Casing Rotating Cement Heads, a Custom Fit Solution to Improve Zonal Isolation Results in Colombia, a Field Proven Case

Abstract

Abstract This technical work describes the path to implement full casing rotation during primary cementing jobs. Explain and share leading edge results from this innovative method, which has allowed performing highly difficult cement jobs with good quality results at the first attempt at country level. In our current challenging drilling environment, a competent annular zonal isolation is required for long-term integrity. The well known worldwide cement practices has been key to obtain good results, among them, casing rotation has been widely applied to liners but not so commonly to full casing strings until now; custom fit rotating cements heads were implemented to improve current cement results. The pathway followed to implement this technology considered different activities in a time lapse of three years; starting by evaluating the operator's needs, until achieve a full technology massification in place supported on required results. Rotating cement heads have been widely used in a variety of fields within Colombia. At Llanos basin, they have been used to improve bond results in front of very washed out sections near the casing shoe; at superior and mid valley basins, they have allowed obtaining good selectivity between productive zones in very long cement columns. In other areas, this technology has allowed to replace the well-known casing reciprocation practice granting safer practices. This technology has been appointed as the first option to obtain required isolation results for exploratory wells. Nowadays, jobs that in the past had little to no chance of success have been performed under total control with exceptional results avoiding extra remedial costs. In summary this technology has broadened the chance to improve results, allowing to perform a cementing operation under best in class HSE practices, granting the operator to obtain the required solution and providing the way to maximize the value added from mature fields. Use of casing rotating cementing heads is a new trend for the oil industry that allows the operator to obtain cement job results at the very first attempt, reducing costly remedial jobs and maximizing the cement bond to formation and casing, hence, improving the production results at a large scale and boosting wells integrity.