Chemical-technological phenomena occurring during borehole cementing operations in terms of casing design

Abstract

Borehole design is a complex and multidimensional question in terms of the number of issues to be resolved in terms of mechanical, environmental and public safety engineering requirements. In this article contains a review and evaluation of chemical phenomena and processes (not always correctly evaluated) that occur during the preparation of cement slurry and after its displacement during the formation of the gel structure of cement and cement sheath. As a result of the chemically complicated process of slurry gelation, a new structure is formed, i.e. steel pipe – sheath (cement stone) – a rock which in a specific way produces a specific type of load and stress in the annular space, and thus influences changes in hydrostatic pressure distribution. Such phenomena described in this article allow to understand the methodical approach to the process of designing pipes, especially in the aspect of collapse and burst of pipes with big diameter >13⅜″ and thin wall (in the 4th load regime). This does not mean that the tensile strength of pipes is not an important issue in pipe design, but it mainly concerns very deep boreholes, while collapse and burst of pipes occurs in special (often unforeseen) cases of full or partial evacuation for shallow pipe foundation in the hole. The article is based on extensive professional literature, as well as on numerous tests carried out at Oil and Gas Institute – National Research Institute on different types of cement slurries and drilling muds, and, moreover, on the relevant experience of the authors of the article, both in the field of slurry design and supervision of cement operations, as well as in the design and supervision of works related to drilling of various types of boreholes, including cement job and running casing.