus
with its turbulent flow regime. Because of its Newtonian fluid
nature, turbulent flow is easily achieved with chemical wash.
An alternative to chemical wash when oil-based mud is used is
to precede the weighted spacer with some volume of base oil
to help thin the mud and soften the mud filter cake. From the
authors’ experience, pumping 10 – 20 bbls of base oil before
pumping the weighted spacer yields very positive results.
The weighted spacer pumped behind the chemical wash or
base oil is intended to displace the already thinned mud out of
the annulus by the combined effect of density and yield
strength differentials. The spacer is weighted to 0.5 ppg
heavier than the mud to impart buoyancy effect that will lift
the mud out of the annulus. To weigh up the spacer, it has to
be gelled up with polymer to provide the solids suspending
IADC/SPE 87211
properties. The yield strength differential between the spacer
and thinned mud is designed to provide a flat interface
between the mud and spacer to enhance displacement
efficiency further16,17,18. It is also important to prevent
channeling of the spacer through the mud or intermixing of the
two fluids, resulting in poor displacement efficiency. In
addition to providing yield strength differential, the weighted
spacer also contains weighting agent (barite) that enhances the
turbulent stresses and erosion on the mud. This further
improves the mud displacement efficiency to prepare for the
cement slurry placement. Lastly, the cement slurry should be
pumped as fast as possible even when turbulent flow cannot be
achieved because displacing at high flow rates is more
effective than plug flow displacement19.
It is important that the pipe be either rotated or reciprocated
during the pumping of the preflush and spacer to aid in the
breaking of the mud gel strength and filter cake. A rotation
rate of 10 - 30 RPM or reciprocation rate of 20 – 40 ft in 1 to 5
minutes is generally recommended.
Cement Slurry Design
To achieve full zonal isolation especially in highly deviated
sections, the cement slurry must be designed to have several
essential characteristics. First, it must have zero free water in
both API 90° and 45° free water tests. This is to prevent the
creation of channels at the upper side of the annulus that will
allow fluid crossflow.
Second, the cement slurry must have good rheology to be able
to flow through narrow annulus at the bottom side of the
annulus. For a Bingham Plastic fluid, this means that the
plastic viscosity and yield point values of the slurry must not
be excessively high. A plastic viscosity of less than 100 cp and
yield point of less than 30 lbf/100ft2 are normally desired,
depending on the yield point value of the mud. It was
previously thought that cement slurry should have very low
viscosity to allow the achievement of turbulent flow as it is
being pumped into the annulus. This was thought to be helpful
in the process of mud displacement. However, many studies
concluded that it is virtually impossible to achieve turbulent
flow with cement slurry in most well conditions at the typical
rheological properties of most cement slurries.
In addition, it was also proven that it is difficult to accurately
determine the required critical rates at which turbulent flow
can be achieved because of the phenomenon called “slippage”
of the cement slurries at the pipe surface20. So, instead of
trying to design the slurry to have the rheology to achieve
turbulent flow, it is recommended to design it to enhance the
displacement efficiency of the mud via yield strength
differential17. It was shown that poor mud displacement can be
seen in an eccentric annulus when the mud is displaced with
cement slurry which has the same rheological properties as the
mud15. To enhance the mud displacement efficiency, the
plastic viscosity and yield strength of the slurry should be
designed to be higher than those of the mud, with the yield
strength differential showing more significant effect. It was
suggested that where possible that the yield point of the
cement slurry is at least 10 lbf/100ft2 higher than that of the
3
mud16. It was shown that where this condition is satisfied, the
flattened form of the velocity profile of the slurry greatly
enhances the mud removal even when the standoff is only
46%17. However, the slurry yield point value should ideally
not exceed 30 lbf/100ft2 because excessively high cement
slurry yield point can increase the average velocity required to
initiate flow in the narrowest part of the eccentric annulus.
This will cause the cement slurry to be diverted away from
that part and left it uncemented.
Third, cement slurry must have low fluid loss, among other
reasons, to prevent premature dehydration while flowing
across permeable zones. This is especially important when
cementing highly deviated sections or horizontal sections
where the exposure to permeable zones is typically bigger. For
this purpose, an API fluid loss level of 50 cc/30min/1000psi is
recommended. Excessive fluid or cement filtrate loss into the
formation will alter the properties of the cement slurry from its
designed properties21. Thus, actual thickening time, rheology,
mechanical strengths and gas tightness might not be sufficient
to ensure quality cement is placed in the annulus. In addition,
to achieve a gas tight cement slurry while the slurry is losing
its hydrostatic pressure during cement hydration and setting,
the API fluid loss level needs to be limited to a maximum of
50 cc/30min/1000psi. This is to ensure that the slurry does not
prematurely lose its hydrostatic pressure before the hydration
process takes place. The hydrostatic pressure is important to
prevent formation fluids or hydrocarbon from entering the
wellbore and migrating to the surface.
Cementing Requirements and Issues for
Expandable Liners
Novel technology like expandable liners imposes new set
of cementing requirements based on its design constraints.
Among the new requirements are22:
• The cement slurry requires additional extended fluidity
time for liner expansion operation in addition to the
thickening time for cement slurry mixing and placement
• The slurry pump rate should not exceed 3 or 4 bpm
• No centralizers will be used
• The slurry volume to be pumped is based on post-
expansion liner diameter
• Pipe movement is not possible
• Cement slurry must have excellent stability for extended
period while in static condition
Extended Fluidity Time
Typically, a 10 – 12 hour fluidity time is required to allow
sufficient time for the expansion operation and the expansion
assembly to be retrieved. Fluidity time is defined as the time
the static gel strength is below 100 lbf/100ft2 (Ref. 23). This
time is generally taken to be about twice the time for the actual
operations to allow for corrective actions in the event of any
operational problems. The nature of the cement slurry does not
favour a lengthy thickening time while maintaining the
designed properties of the cement slurry. This is expecially
true when the slurry is left in static condition at high
temperatures. Most fluid loss additives, extenders and free
4 IADC/SPE 87211
water control additives rely on one type of suspending agent or
the other to keep the cement particles and other solids
suspending in the slurry. They are also needed to tie up the
water by various mechanisms to prevent the formation of free
water and channels at the top of the cement sheath. In most
cases, these additives work well within the short period that is
typical of the most required thickening times. These range
from 1 to 6 hours. However, for any period exceeding 10
hours, the performance of these additives typically deteriorates
significantly. The slurry will start to experience severe
gelation, sedimentation and density segregation. Free water
will also start to appear and thickening time starts to become
unpredictable. The end result would be a poor quality cement
sheath across the expandable liner. This problem can however
be overcome with novel cement slurry design technique to be
discussed later.
Low Pump Rate
During the displacement of cement slurry in cementing
expandable liner operation, the pump rate needs be kept low to
prevent the cement slurry from lifting or displacing the
cuttings and gelled mud filter cake out of the annulus to the
overlap section at the top of the liner. In the undesirable event
that the cuttings and cakes were lifted to the overlap section,
