Managed pressure cementing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016145995-A1
Application number	US-201615011750-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Feb 1, 2016
Priority date	Nov 16, 2011
Publication date	May 26, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method of cementing a tubular string in a wellbore includes: deploying the tubular string into the wellbore; pumping cement slurry into the tubular string; launching a cementing plug after pumping the cement slurry; propelling the cementing plug through the tubular string, thereby pumping the cement slurry through the tubular string and into an annulus formed between the tubular string and the wellbore; and controlling flow of fluid displaced from the wellbore by the cement slurry to control pressure of the annulus.

First claim

1 . A method for operating a wellbore, comprising:
injecting fluid to the wellbore having a tubular string disposed therein to circulate the fluid in a path including a bore of the tubular string and an annulus between the tubular string and a wall of the wellbore; increasing a bottomhole pressure corresponding to an expected pressure, wherein the expected pressure is a pressure expected during cementing of an exposed formation adjacent the wellbore; and measuring a difference between an injection flow rate and a return flow rate in the path.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the expected pressure is greater than or equal to a bore pressure and less than a fracture pressure of the exposed formation adjacent to the wellbore.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
reducing the expected pressure when the return flow rate is less than the injection flow rate; and performing a cementing operation at the reduced expected pressure.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein reducing the expected pressure comprises modifying properties of cementing slurry corresponding to the expected pressure.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein reducing the expected pressure comprises pumping return fluid during the cementing operation using a returns pump.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the tubular string is a drill string, and injecting the fluid to the wellbore further comprises rotating a drill bit.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein increasing the bottom hole pressure is performed periodically.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein increasing the bottom hole pressure comprises choking a return flow of the fluid.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising maintaining the expected pressure for a desired period of time.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is injected into the bore of the tubular string and returned through the annulus between the tubular string and the wall of the wellbore.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the fluid is injected into the annulus between the tubular string and the wall of the wellbore and returned through the bore of the tubular string.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the wellbore is a subsea wellbore.

13 . A method for cementing a wellbore, comprising:
injecting cement slurry into the wellbore having a tubular string disposed therein; injecting chase fluid to pump the cement slurry into an annulus formed between the tubular string and the wellbore; performing a mass balance between the chase fluid and fluid displaced from the wellbore; and controlling flow of fluid displaced from the wellbore using results of the mass balance.

14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein controlling flow of displaced from the wellbore is performed by a programmable logic controller.

15 . The method of claim 12 , wherein performing a mass balance comprises:
measuring a flow rate of the chase fluid; measuring a mass flow rate of the fluid displaced from the wellbore; and comparing the measured fluid rates.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein measuring a mass flow rate of the fluid displaced from the wellbore comprises:
diverting the displaced fluid from a bore of a pressure control assembly connected to a wellhead of the wellbore through a mass flow meter of the pressure control assembly.

17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the wellbore is a subsea wellbore, and the mass flow meter is a subsea mass flow meter.

18 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising circulating indicator fluid across a wellhead of the wellbore; and
comparing a flow rate of the indicator fluid into the wellhead to a flow rate of the indicator fluid from the wellhead.

19 . The method of claim 12 , wherein injecting the cement slurry comprises injecting the cement slurry through a bore of the tubular string, and injecting the chase fluid comprises injecting the chase fluid through the bore of the tubular string.

20 . The method of claim 12 , further comprising monitoring curing of the cement slurry using one or more cement sensors on the tubular string.

Assignees

• Weatherford Technology Holdings Llc

Inventors

• Hannegan Don M
• Pena Cesar
• Pavel David
• Grayson Michael Brian
• Boutalbi Said
• Cooper Todd Douglas
• Dunn Timothy P
• Zamora Jr Frank

Classifications

• E21B33/143

  for underwater installations · CPC title

• E21B33/13 Primary

  Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like · CPC title

• E21B33/14

  for cementing casings into boreholes · CPC title

• E21B33/165

  Cementing plugs specially adapted for being released down-hole (cementing heads E21B33/05) · CPC title

• E21B47/0005 Primary

  Fixed Constructions · mapped topic