CemNET
A Network For Fighting Lost Circulation
Lost Circulation
• Time consuming
– Lost time due to slow drilling progress
– Poor cuttings removal (stuck pipe)
– Additional casing strings
• Dangerous operation
– Kick/Blow out due to unbalanced pressure in the well
– Loss of well
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Lost Circulation
• Additional remedial work
– Difficult cement Squeeze after the primary cement job
– Mobilization of workover rig
• Costly due to lost mud
• Casing corrosion due to poor cement coverage
– Cathodic protection
– Cost of chrome casing (3 times more than steel)
– Complete loss of well
• Environmental concerns
– Aquifer contaminations with hydrocarbons
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CemNET*
• Features
– Advanced fibers mixed with cement to seal lost circulation
– Engineered to an optimal size
– Inert
• No effect on Thickening Time
• No effect on compressive strength development
• Compatible with all cementing additives
– Extremely effective with CemCRETE systems
• Better plugging effect due to PSD
• Lower rheology
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CemNET*
• Applications
– Used across fractures, fissures, vugs, and permeable zones
– Temperature limitation up to 450 0F
– Used for cement plugs and primary cementing operations
– Not for mud applications
• Benefits
– Easy to handle
– No cement fall back
– Cure losses during primary cementing
• It is always preferred to cure losses prior to cementing
– Reduces disposal costs by reducing cement excess returns
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Fibers in Cement
Is the concept new? No but,…
– Nylon and other fibers have been used with cement before
– No size optimization
• Difficult to handle
• Difficult to disperse in cement
• Difficult to mix with cement (fiber lumps or fur balls)
• Tend to plug pumping and float equipment
– Difficulty in water wetting the fibers
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Mechanism
• Dry fibers are bound together
– Easy to handle and add to cement
• No fiber lumps in mixing fluid
• Well dispersed fibers once agitated
– High plugging efficiency
• Water wetting effect by the surfactant
• Fibrous network across loss zones
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Mechanism
Fibrous network across lost circulation zones
Losses
Circulation
Losses
Losses
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Experimental Study
∆P
• Modified HPHT fluid loss cell
METAL PLATE
• Grids with 1 and 2 mm holes
• Grid with 46 mm slot by 1 mm width
• Conventional and CemCRETE systems
• Apply 20 bars of pressure
• Collect and measure the filtrate METAL GRID
WITH HOLES
OR SLOT
COLLECTED SLURRY
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Experimental Study
• Results
– CemNET was effective in plugging the holes and the slot
– Less fibers were required when CemCRETE was used
• CemCRETE is more effective than conventional systems
• Lower slurry rheology
– Well dispersed fibers have higher plugging efficiency
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Field Applications
7” Surf.
70 m Casing
• Canada (Shallow Gas Wells) Ground Water
– Losses in over 90% of the wells
Coal
– Large coal seams sections Seams
– Difficult to identify
– Losses encountered during cementing 4 1/2”
Production
– Ground water was not protected Casing
– Regulations called for cement to surface
1100 m
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Field Applications
• Alternatives
– Drilled with gel mud
• Higher mud cost
• Longer drilling time
– Standard LCM’s and viscous pills were ineffective
– RFC-HE cement systems were ineffective
– Excess cement volumes
• Cost increase due to cement handling and disposal
• Logistical difficulties in the cementing operation
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Field Applications
80%
Percentage
60%
40%
20%
0%
Complete 75% 50% 25% No
Losses Losses
No CemNET CemNET
• CemNET used on the first 95 bbls
• Reduced costs related to remedial cementing
• Cement disposal cost dropped by 46%
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Field Applications
• Indonesia 16” @ 150’
– Losses while drilling
• Range from1bbl/hr to total losses
– Mud weight 8.5-8.7 ppg
Natural
– 80 bbls of mud / LCM were ineffective Fractures
– Continue drilling blind till TD
Unconsolidated
– Log the open hole Sand
– Plug back with thixotropic cement 10 ¾” @ 400’- 700’
– Run casing and cement with thixotropy cement
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Field Applications
Results
– Required thixotropy level was not always achieved
• Cement fall back
• Increased cost due to spotting additional plugs
The Solution??
CemNET
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Field Applications
• CemNET Results
– 30 bbls of 14 ppg CemNET plug cured the losses
– Casing cemented with 15.8 ppg CemNET
– 23 bbls of cement returned to surface
– CBL showed excellent bonding with 2 mV
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CemNET
A strong barrier against lost circulation across:
• Highly permeable zones
• Natural fractures
• Induced fractures
• Vugular formations
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