they could potentially fall into the liner, causing problems to
retrieve the expansion assembly during the expansion
operation. Also, the cuttings could potentially settle around the
overlap section, preventing the full expansion of the
expandable liner and preventing the achievement of hydraulic
seal at the overlap. In addition, low pumping rate is also
required to prevent from damaging the elastomers at the
overlap from shearing action with the abrasive cement. Good
mud removal is especially difficult to achieve in cementing
expandable liner because of the tight annular space. A
combination of low displacement rate and tight annular space
would lead to a poor quality of cement sheath behind the
expandable liner. This problem will need to be minimized by
the proper designs of the fluid rheological properties.
No Centralizer
It is not possible to utilize centralizers on expandable liner
because of the tight annular clearance between previous casing
shoe and the expandable liner. Thus, depending on the well
deviation, the pipe standoff will range from bad to non-
existent. This would result in poor cement coverage across and
around the expandable liner. Similar to the above, this issue
can be partly alleviated by the proper designs of the fluid
rheological properties.
Slurry Volume Based on Liner Post-expansion OD
The expandable liner is expanded after the cement slurry is
placed in the annulus. Since the post-expansion OD of the
expandable liner is around 11 – 16% greater than the pre-
expansion OD, the top of cement level will rise when the liner
is expanded. Thus, pumping only the annular volume based on
the post-expansion OD will ensure that the TOC will not rise
to the overlap section and overflow into the liner. If the
cement slurry overflows into the liner, it could prove
disastrous if it sets before the expansion assembly could be
retrieved. This issue can be addressed with accurate
determination of the hole size with the proper tools.
Pipe Movement is Not Possible
Pipe rotation and reciprocation are not generally possible
because it may cause damage to the expandable liner at the
previous casing shoe. The elastomers fitted onto the
expandable liner at the overlap section may get damaged
during rotation and reciprocation operations if they contact the
previous casing shoe. This problem can also be minimized by
the proper designs of the fluid rheological properties.
Excellent Slurry Stability in Extended Period
Cement slurry needs to have excellent stability during the
extended time while the expandable liner is being expanded.
There must not be any solids settling which results in density
segregation during this period. The slurry also needs to
maintain its fluidity to ensure the expansion operation can be
carried out smoothly. If the slurry loses its fluidity that is
manifested with an increase of static gel strength above 100
lbf/100ft2, proper expansion may not be achieved. The highly
gelled slurry may induce losses into the formation during the
expansion operation. In addition, instead of the top of cement
(TOC) level rises to the designed depth, it may remain at the
pre-expansion level because the highly gelled slurry is
predominantly being squeezed into the formation instead
displaced upward in the annulus. This could result in failure to
isolate parts of the problematic zone. This problem can be
managed with a new cement slurry design technique to be
discussed later.
Solutions for Cementing Expandable Liners
To ensure the cementing objectives are met while working
with the constraints imposed by the expandable liner
equipment, a two-pronged strategy can be employed. First, the
remaining good cementing practices that can still be employed
should be implemented to full effect. Second, a special cement
slurry system providing enhanced relevant properties can be
used to offset the negative effects of the expandable liner
equipment constraints.
Based on the above strategy, the following practices will be
implemented to their full effect without any compromises:
• Open hole size must be determined as accurately as
possible with 4-arm caliper and fluorescent dye.
• Mud must be circulated before removing the drillpipe.
• At least 2 hole volumes of mud must be circulated. Use
carbide-pill method to determine if enough mud has
been circulated.
• Mud circulation must be at a rate of at least 500 gal/min.
• During mud conditioning, mud 10-minute gel strength
must be monitored to ensure it keeps decreasing.
• During mud conditioning, the yield point value must not
be lower than 20 lbf/100ft2 to ensure proper
solids suspension.
• A chemical wash must be pumped ahead of
weighted spacer.
IADC/SPE 87211
• Weighted spacer must have density of 0.5 ppg higher than
the mud to impart buoyancy effect.
• Total contact time for preflushes must be at least
8 minutes.
• Weighted spacer yield point must be designed to be in
between those of the mud and the cement slurry to ensure
flat velocity profiles are obtained during displacement.
• The cement slurry rheological properties must not be the
same as those of the mud. Its Pv and Ty must be higher
than those of the mud.
• The cement slurry yield point value must be at least 10
lbf/100ft2 above that of the mud to ensure flat velocity
profile is obtained at the mud-cement interface.
Effective combined actions of chemical wash and weighted
spacer can maximize the removal of cuttings out of the
annulus prior to the cement placement operation. This helps
reduce the chances of having the cement slurry lifting and
depositing the cuttings at the overlap section.
Next, with regards to the cement slurry, it must be designed to
meet the following criteria:
• The cement sheath must have at least 500 psi 24-hr
compressive strength to minimize wait-on-cement (WOC)
time for drilling ahead.
• The cement slurry must have higher ductility to cope with
downhole stresses in the narrow annulus. This is done by
slightly lowering the density of the cement.
• Cement slurry must be designed to have zero free water.
• Cement slurry must have API fluid loss of less than 50 cc.
• Cement slurry must have a gel strength of less than 100
lbf/100ft2 during the thickening and fluidity times.
• Cement slurry must have excellent rheology (low plastic
viscosity and moderate yield point) to allow it to be
placed uniformly in the eccentric annulus.
• Cement slurry must have excellent long-term stability (no
sedimentation and density segregation).
• Cement slurry must have higher resistance to mud
contamination because of the increased likelihood of
intermixing with mud at low displacement rate.
This second strategy can be achieved with the use of a special
cement slurry that is designed to be storable for extended
period in fluid state. The special slurry utilizes a patented
multipurpose additive incorporating iota carrageenan
suspending agent to provide the necessary stability24. This
additive, when used in combination with a gluconic acid based
retarder, produced exceptionally stable slurry that was superior
to any previously known suspending agents. Unlike regular
cement slurries that employed previously known suspending
agents, the special cement slurry does not exhibit solids
settling, density segregation, formation of free water and high
gelation that are caused by the deterioration of the suspending
agent during the extended fluidity time. The slurry also
exhibited better resistance to harsh chemical environments
such as high pH and high calcium ion content, which are
typical in Portland cements. All these properties are borne out
by the robustness of the iota carregeenan suspending agent in
5
resisting degradation over time while in such
harsh environments.
A Case History
The above solutions have successfully been used in various
expandable liner cementing jobs performed by one of the
author’s employer worldwide. In Malaysia, one job was
performed in November 2002 in a high temperature high
pressure (HTHP) appraisal well Bergading Deep-3, while
another job was just performed recently in another similar
appraisal well. The following information was captured from
the job performed last year.
Well Information
The well Bergading Deep-3 appraisal well is located in the
Block PM-302 offshore Peninsular Malaysia approximately
320 km northeast of Kemaman Supply Base (Refer to Fig. 1).
The objectives of drilling the well were to firm up
hydrocarbon reserves in the northern Malay Basin and to test
