Barite & Hematite Plugs M-1BaR® (barite) and FER-OX* (hematite) plugs are an effective means of sealing off active borehole sections in extreme or emergency situations. These plugs can be spotted atthe appropriate place in the wellbore to provide an immovable sealing column through settling or dehydration, thereby preventing further formation fluid intrusion into the wellbore. Barite and hematite plugs ae referred to as "wellbore plugs" in this bulletin Ya: du) Figure I~ Effect of density of setting rates. PERCENT SETTLED TIME (MIN) Figure 2 - Effect of salinity on settling rates of barite slurries in freshwater and seawater. Miswaco_ Barite & Hematite Plugs ‘Technology Report Page 1 of 8 Technology Report A wellbore plug is a slurry composed of Ml BAR, FER-OX, or both, mixed in water, diese oil, mineral oil, or synthetic fluid asa carrier. The slurry is designed ‘weight material settlement, forming a hard pack. ary application of a wellbore plug is to plug the lower zone of a well, \hich is simultaneously kicking from the ower zone and losing circulation to an upper zone, There are other special circumstances where wellbore plugs may also be used. Factors Affecting Settling Rates ‘The setting rate of wellbore plugs are affected by factors such as density, contaminants in the make-up water, type and concentration of weight material, pH, type of deflocculant, and surfactants Density. The optimum settling rates of ‘weight materil-water sluries are 17 to 18 Ih/gal for M-1 BAR and 20 to 21 Iga for FeR-Ox, (Figure 1) At densities above these weights a significant reduction in setling rates occurs due to the solids content increasing toa point ‘(known asthe packing fraction) at which the mud convert from a iquid to a Plastic state resulting in high viscosities ‘A decrease in setting rates will aso ‘occur as mud weights are reduced, due the reduction of weighting agent concentrations. Variations of weight ‘material in certain locals require different defloceulants to obtain optimum setting rates. Therefore, iftime allows, pilot testing should be done, even ifthe ‘makeup wate is free of contaminationBarite & Hematite Plugs Contaminants: Gel strengths of weighted slurries are increased by the presence of salt and calcium. Therefore, seawater or saltwater should never be used as the water phase ofthe slurry, If brackish water is used, pilot testing is recommended to ensure settling rates are sufficient. Figure 2 shows the effect of salinity on setling rate, Figure 3 — Effect of pH on settling rates for barte slurry. We Figure 4 Volume of settlement in 30 , 18tb/gal bate slurry showing the effect of thinners and surfactants on the brite plugs. Mi SWAco__- Barite & Hematite Plugs ‘Technology Report Page 2 of 8 Technology Report Weight Material. Either M-1 BAR or FeR-OX may be used as weighting agents in the plug slurries. Both have advantages. Tests show that the setling rate of FER-OX slurries is greater than that of M-l Bak slurries due to the higher density of FER-OX (41.7 Ib/gal) as compared with M-I BAR (35 Ib/gal), However, M-I BAR slurries pack better. PH. The pl ofthe srry should be controlled between 8.5 0 10.0 with auditions of Caustic Soda, Excessive pH reduces the rate of filration and the Settling rate ofthe slurry. A pH of less than 8:5 also reduces setting rates. igure 3) Deflocculant. To ensure rapid settling, rates, a deflocculant must be added to the water phase ofthe slurry. SAPP, DESCO™ lr SPERSENE" are recommended. SPERSENE is more effective in bottom hole temperatures above 140°F. Two Ib/bbl SPERSENE is recommended in environments up to 200°F; 4 Ib/bbl from 200 to 300°F, and, 8 Ib/bbI above 300°F. ‘One Ib/bbl of Caustic Soda should be added for every 8 Ib/bbI of SPERSENE, ESCO is recommended when pH is a limiting factor. (Figure 4) Lighter weight slurries (14.0 to 16.0 Ib/gal) are recommended for inside ceasing or drillstrings where filtration does not occur and rapid settling desired. Higher weight slurries are recommended for the open hole where both setting and high filtration aid in ‘making an immovable seal.Barite Variations in weight material require different concentrations of VERSAWET/- NOVAWET for an optimum setting rate, Increases of 20% settling rate have been observed by adding 1-ppb NOVATHIN/VERSATHIN to the formulation. Pilot testing should be done with the available materials. The amount of oil, wetting agent, and weight ‘material necessary to make a one-barrel pumpable slurry ofthe desired weight ‘ean be estimated from the above tables. Weight material requirements in oil- based plug formulation charts (Tables 3 & 4) are based on the density of diesel oil (6.8 lb/gal). The density of mineral oil and synthetic-based fluids varies slightly Therefore when using mineral oil and symthetie-based fluids, the barite requirements may vary slightly from the values in the formulation charts. RECOMMENDED PROCEDURES, A. Length of Compacted Plug Wellbore plugs are designed to contro! formation pressures by providing an immovable, impermeable seal at the point of influx. The success of the plugging operation depends on the slurry having optimum settling properties, using recommended spotting procedures, inimizing the presence of contaminants that may reduce the settling rate and keep ‘the plug from setting. In some instances, several attempts must be made to successfully seal off the influx of formation fluids. ‘The length of the desired compacted wellbore plug column should be based on the severity ofthe situation. The length cof the plug can be approximated by the following equation: x Sg xVRA3S Mi SWACO__- Barite & Hematite Plugs Technology Report Page 4 of 8 & Hematite Plugs Technology Report where, L= Length of compacted plug ‘sx= Desired number of sacks of ‘weight material in plug specific gravity of the weight ‘material ‘VR = Volume per foot of hole (bbI/t) sg. ‘The maximum slurry length should not exceed the distance between the pressured and lost circulation zones. This prevents losing a portion of the slurry to the formation. Long barite plugs are not desirable due to the distance the drillstring would have to be pulled to withdraw it completely from the plug slurry. ‘When formation pressures can be estimated, the length of the plug can be ‘designed to balance the formation pressure. Under these circumstances, the plug is used as a kill fluid and an immovable seal. The following equation ccan be used to estimate the length of plug required to balance formation pressures. aes Sg x 0434 where, ylag_~ Required length of compacted plug (ft) P= Pressure to balance (psi) Sg. = Specific gravity of the weight material B. Wellbore Plug Density The weight (Ib/gal) ofthe wellbore slurry should be 0.5 to 1.0 Ib/gal greater than the density ofthe fluid in the hole. This ‘minimizes the possibility of migration or movement of the plug after it is spotted