CEMENT SLURRY FORMULATION

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CEMENT SLURRY FORMULATION
(a) Compressible Cements Compressible cements maintain the cement pore pressure above that of the
formation gas pressure. Two general cement types are available:.
Foam cements
Gas generating cements.
Foam cements do not work well at high pressure and are therefore limited to use at shallow depths.
Gas generating cements maintain cement pore pressure by chemically producing gas downhole (usually
hydrogen). To avoid these gas bubbles coalescing and creating channels, the slurries must be carefully
designed.
(b) Expansive Cements
Expansive cements may be effective in eliminating small gaps between the cement and the casing or formation,
but are unlikely to be effective in eliminating large channels. There are two main techniques for expanding
Portland cements:
Gas generation
Crystal growth.
Gas generating expansive cements work in the same way as gas generating compressible cements, but with less
gas-generating material added. Crystal growth expansive cements depend on the growth of added minerals within
the set
cement. Formulating these cements must be carefully controlled. Uncontrolled mineral expansion can disrupt and
fracture set cement.
THIXOTROPIC AND HIGH GEL STRENGTH CEMENTS
Thixotropic and high gel strength cements resist gas percolation. However, if the gas bubbles are smaller than
the cement pore space gas migration can occur without slurry deformation. In such a case gel strength is not a
controlling factor. The inherent fluid loss of thixotropic slurries tends to be high and must be controlled.
RIGHT-ANGLE SET CEMENTS
Right-angle set (RAS) cement slurries do not gel progressively, they set rapidly. The cement transmits full
hydrostatic pressure through the cement column up to when the cement begins to set, and develops a low
permeability matrix rapidly enough to prevent gas invasion. RAS slurries can be difficult to design for
temperatures below 250 deg F. In RAS slurries, the heat generated from the rapid hydration that occurs is
produced over a short period possibly leading to the formation of micro-annuli
.
IMPERMEABLE CEMENTS
Reducing the cement matrix permeability prevents gas migration through the cement column. Several methods
are available to do this:
Viscosify the interstitial water of the cement slurry
Prevent the interstitial water by using bridging agents and polymers
Use latex additives that coalesce in the pore spaces when they contact gas.
SURFACTANTS

Under the right circumstances surfactants added to the cement slurry.