well deliverability through production tests to the primary
target one each in lower sand packages. It was classified as
HPHT well based on the prognosed bottomhole static pressure
(BHSP) and BHST correlated from the offset wells. The
undisturbed static bottom hole temperature at the total depth of
2975 m-TVDDF was expected to be 330 °F while the
maximum anticipated pore pressure was around 8860 psi. The
critical part is to look for the onset of overpressure zone that
was expected to be at 1794 m TVDDF. The mild increase in
pore gradient from 0.572 psi/ft to 0.606 psi/ft within 391 m
interval had triggered the idea of setting the 9-5/8” casing to
cover up this overpressure zone down to 2225 m TVDDF in
which the increasing trend softened.
The actual bottom hole data obtained from wireline logging
results showed slightly different figures from the prognosed
data in that the BHST turned out to be 323°F at TD and the
BHSP was approximately 6822 psi. Further data had shown
that the onset of overpressure ramp was first observed at 1820
m-TVDDF. Since the 9-5/8” casing was set 133 m off the
original setting depth at 2225 m-TVDDF, the 7-5/8”
expandable casing came into the picture to save the larger
casing string. In this case, solid expandable casing basically
acts as a steel mud cake to cater for the loss circulation zone.
The dominant lithological profile for this interval was
consisted of sandstone section with interbedded claystone and
stringer of siltstone (Refer to Fig. 2 for more lithological
information). A thin coal section located at 2450 m-TVDDF
was believed to be the weak point where the loss circulation
zone occurred during drilling this interval.
Drilling Information
Fig. 3 shows the casing design scheme for the well. Drilling
the 8-1/2” x 9-7/8” hole section to accommodate the setting of
expandable casing was a real hassle in the hard formation. The
hole was basically in good condition but due to the failures of
near bit reamers to perform, logging results showed the hole
was not opened to the desired hole size to accommodate the 7-
5/8” expandable liner. The hole had to be redressed by
6 IADC/SPE 87211
additional 3 bits and near bit reamers run after the hole had
been found under gauged for 7-5/8” expandable liner
preparation. Drilling this section from 2108 m-TVDDF to
2527 m-TVDDF indicated the mild-increasing trend of
overpressure section over depth. The calculated pore pressure
gradient was 0.78 ppg/100 m with the projected pore pressure
at 2527 m-TVDDF was 13.6 ppg.
The 8-1/2” x 9-7/8” hole section TD was called at 2527 m
TVDDF due to losses experienced at a rate of 60 bbls/hr at
645 GPM and 30 bbls/hr at 500 GPM using a mud weight of
14.4 ppg. At a flowrate of 645 GPM, ECD is 15.3 ppg and at
400 GPM ECD is 15.23 ppg. The mud weight in hole during
losses was maximum 14.4 ppg with the (leak off test) LOT at
9-5/8” shoe was 15.4 ppg equivalent mud weight (EMW).
Mud losses stopped after 100 bbls of 14.6 ppg LCM pill was
spotted on bottom at a flowrate of 100 GPM. The bottomhole
circulating temperature (BHCT) was 266°F and bottomhole
static temperature (BHST) was 300°F.
Job Information
Based on the experience in a prior exploration well drilled
close by, it was decided to utilize the expandable liner to case
off the lost circulation zone in the 12-1/4” section This is to
allow the operator to drill ahead without losing hole size. The
operator had experienced total losses in the prior well that
resulted in massive volume of oil-based mud lost.
For the current well, the expandable liner was used to case off
the lost circulation zone so that drilling ahead with heavier
mud was possible. A 7-5/8” expandable liner was set in the 8-
1/2” open hole section underreamed to 10” at TD 2527 m-
TVDDF. The liner was hung inside 9-5/8” 47 ppf casing set at
TD 2092 m-TVDDF by way of an overlap between the
expandable liner and the 9-5/8” casing. The expandable liner
has sets of elastomers on its OD at the 60 m overlap section to
give full hydraulic seal and act as liner top packer. The
expandable liner has an OD of 7-5/8” and ID of 6.875” in pre-
expanded form. In post-expanded form, the OD is 8.544” and
ID is 7.830”.
Prior to pumping the cement slurry, two hole volumes of mud
were circulated at 480 gal/min. This pumping rate was slightly
less than the recommended practice of 500 gal/min, but it was
acceptably close enough to the target minimum rate and since
it could not be increased further to avoid inducing losses. The
mud rheological properties at the completion of the mud
circulation were Pv at 33 cp, Ty at 19 lbf/100ft2 and its 10-
minute gel strength at between 11 - 13 lbf/100ft2. These values
are in accordance to the designed values to optimize mud
removal. As desired, the mud yield point value was less than
the cement slurry yield point value by 10 lbf/100ft2. In
addition, the mud 10-minute gel strength was maintained at
low values.
A 4-arm caliper log was run to determine the open hole size
OD at an average of 9.97”. Using this OD, the cement slurry
volume required was decided to be at 75% of the pre-
expansion annular volume to ensure that the TOC would not
rise to the overlap section and overflow into the expandable
liner. The job was actually performed twice by no fault of the
cement. The first time it was performed, there was a leak in
the expandable liner system, preventing it from being
pressured up prior to expansion operation. The cement slurry
had to be recirculated out of hole and the whole expandable
liner assembly retrieved. This was achieved without problems,
because of the stability of the cement slurry. It was discovered
that a bolt had become embedded into the expandable liner
aluminium shoe, preventing tight sealing between the shoe and
wiper plug.
The second job was performed smoothly. 10 bbls of chemical
wash and 20 bbls of 14.8 ppg weighted spacer were pumped at
3 BPM to displace 14.3 ppg OBM. The weighted spacer
rheological properties were Pv at 32 cp and Ty at 23
lbf/100ft2, which were designed to be in between those of the
mud and the slurry. During this time, the surface pressure
hovered between 600 – 700 psi. 33 bbls of batch-mixed 15.0
ppg gas tight special cement slurry was later pumped at 3
BPM with the surface pressure kept between 600 – 700 psi.
3.5 bbls of chemical wash was then pumped behind the
cement slurry before the latching dart was dropped. Later,
125.8 bbls 14.3 ppg OBM was pumped at 4 BPM to displace
the slurry with the cement unit. During the displacement, the
surface pressure remained between 600 – 900 psi, until when
the latching dart bumped into the float equipment. At this
time, the pressure instantly increased from 700 psi to 1200 psi,
stabilized at 1200 psi for 1 minute, before increasing again to
3000 psi within 2 minutes. Displacement was continued for
another 18 minutes with the pressure slowly increasing to
3300 psi, when the burst disks broken the pressure dropped
back to zero. Full returns were observed throughout the job,
but there were no cement returns. The pipe was not
reciprocated or rotated during the job. The job took 90 minutes
from the start of the weighted spacer was pumped to the
breaking of the burst disks. The rest of the operations involved
the expansion of the liner that took 220 minutes to complete.
To expand the liner, it needed to be pressured up to about
3500 psi. Pumping at an average 0.75 – 1.00 BPM, the
workstring pressure was slowly increased to between 3200 –
3500 psi. The liner was expanded by slowly pulling out of
hole the expansion assembly with pick up weights of between
180 – 200 kips. The pressure had to be bled off after
expanding each stand to rack the pipe. Expanding the 60 m
overlap section which acted as the liner hanger required 290 –
300 kips. 485 m of expandable liner from 2517 – 2032 m was
expanded. Once the expansion was completed, contaminated
mud was reverse-circulated.
Later, once the well was drilled to TD, a 7” liner was run and
set through the expandable liner and hung off the 9-5/8”
casing above the overlap section of expandable liner/9-5/8”
casing. The 7” liner was cemented with regular 15.8 ppg gas
tight cement slurry. CBL was run to determine the cement
quality behind the 7” liner. It showed unsatisfactory cement
quality in some sections of the 7” liner. CBL was run again a
few days later, but this time 500 psi pressure was applied in
the liner. The CBL showed improved cement bond and the
IADC/SPE 87211 7

