Hydraulicing Casing (pressure to lift the casing while cementing)

During cementing operation, pumping cement and displacement fluid can lift the casing. Some people call “pump out of the well”. This situation can be occurred and there are some reasons as follows:

• Lightweight casing string

• Large casing diameter

• High density of cement

• Low density of displacement fluid

• High annular pressure loss

• High pressure trapped in the annulus due to bridging

How is the casing lifted during cementing?


Under A Static Condition

The casing can be hydraulic out of hole due to unbalance of hydrostatic pressure. See the figure below for more understanding.

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Balanced Cement Plug Calculation

You already learn about balance cement plug and I would like to show how to calculate balance cement plug.

 Let’s start with the concept so you can imagine how the calculation should be.

1. Determine volume of cement that you need.

2. Determine height of cement and spacer when pipe in hole.

3. Determine displace volume to balance the hydrostatic both sides. When the displacement is completed, you should have equal height of cement/spacer/mud. You can see the figure below for more understanding.

4. When you pull cement stinger, you will have the balance set properly like this.

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Balanced Cement Plug

Balanced cement plug is the method to set cement plug by applying concept of balanced hydrostatic. Generally speaking, when we say “balance”, it means that hydrostatic pressure at the end of the drilling string is the same as hydrostatic pressure in the annulus (see the figure below).


(Balance hydrostatic pressure both side)

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Salt Cement Systems

Some cement formulas have salt as NaCl, and KCl into the cement system and we call them “salt cement systems”. The salt cement systems cause confusion in cement calculations because salt can be dissolved in based fluid and the volume of salt in solid state is not the same as salt in solution phase. Therefore, density of solid salt is not the same as the dissolved salt in liquid.

To get correct density and absolute volume of salt solution, you can find information about from cementing hand books. The books should tell you how much % salt is in solution and how much absolute volume/density is. Please see an image below that I just got from my Halliburton redbook.

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Calculate Total Bulk Cement and Water Required

This topic will teach you how to determine total bulk cement and water for required cement volume.

Let’s learn from the example.

The calculated cement volume is 150 bbl. (Learn about cement volume calculation -> Calculate Cement (Oil Well Cement) Volume Required

The cement formula given from town is listed below:

Cement formula:

Class G cement

35% Silica sand

0.2 gps of chemical A

0.6 gps of chemical B

0.9 gps of chemical C

Required cement density = 15.9 ppg

The absolute volume of each material is listed below:

Class G cement = 0.0382 gal/lb

Silica sand = 0.0456 gal/lb

Chemical A = 0.0974 gal/lb

Chemical B = 0.103 gal/lb

Chemical C = 0.112 gal/lb

Determine total bulk cement and water requirement for 150 bbl of cement.

We still use the same concept as previous calculation:

Volume = Weight x Absolute Volume

Where:

Volume in gal/sack

Weight in lb/sack

Absolute volume in gal/sack

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