Development of cement slurries for sealing boreholes with elevated temperatures in the Carpathian region

Abstract

Works related to the drilling of a deep borehole must take into account the specific conditions at its bottom. This applies especially to high temperatures, exceeding 90–100°C, and pressures of 60–80 MPa. Such difficult downhole conditions have often posed many problems when developing appropriate compositions of cement slurries used for sealing columns of casing pipes. With each passing year, drilling companies make deeper and more complicated boreholes, more and more often exceeding 3000 m, which require the use of specially developed recipes of cement slurries when sealing the casing column. In deep boreholes (with very high temperature and pressure), a serious problem is to ensure a long pumping time of the cement slurry, which should be characterized by low viscosity, little or no free water and the lowest filtration possible. Therefore, it is necessary to select appropriate retardants that are resistant to high temperatures and additives ensuring the appropriate technological parameters of the slurries and cement stone. Pressure and temperature parameters increase with the depth of the borehole. Reservoir waters (brines of different mineralization) largely affect the hardened cement slurry, therefore cement slurries intended for deep boreholes should contain in their composition additives that increase thermal resistance, delay setting, lower filtration and improve resistance to chemical corrosion caused by the action of brines reservoir. The aim of the laboratory research was to develop innovative formulas of cement slurries for sealing boreholes, both crude oil and geothermal, with increased temperatures (up to about 130°C) located in the Carpathian region. During the implementation of the topic, laboratory tests were carried out on both cement slurries and cement stones obtained from them. Due to the industry’s interest in acquiring energy from sources other than crude oil and natural gas, a broader scope of laboratory tests covered cement slurries for sealing geothermal boreholes with controlled rheological parameters, which can be used at high reservoir temperatures to seal deep boreholes. The cement slurries were prepared with tap water with the addition of potassium chloride in the amount of 3, 6 and 10% bwow (in relation to the amount of water). The following agents were successively added to the mixing water: defoaming, adjusting the setting and thickening time, plasticizing and reducing filtration. Cement slurries were made with the addition of 10% latex and a latex stabilizer in the amount of 1% bwoc (both components in relation to the weight of dry cement). The other ingredients: microcement (nanocement), microsilica, hematite and cement were mixed together and then added to the mixing water. All cement slurries were prepared on the basis of drilling cement G. When all components blended, the cement slurry was mixed for 30 minutes followed by laboratory measurements such as: density, fluidity, readings from the Fann apparatus, water retention, filtration, thickening time. From among the developed cement slurries, those with the best rheological parameters were selected, then samples of cement stones were prepared from them. Cement slurries were cured for 48 hours in an environment of high temperature and pressure (downhole conditions). The obtained cement stones were tested for: compressive strength, bending strength, porosity, adhesion of cement stone to steel pipes.