operator readily decided to production test three zones across produced with lower density slurry requires less tensile
the expandable liner section, putting the cement quality behind strength to avoid mechanical failure than that of cement sheath
the expandable liner to the test. The production tests were produced with higher density. The resulting 24-hour
conducted successfully without any crossflow between the compressive strength of 600 psi was slightly lower than
zones, proving that zonal isolation was achieved behind the normal, but well within the operator’s comfort level of 500 psi
expandable liner and the 7” liner, even though CBL was not it required for drilling ahead.
optimum. It is interesting to note that the expandable liner was To determine the thickening time of the slurry, the bottomhole
the first installed in open hole in Malaysia. circulating temperature (BHCT) was used. This was done as
per normal API procedure. However, to determine the slurry
Cement Slurry Information properties during its fluidity state, the bottomhole static
The cement slurry formulation is as follows and its properties temperature (BHST) was used to simulate the slurry in static
are as per Tables 1, 2 and 3: condition after it was placed in the annulus. The consistomer
meter motor was stopped and it was only turned on after 2
API Class G cement hours, 4 hours, 6 hours and 10 hours to check the Bearden
+ 35% BWOC silica flour units at those times. In a way, this method ensured that the
+ 0.03 gps silicone defoamer slurry was competent even at the worst-case scenario. The
+ 0.75 gps PEI-based fluid loss additive Bearden unit readings at these intervals are as per Table 4.
+ 1.00 gps gluconic acid-based retarder These readings showed that the slurry was remarkably stable
+ 0.30 gps PNS-based dispersant and had low gel strength over the fluidity time.
+ 0.35 gps patented multipurpose additive
+ 5.80 gps seawater 2-hours 4-hours 6-hours 10-hours
4 6 7 6
Properties Values
Density 15.0 ppg Table 4 – Slurry Bearden Unit Readings at 300°F
Thickening Time at BHCT (100Bc) 210 minutes
Fluidity Time at BHST (100 Bc) 615 minutes As mentioned before, to provide the necessary stability to the
API Fluid Loss at BHCT 46 cc/30min/1000psi slurry, the patented iota carrageenan suspending agent-based
API Fluid Loss at BHST 72 cc/30min/1000psi multipurpose was used in combination with a gluconic acid
90° API Free Water at BHST Nil based retarder. The high performance of the slurry is
45° API Free Water at BHST Nil illustrated by the above consistent and stable Bearden Unit
24-hr Comp. Strength at BHST 600 psi readings.
36-hr Comp. Strength at BHST 1400 psi
To evaluate the higher contamination resistance of the slurry,
Pv at BHCT 63 cp
the slurry was mixed with small percentages of mud and then
Ty at BHCT 29 lbf/100ft2
cured at BHST to check the compressive strengths. This was
compared with a conventional 15.0 ppg cement slurry that has
Table 1 – Cement Slurry Properties
comparable properties. The compressive strengths were
measured from the time the slurries were first mixed. The
600 300 200 100 6 3
results obtained were as per Table 5. These results illustrated
140 92 73 50 9 6 the higher resistance to contamination property of the special
slurry as compared to the regular cement.
Table 2 – Fann 35 Readings for Slurry at 300°F
85%:15% 85%:15% 75%:25% 75%:25%
100% 100%
10- 10- 10- Special Regular
Special Regular Special Regular
2-hours 4-hours 6-hours Cement: Cement: Cement: Cement:
seconds minutes hours Cement Cement
Mud Mud Mud Mud
7 27 31 44 52 75 1400 1200 720 445 640 240

