ENGINEERED BEAD SLURRIES FOR USE IN LIGHTWEIGHT CEMENT SLURRIES AND METHODS RELATING THERETO

• US 20160115366A1
• Filed: 09/26/2013
• Published: 04/28/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Maxson, Joseph K., Brenneis, Chad, Morgan, Rickey L., Morgan, Ronnie G., Benkley, James R., Mendenall, Paul
• Granted Patent: US 10,570,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/10 Clay sepiolite C04B14/042; grog C04B18/025
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/24 porous, e.g. foamed glass
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/002 Hollow or porous granular materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/40 Surface-active agents, dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/445 Gelling agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2641 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2647 containing polyether side chains
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/383 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/02 containing hydraulic cements other than calcium sulfates
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 containing additives for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/473 Density reducing additives, e.g. for obtaining foamed cement compositions
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 21/062 by mixing components
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/14 for cementing casings into boreholes

Abstract

Engineering bead slurries may be useful in producing lightweight cement slurries for use in subterranean cementing operations. For example, a method may include engineering a bead slurry to have a shelf-life of about 1 month or greater by performing at least one of (1) calculating the shelf-life for the bead slurry and (2) calculating a minimum yield point required to prevent a lightweight bead of the bead slurry from floating or settling in the bead slurry; wherein the bead slurry comprises a gelled base fluid and a plurality of lightweight beads having a specific gravity of about 0.8 or less; producing the bead slurry; mixing the bead slurry and a cement slurry to yield a lightweight cement slurry; introducing the lightweight cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and allowing the lightweight cement slurry to set therein.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

engineering a bead slurry to have a shelf-life of about 1 month or greater by performing at least one of (1) calculating the shelf-life for the bead slurry and (2) calculating a minimum yield point required to prevent a lightweight bead of the bead slurry from floating or settling in the bead slurry;

wherein the bead slurry comprises a gelled base fluid and a plurality of lightweight beads having a specific gravity of about 0.8 or less;

producing the bead slurry;

mixing the bead slurry and a cement slurry to yield a lightweight cement slurry;

introducing the lightweight cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and

allowing the lightweight cement slurry to set within a portion of the wellbore, a portion of the subterranean formation, or both.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the gelled base fluid comprises water and a gelling agent, and wherein the bead slurry comprises water, the plurality of lightweight beads at about 50% to about 60% by volume of the bead slurry, and the gelling agent at about 0.01% to about 5% by volume of the bead slurry.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the gelling agent comprises a polymer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the gelling agent comprises a clay.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the gelling agent comprises a viscoelastic surfactant.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the lightweight beads comprise hollow glass beads.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the gelled base fluid a viscosity of about 5 cP to about 1000 cP.

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

storing the bead slurry for about 1 month or greater;

homogenizing the bead slurry about 1 to 3 days during storing of the bead slurry; and

wherein the bead slurry has a viscosity of about 10 cP to about 1,000 cP after 1 month of storing.

9. The method of claim 1, the bead slurry has a shelf-life of about 3 months or greater.

10. The method of claim 1, the bead slurry has a shelf-life of about 6 months or greater.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lightweight beads comprise a plurality of hollow glass beads having an average diameter of about 1 micron to about 100 microns.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of lightweight beads are at about 55% to about 60% by volume of the bead slurry.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the lightweight beads is about 1 micron to about 20 microns, and wherein the bead slurry has a shelf-life of about 3 months or greater.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the average diameter of the lightweight beads is about 1 micron to about 20 microns, wherein the plurality of lightweight beads are at about 55% to about 60% by volume of the bead slurry, wherein the gelled base fluid has a viscosity of about 10 cP to about 400 cP, and wherein the bead slurry has a shelf-life of about 4 months or greater.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

transferring the bead slurry from a transportation vehicle during mixing the bead slurry and the cement slurry.

16. A system for performing the introducing step of claim 1, wherein the system comprises a pump fluidly coupled to a tubular extending into the wellbore penetrating the subterranean formation.

17. A method comprising:

engineering a bead slurry to have a shelf-life of about 1 month or greater by performing at least one of (1) calculating the shelf-life for the bead slurry and (2) calculating a minimum yield point required to prevent a lightweight bead of the bead slurry from floating or settling in the bead slurry;

wherein the bead slurry comprises a gelled base fluid having a viscosity of about 10 cP to about 1000 cP and a plurality of lightweight beads having a specific gravity of about 0.8 or less;

producing the bead slurry;

storing the bead slurry for about 1 month or greater;

transporting the bead slurry to a well-site;

mixing at the well-site the bead slurry and a cement slurry to yield a lightweight cement slurry;

introducing the lightweight cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and

allowing the lightweight cement slurry to set within a portion of the wellbore, a portion of the subterranean formation, or both.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

homogenizing the bead slurry about 1 to about 3 times per month during storing of the bead slurry.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the average diameter of the lightweight beads is about 1 micron to about 20 microns, wherein the plurality of lightweight beads are at about 55% to about 60% by volume of the bead slurry, wherein the gelled base fluid has a viscosity of about 10 cP to about 400 cP, and wherein the bead slurry has a shelf-life of about 4 months or greater.

20. A method comprising:

engineering a bead slurry to have a shelf-life of about 2 months or greater by performing at least one of (1) calculating a shelf-life for the bead slurry and (2) calculating a minimum yield point required to prevent a lightweight bead of the bead slurry from floating or settling in the bead slurry;

wherein the bead slurry comprises a gelled base fluid having a viscosity of about 10 cP to about 200 cP and a plurality of hollow glass beads having an average diameter of about 1 micron to about 20 microns;

producing a bead slurry;

mixing the bead slurry and a cement slurry to yield a lightweight cement slurry;

introducing the lightweight cement slurry into a wellbore penetrating a subterranean formation; and

allowing the lightweight cement slurry to set within a portion of the wellbore, a portion of the subterranean formation, or both.