CEMENT DISPLACEMENT THEORY

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DISPLACEMENT THEORY
INTRODUCTION
Efficient mud displacement is essential in order to achieve a good cement bond and zonal isolation. Incomplete
mud removal can lead to cement channelling, allowing hydrocarbon.
invasion and communication between permeable zones.
THE EFFECT OF MUD RHEOLOGY
The force required to initiate movement in a mud which has been left to gel can be considerable and will increase
with time. The current understanding of how best to mobilise gelled mud is poor, mainly due to the difficulties of
characterising the gelation properties of muds. The standard 10-minute gel-strength test is unrepresentative of
the complex effect of the shear-history of the mud and the prevailing downhole conditions. Gelled mud can only
be removed by applying sufficient shear stress to overcome the gelled strength of the mud. This shear stress can
come from pipe movement or from the mobile mud (or other displacing fluids). In the latter case, the required
shear stress is generated by frictional pressure drop. Thus, the shear stresses generated can be increased by
increasing the mud flow rate, or varying the properties of the mobile fluid. Ideally, the problem should be
minimised by reducing the muds low shear-rate viscosity and
gel-strength during circulation before the casing is run. Once the hole has been circulated clean of cuttings,
additional circulation can be used to condition the mud and to remove the gelled and dehydrated mud that
becomes far more difficult to remove after a prolonged static period.
THE EFFECT OF CASING ECCENTRICITY
When casing is run in a deviated well, the resulting eccentricity will trap pockets of mud against the low side of
the hole resulting in cement channelling and possible incomplete zonal isolation, or gas migration problems.
Stagnant areas form due to the distorted velocity profile that occurs when the casing is eccentric. Flow will favour
the wide side of the annulus possibly leading to the situation where turbulent and laminar flow exist in different
areas across the annulus. Laboratory and field experience have shown that once the stand-off falls below about
60% no practical combination of flowrate and fluid viscosity will remove the stagnant mud.The minimum stand off
should be at least 70%. To ensure that the stand-off is greater than 70% at all points along the string, a
centraliser programme should be run. The programme should take into account the mechanics of the complete
casing string, along with any buoyancy and density differential effects during displacement
.
THE EFFECT OF ANNULAR VELOCITY (DISPLACEMENT RATE)
Numerous studies have shown that if the displacing fluid is in turbulent flow the displacement will be highly
effective. However, in an eccentric annulus ensuring turbulence occurs at all points across the annulus is difficult.
More often than not, the turbulent displacement will result in gelled mud remaining in the narrow section of the
annulus. Where turbulence for the spacer/wash can be achieved, the displacement rate should be as high as
possible to achieve the best results. Where turbulent flow cannot be achieved it is still possible to achieve
effective displacements by using a carefully designed laminar displacement.
THE EFFECT OF CASING MOVEMENT
Although the physics of mud removal through casing movement is complex to analyse, the beneficial effects of
reciprocating and rotating casing have been shown in laboratory and field tests. Both reciprocation and rotation
are beneficial, however, reciprocation suffers the following drawbacks:
(a) Induced swab and surge pressures which can lead to well control problems, especially with small annular
clearances.
(b) The risk of the casing becoming stuck.

Typically casing is reciprocated between 20-40 ft over 1-5 minutes. However, the movement
downhole can be reduced due to pipe stretch and buckling. Pipe rotation is commonly
undertaken for liners at rates between 10-40 rpm.