Table 3 –Slurry Gel Strengths at 300°F (in lbf/100ft2) Table 5 – 36-hour Comp. Strength at 300°F (in psi)

The slurry density was set at 15.0 ppg because of several
reasons.. First, the lower density was determined based on the
maximum allowable equivalent circulating density (ECD)
generated as per the cementing job computer simulation to
avoid inducing losses during the cement placement. Second,
the narrow annulus necessitated a robust cement sheath to
prevent cracking and debonding. By lowering the cement
density, the ductility of the cement sheath was improved,
allowing the cement sheath better able to withstand downhole
stressed acting on it25. References 26 & 27 showed that under
the same applied downhole stresses, the cement sheath
Note that the compressive strengths are lower because of the
lower density used.
To evaluate the gel strength development of the slurry, the
following simple procedure was used28:
• Mix slurry as per API Spec 10B29 procedure.
• Place the slurry in HTHP consistometer to simulate
placement in annulus at BHCT. Keep it for 3:30 hr:min.
• Remove the slurry from the consistometer and pour it into
the Fann sample cup.
8 IADC/SPE 87211
• After running the standard rheology test, shift to the 600
RPM setting and stir for 60 seconds.
• After 60 seconds at 600 RPM, stop and allow the slurry to
remain static for 10 seconds. Switch the Fann to 3 RPM.
• Turn the Fann on at the 3 RPM setting. Observe the bob
dial; the reading will rise steadily and then "break back".
The highest reading prior to this break is the gel strength.
• Allow the slurry to rest undisturbed for 10 minutes, and
then repeat step four.
• Repeat for 2, 4 and 10-hour intervals.
The gel strength values over these intervals showed that the
gel strength of the slurry while in static condition remained
stable and low. These values satisfied the requirement of their
being less than 100 lbf/100ft2 throughout the fluidity time.
To check the tendency for particle sedimentation and density
segregation, the slurry was tested according to the BP Settling
Test procedure. This procedure is included in the Appendix.
The results obtained are as follows:
Density: 15.0 ppg (1.80 SG)
Test Temperature: 266°F
Test Pressure: 3000 psi
Settlement tube length: 203 mm
Depth to firm Cement (settlement): 0.0 mm
Density of column, top-bottom:
1.80,1.80,1.80,1.80,1.80,1.81 SG
Nature of free fluid: None
The results showed that the slurry was extremely stable during
the 16 hours duration of the test. The test was performed at
BHCT to comply with the standard procedure of the BP
Settling Test.
Conclusions
1. Optimizing the expandable liner cementing involves
taking a compromise between the equipment design
constraints and the established good cementing practices.
2. Even when the established good cementing practices were
not fully adhered to in cementing expandable liner, the
overall objectives of cementing can still be achieved.
3. To minimize the negative effects of the inability to
execute some of the critical good cementing practices, the
remaining practices must be implemented to full effect.
3. Special blend of cement slurry provides extremely stable
properties to satisfy the stringent requirements for
expandable liner cementing operations
5. Optimizing the expandable liner cementing involves fine-
tuning the cement slurry testing procedures to simulate
actual operations and downhole conditions.
Nomenclature
MDDF = measured depth from drill floor
TVDDF = true vertical depth from drill floor
TOC = top of cement
Pv = plastic viscosity (centipoise)
Ty = Bingham yield point (lbf/100ft2)
ppg = pounds per gallon
OBM = oil based mud
OD = outside diameter
ID = inside diameter
CBL = cement bond log
BWOC = by weight of cement
gps = gallon per sack
EMW = equivalent mud weight
ECD = equivalent circulating density
BPM = barrel per minute
RPM = revolution per minute
PEI = polyethylene imine
PNS = polynaphthalene sulfonate
Acknowledgements
The authors wish to thank the management of BJ Services
and Petronas Carigali Sdn Bhd for the permission to prepare
and publish this paper. Appreciation is also extended to all
individuals who assisted in the laboratory design, engineering
and field applications of this new method.
References
1. Enventure Global Technology: “Solid Expandable
Tubulars are Enabling Technology”, Drilling Contractor
(March/April 2001).
2. Dupal, K.K., Campo, D.B., Lofton, J.E., Weisinger, D.,
Cook, R.L., Bullock, M.D., Grant, T.P. and York, P.L.:
“Solid Expandable Tubular Technology – A Year of Case
Histories in the Drilling Environment,” paper SPE/IADC
67770, 2001.
3. Filippov, A., Mack, R., Cook, L., York, P., Ring, L. and
McCoy, T.: “Expandable Tubular Solutions,” paper SPE
56500, 1999.
4. Guillot, D., Hendriks, H., Callet, F. and Vidick, B.: “Mud
Removal,” Well Cementing (Developments in Petroleum
Science, 28), Elsevier Science Ltd. (1990), 5-4.
5. Haut, R.C. and Crook, R.J.: “Laboratory Investigation of
Lightweight, Low-Viscosity Cementing Spacer Fluids,”,
paper SPE 10315, 1981.
6. Smith, T.R.: “Cementing Displacement Practices – Field
Applications,” paper SPE 18617, 1990.
7. Keller, S.R., Crook, R.J., Haut, R.C. and Kulakofsky,
D.S.: “Deviated Wellbore Cementing: Part 1 - Problems,”
JPT, (Aug. 1987) 955-960.
8. Ravi, K. and Webber, L.: “Drill-Cutting Removal in a
Horizontal Wellbore for Cementing”, IADC/SPE 35081,
1996.
9. Cooper, R.E. and Birch, R.: “Horizontal Well
Cementing,” in: E.B. Nelson (ed.), Well Cementing
(Developments in Petroleum Science, 28), Elsevier
Science Ltd. (1990), 15-12.
10. Wilson, M.A. and Sabins, F.L.: “A Laboratory
Investigation of Cementing Horizontal Wells,” SPEDE
(Sept. 1988) 275-280.
11. Sauer, C.W.: “Mud Displacement During Cementing: A
State of the Art,” JPT (Sept. 1987) 1091-1101.
12. Sauer, C.W. and Landrum, W.R.: “Cementing – A
Systematic Approach,” JPT (Dec. 1982) 2843-2852.
13. Harris, K., Grayson, G. and Langlinais, J.: “Obtaining
Successful Shoe Tests in the Gulf of Mexico: Critical
Cementing Factors”, paper SPE 71388, 2001.
