Yielding of Hydrated Lime in Set-Delayed and Other Settable Compositions

• US 20160194545A1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Published: 07/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Bou, Peter James, Pisklak, Thomas Jason, Lewis, Samuel J., Agapiou, Kyriacos, Otieno, Pauline Akinyi, Brothers, Lance Everett, Morgan, Ronnie Glen
• Granted Patent: US 9,869,155 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 5/34 Mixing on or by conveyors , e.g. by belts or chains provided with mixing elements
• CPC Class Codes: B28C 7/028 by counting the number of revolutions performed, or by measuring the mixing time
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 12/04 Alkali metal or ammonium silicate cements ; Alkyl silicate cements; Silica sol cements; Soluble silicate cements alkali metal silicates per se, their preparation C01B33/32; ammonium silicates per se, their preparation C01C1/00
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/16 porous, e.g. pumice
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/162 Cement kiln dust; Lime kiln dust
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2/02 Lime obtaining Ca(OH)2 otherwise than by simple slaking of quick lime C01F11/02
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/008 Micro- or nanosized fillers, e.g. micronised fillers with particle size smaller than that of the hydraulic binder colloidal silica C04B14/062 ; silica fume C04B18/146
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0088 Compounds chosen for their latent hydraulic characteristics, e.g. pozzuolanes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/22 Set retarders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/408 Dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/0013 Boron compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/062 of the alkali or alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/064 of the alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/124 Chlorides of ammonium or of the alkali or alkaline earth metals, e.g. calcium chloride
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/147 Alkali-metal sulfates; Ammonium sulfate
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/16 containing phosphorus in the anion, e.g. phosphates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/003 Phosphorus-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/04 Carboxylic acids; Salts, anhydrides or esters thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/122 Hydroxy amines
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/163 : obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/18 : Lignin sulfonic acid or derivatives thereof, e.g. sulfite lye
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/22 : Condensation or polymerisation products thereof
• 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: C04B 28/04 : Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/06 : Aluminous cements monolithic refractories or refractory mortars C04B35/66
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/08 : Slag cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 : Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/14 : containing calcium sulfate cements gypsum-paper plates E04C
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/34 : containing cold phosphate binders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0658 : Retarder inhibited mortars activated by the addition of accelerators or retarder-neutralising agents
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/46 : containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

Methods and systems directed to controlling the rheology of settable compositions in subterranean formations. Embodiments include a method of controlling the rheology of a set-delayed cement composition, the method comprising: providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, and a set retarder; shearing the set-delayed cement composition in an amount sufficient to substantially prevent solids settling; storing the set-delayed cement in a pumpable fluid state for at least 1 day; activating the set-delayed cement composition; introducing the set-delayed cement composition into a subterranean formation; and allowing the set-delayed cement composition to set in the subterranean formation. Additional methods and systems are also provided.

Claims

1. A method of controlling the rheology of a set-delayed cement composition, the method comprising:

providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, and a set retarder;

shearing the set-delayed cement composition in an amount sufficient to substantially prevent solids settling;

storing the set-delayed cement in a pumpable fluid state for at least 1 day;

activating the set-delayed cement composition;

introducing the set-delayed cement composition into a subterranean formation; and

allowing the set-delayed cement composition to set in the subterranean formation.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is sheared by recirculating the set-delayed cement composition with a circulating pump.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is recirculated at a rate between about 300 gallons per minute to about 800 gallons per minute.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein after shearing the set-delayed cement composition has a log-log slope of the shear stress vs. the shear rate of less than about 1.05.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is sheared until the hydrated lime has yielded;

wherein the lime has yielded when at least one condition is met;

the condition being selected from the group consisting of;

the set-delayed cement composition has a residual stress increase of about 2 to about 20 fold, the set-delayed cement composition has an increase in volumetric average apparent viscosity of about 35%, and the set-delayed cement composition has a reduction in the log-log slope of the shear stress versus the shear rate of about 25%.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is essentially free of water viscosifying suspension additives.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the set retarder comprises at least one retarder selected from the group consisting of a phosphonic acid, a phosphonic acid derivative, a lignosulfonate, a salt, an organic acid, a carboxymethylated hydroxyethylated cellulose, a synthetic co- or ter-polymer comprising sulfonate and carboxylic acid groups, a borate compound, and any mixture thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition further comprises a dispersant selected from the group consisting of a sulfonated-formaldehyde-based dispersant, a polycarboxylated ether dispersant, and a combination thereof.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the set-delayed cement comprise has a pumice-to-hydrated-lime weight ratio of about 3:

1 to about 5;

1, wherein set retarder is present in an amount of about 0.01% to about 2% by weight of the pumice, and wherein the polycarboxylated ether dispersant is present in an amount of about 0.01% to about 2% by weight of the pumice.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the activating the set-delayed cement composition process step comprises adding a cement set activator to the set-delayed cement composition and the cement set activator comprises at least one cement set activator selected from the group consisting of calcium chloride, triethanolamine, sodium silicate, zinc formate, calcium acetate, sodium hydroxide, monovalent salt, sodium sulfate, nanosilica, polyphosphate, sodium hexametaphosphate, and any combination thereof.

11. A method of controlling the rheology of a settable composition, the method comprising:

providing a settable composition comprising water, hydrated lime, and a material selected from the group consisting of a Portland cement, a pozzolanic cement, a gypsum cement, a soil cement, a calcium phosphate cement, a high-alumina content cement, a silica cement, a high-alkalinity cement, a slag cement, cement kiln dust, pumice, and mixtures thereof;

shearing the settable composition in an amount sufficient to substantially prevent solids settling;

introducing the settable composition into the subterranean formation; and

allowing the settable composition to set in the subterranean formation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the settable composition is sheared by recirculating the settable composition with a circulating pump.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the settable composition is recirculated at a rate between about 300 gallons per minute to about 800 gallons per minute.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein after shearing the settable composition has a log-log slope of the shear stress versus the shear rate of less than about 1.05.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the settable composition is sheared until the hydrated lime has yielded;

wherein the lime has yielded when at least one condition is met;

the condition being selected from the group consisting of;

the settable composition has a residual stress increase of about 2 to about 20 fold, the settable composition has an increase in volumetric average apparent viscosity of about 35%, and the settable composition has a reduction in the log-log slope of the shear stress versus the shear rate of about 25%.

16. The method of claim 11 wherein the settable composition is essentially free of water viscosifying suspension additives.

17. A system for controlling the rheology of a set-delayed cement composition, the system comprising:

a set-delayed cement composition comprising;

water;

pumice;

hydrated lime; and

a set retarder; and

mixing equipment for shearing the set-delayed cement composition in an amount sufficient to substantially prevent solids settling in the set-delayed cement composition.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the mixing equipment comprises a circulating pump and wherein the circulating pump recirculates the set-delayed cement composition at a rate between about 300 gallons per minute to about 800 gallons per minute.