IADC/SPE 87211
14. Clark, C.R. and Carter, L.G.: “Mud Displacement with
Cement Slurries,” paper SPE 4090, 1973.
15. Brice, J.W. and Holmes, R.C.: “Engineered Casing
Cementing Programs Using Turbulent Flow Techniques,”
JPT (1964) 503-508.
16. McLean, R.H., Manry, C.W. and Whitaker, W.W.:
“Displacement Mechanics in Primary Cementing,” paper
SPE 1488, 1966.
17. Silva, M.G.P., Martins, A.L., Barbosa, B.C. and Garcia Jr,
H.: “Designing Fluid Velocity Profiles for Optimal
Primary Cementing”, SPE 36136, 1998.
18. Beirute, R.M. and Flumerfelt, R.W.: “Mechanics of The
Displacement Process of Drilling Muds by Cement
Slurries Using An Accurate Rheological Model,” paper
SPE 6801, 1977.
19. Haut, R.C. and Crook, R.J.: “Primary Cementing: The
Mud Displacement Process,” paper SPE 8253, 1979.
20. Bannister, C.E. and Benge, O.G.: “Pipe Flow Rheometry:
Rheological Analysis of A Turbulent Flow System Used
for Cement Placement”, SPE 10216, 1981.
21. Baret, J.F.: “Why Cement Fluid-Loss Additives are
Necessary,” paper SPE 17630, 1988.
22. Sanders, T., Gusevik, R., Nida, R. and Griffith, J.:
“Practices for Providing Zonal Isolation in Conjunction
with Expandable Casing Jobs – Case Histories,” paper
presented at 2003 High-Tech Wells Conference and
Exhibition, Galveston, TX, Feb. 11-13.
23. Mueller, D.T.: “Cementing of Expandable Tubulars –
Recent Experience in the Gulf Coast”, Presentation, BJ
Services, Houston, TX, (2003).
24. Rae, P.J., Johnston, N. and DiLullo, G.: “Storable Liquid
Systems for Use in Cementing Oil and Gas Wells,” U.S.
Patent No. 6,173,778 (2001).
25. Goodwin, K.J. and Crook, R.J.: “Cement Sheath Stress
Failure”, paper SPE 20453 presented at 1990 SPE Annual
Technical Conference, New Orleans, Sept. 23-26.
26. Thiercelin, M.J., Dargaud, B., Baret, J.F. and Rodriguez,
W.J.: “Cement Design Based on Cement Mechanical
Response,” paper SPE 38598, 1997.
27. Fleckenstein, W.W., Eustes, A.W. and Miller, M.G.:
“Burst-Induced Stresses in Cemented Wellbores,” paper
SPE 72059, 2001.
28. BJ Cementing Engineering Support Manual, 2001.
29. Recommended Practice for Testing Well Cements: API
Recommended Practice 10B, 22nd edition, American
Petroleum Institute, Washington D.C. (1997) 94- 95.
Appendix – BP Settling Test28
This test measures the ability of a slurry to remain a stable
suspension under downhole conditions. The normally-used
API operating free water test frequently provides misleading
results because of the conditions that the cement slurry is
subjected to (during the free water test the slurry temperature
usually falls well below BHCT) and also because the quantity
of "free water" is only a true measurement of stability for a
limited number of slurries.
The (reusable) tube is a cylinder with the axis vertical. Internal
height is 203mm (8.00") and the internal diameter is
25mm.The tube is designed to be opened along its length to
facilitate removal of the hardened core of cement. A lid should
9
be provided to cover the mold and yet permit transmission of
pressure between the pressurizing medium (water) and the
slurry. A height of 203mm was chosen as the maximum height
which would fit conveniently in HT/HP curing cells. If it is
preferred to use a long fluid loss cell to cure the sample then
the tube height should be 190.5mm (7-30"). In any case, the
dimensions of the tube should be clearly stated on any reports.
Method
The inside of the tube and all joints should be lightly greased.
After assembly it should be tested to ensure that it is leak-tight
by filling it with water. It should then be emptied and dried
without disturbing the joints, either by wiping the inside gently
with paper tissue or by blowing with air. A suitable
antifoamer/defoamer must be added to the slurry. The slurry
should be prepared according to API RP 10B, Section 5. The
slurry should be conditioned either 1) on a pressurized
consistometer to the appropriate BHCT and pressure as for the
thickening time test (Do not exceed 85°C if the BHCT is
greater than this temperature) or 2) on an atmospheric
consistometer to the appropriate BHCT at the appropriate
heat-up rate. Meanwhile, the settling tube should be heated to
BHCT in the curing chamber or the long fluid loss cell (Do not
exceed 85°C if BHCT is greater than this temperature).
Once at BHCT, remove the slurry cup and the settling tube
from the respective machines. Check that the inside of the
settling tube is dry before proceeding. Open the slurry cup and
discard any oil that may be inside the cup. Pour the slurry into
the tube until it is approximately 20mm from the top. Tap the
tube to dislodge any air bubbles. Fill the tube completely and
tap the tube again to remove air. Verify the tube is completely
filled and put the (lightly greased) lid in place. Wipe off
surplus cement from the outside of the tube. Carefully place
the tube in a curing chamber (or long fluid loss cell) heated to
BHCT (or to 85°C if BHCT greater than this). Avoid spilling
any cement. Apply 3000 psi (or 1000 psi if using the long
fluid loss cell). If the BHCT is greater than 83°C then heat the
curing cell to BHCT at 2°C per minute until at BHCT.
Maintain BHCT until the end of the test. Duration is normally
overnight, approximately 16 hours. Cool the cell to below
90°C and release the pressure slowly. Place the tube in water
at room temperature for approximately 15 minutes. Do not
remove the tube from water until the tube is at
ambient temperature.
Procedure
• Measuring Settlement - Remove the lid and measure the
depth from the top of the tube to the top of hard cement.
Do this with a metal rod of similar dimensions to a
consistometer thermocouple.
• Record this figure (in mm) as the "settlement".
• Record the nature of the "free fluid" which is the fluid on
top of the hard cement in the tube (this could be free
water, soft sludge of cement fines etc.).
• Measuring density of the column. This test should
proceed without hesitation so that it is completed before
the cement dries out significantly.
10 IADC/SPE 87211

• Remove the tube from the water, split the tube, remove
the hardened cement core and wipe off any excess grease.
• Make marks along the core at approx. 30mm intervals.
Break the core at these marks. This may be done by
holding it against a rigid metal edge and striking the core
opposite this contact point with a hammer. Keep the
sections in proper order and number them if necessary.
• Use a top-pan balance capable of measuring to an
accuracy of 0.01 gram and record the weight of each
section quickly (W1).
• Take a 250-400 ml beaker, 2/3 full of distilled water at
ambient temperature, and tare it on the balance.
• Suspend each section of core, in turn, from a noose of thin
monofilament wire (nylon or steel) and lower it into the
beaker so that the core section is completely immersed in
the water. Take care the keep the suspended section away
from the sides of the beaker and ensure that no air bubbles
are trapped.
• Record the weight on the balance (W2, weight of the
section in water), quickly.
• Density of core section, SC = weight of section in air
(WI) weight of section in water (W2)

Density of Core Section, SC = Weight of Section in Air (W1)

Weight of Section in Water (W2)
Reporting
The results should be reported like this example:
Slurry:
Class G 1.0 gps FL-33, 0.1% CD-32, 3.80 gps fresh water
Density : 15.8 ppg
Test Temperature : 145°F
Test Pressure : 3000 psi
Settlement tube length : 203 mm
Depth to firm Cement (settlement) : 3.0 mm
Density of column, top-bottom :
1.90,1.91,1.90,1.92,1.92,1.93 SG
Nature of free fluid : Water

Quantifying Settlement
After the cement has set hard in the settling tube the most
important measurement to make is the amount of settlement -
(the depth from the top of the tube to the top of the firm
cement). The cement column is also cut into sections and the
density of each section is measured. This density measurement
provides additional information, however, the amount of
settlement is the value used to measure the relative stability of
the cement slurry.
IADC/SPE 87211 11

VLA
103º20'E MA 103º40'E 104º00'E 104º20'E

CPOC
N

07º20'N CTOC NW BUNGA PM 3

BUNGA
PAKMA ORKID
BERGADING BUNGA
DAHLIA BUNGA
PAKMA BUNGA
MATAHARI
BUNGA
BERGADING DEEP-1
KEKWA
BERGADING-1 BUNGA MAWAR
CPOC THA
IL
MA AND BUNGA TERATAI PM3 CAA
LAY BERGADING H4
SIA
07º00'N PM 302 BUNGA
RAYA
BUNGA
ANGSANA-A

BUNGA KEMBOJA
BUNGA
MELOR

LAWIT- BINTANG
BUNGA
ANGSANA-D
PM 5

06º40'N JERNEH

Fig. 1 – Bergading Field Location Map

12 IADC/SPE 87211

794970 N

ENVI. DEPO
STRATIGRAPHY
TOPS HC TARGET/ LITHOLOGY DESCRIPTION EST. PORE
LITHO. PRESSURE
(m ss) TYPE DEPTH AND REMARKS
AGE GROUP
COL. (ppg)
(m ss)

Seabed
@ 57 m Soft claystone, low
PLIOCENE

COL - HIN
RECENT

saturation gas sand

6.3 ppg
TO

A/B
stringers and
occasionally coal beds.

1000
D1 1105

CO F- COL
MIDDLE - LATE

D3 1180 Alternating claystone and

MIOCENE

9 ppg
GAS
sandstone . Sandstone
D are gas bearing
reservoirs.
LCP - COS
EARLY-MIDDLE

10 ppg
MIOCENE

POSS. Predominantly
GAS

F
claystones, minor
2000 sandstones and coal
beds. Possible gas
H1 2163 bearing reservoirs. CO2
COL - HIN

H H2B GAS / COND.

2324 may be present

15 ppg
H4A 2502

H5A 2590
MIOCENE
EARLY

I2 2730

I7 2861 Claystones, sandstones

I GAS / COND.
3000 and thin coals. Gas
bearing sandstone
16 ppg
LCP

reservoirs. CO2 and H2S

gases are present.

PTD @ 2950 TVDSS

(2950 TVDSS +/- 100 m)

LEGEND :
COAL SHALE
SANDSTONE SILTSTONE

Fig. 2 – Well Bergading Deep-3 Stratigraphic Column

IADC/SPE 87211 13

Fig. 3 – Well Bergading Deep-3 Casing Design Scheme