Methods of plugging and abandoning a well using compositions comprising cement kiln dust and pumicite

• US 8,307,899 B2
• Filed: 06/23/2010
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Brenneis, D. Chad, Roddy, Craig W., Karcher, Jeffery D., Hudgins, Callie R.
• Primary Examiner(s): SUCHFIELD, GEORGE A
• Application Number:
  US12/821,412
• Publication Number:
  US 20100258312A1
• Time in Patent Office: 874 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 166/293
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/047 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/062 Microsilica, e.g. colloïdal silica preparing microsilica slurries or suspensions C04B18/148
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/106 Kaolin
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/108 Shale, slate colliery shale C04B18/125
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/16 porous, e.g. pumice
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/08 Flue dust , i.e. fly ash
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/101 Burned rice husks or other burned vegetable material
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/141 Slags
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 18/146 Silica fume
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/002 Hollow or porous granular materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/0048 Fibrous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0049 Water-swellable polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/12 Set accelerators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/22 Set retarders
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/408 Dispersants
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/46 Water-loss or fluid-loss reducers, hygroscopic or hydrophilic agents, water retention agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/50 Defoamers, air detrainers
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2111/1037 Cement free compositions, e.g. hydraulically hardening mixtures based on waste materials, not containing cement as such
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 22/064 of the alkaline-earth metals
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/26 obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds C04B24/243 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/021 : Ash cements, e.g. fly ash cements fly ash as filler C04B18/08; Cements based on incineration residues, e.g. alkali-activated slags from waste incineration alkali-activated combustion residues as such C04B7/243; mixtures of the lime-pozzuolane type C04B28/18; Kiln dust cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/02 : by adding chemical blowing agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 38/10 : by using foaming agents C04B38/02 takes precedenceor by using mechanical means, e.g. adding preformed foam
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 : Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/426 : for plugging
• 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: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

The present invention is directed to plug-and-abandon operations that use plugging compositions comprising cement kiln dust, pumicite, and/or lime. An embodiment includes a method of plugging a well bore for abandonment comprising: placing a plugging composition in the well bore, the plugging composition comprising: cement kiln dust in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of cementitious components, pumicite in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of cementitious components, 0% to about 24% of Portland cement by weight of cementitious components, and water; and allowing the plugging composition to set and form a plug.

Claims

1. A method of plugging a well bore for abandonment comprising:

placing a plugging composition in the well bore, the plugging composition comprising;

cementitious components comprising;

cement kiln dust in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of the cementitious components,

pumicite in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of cementitious components, and

0% to about 24% of Portland cement by weight of the cementitious components, and

water; and

allowing the plugging composition to set and form a plug.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plugging composition has a density of about 8 pounds per gallon to about 16 pounds per gallon.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement kiln dust is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious components, and wherein the pumicite is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious components.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the water comprises at least one water selected from the group consisting of freshwater, saltwater, brine, seawater, and any combination thereof.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the water is present in an amount of about 40% to about 200% by weight of the cementitious components.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the cementitious components further comprises comprise lime.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the cementitious components further comprise hydrated lime in an amount of about 1% to about 40% by weight of the cementitious components.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the plugging composition comprises 0% to about 1% of Portland cement by weight of the cementitious components.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the plugging composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fly ash, slag cement, metakaolin, shale, zeolite, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, microsphere, rice husk ash, elastomer, elastomeric particle, resin, latex, and any combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the plugging composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a set retarding additive, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, an oil-swellable particle, a water-swellable particle, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising forming a second plug in the well bore using a plugging composition comprising cement kiln dust and pumicite.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the plugging composition is free of any additional cementitious components other than the cementitious components.

13. A method of plugging a well bore for abandonment comprising:

placing a plugging composition in the well bore, the plugging composition comprising;

a cementitious component consisting essentially of cement kiln dust, pumicite, and lime, and

water; and

allowing the plugging composition to set and form a plug.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the plugging composition has a density of about 8 pounds per gallon to about 16 pounds per gallon.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the cement kiln dust is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious component, and wherein the pumicite is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious component.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the water comprises at least one water selected from the group consisting of freshwater, saltwater, brine, seawater, and any combination thereof.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the lime comprises hydrated lime, the hydrated lime present in an amount of about 1% to about 40% by weight of the cementitious component.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the plugging composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of zeolite, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, microsphere, rice husk ash, elastomer, elastomeric particle, resin, latex, and any combination thereof.

19. The method of claim 13 wherein the plugging composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a set retarding additive, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, an oil-swellable particle, a water-swellable particle, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

20. The method of claim 13 further comprising forming a second plug in the well bore using a plugging composition comprising cement kiln dust and pumicite.

21. A method of cementing comprising:

providing a sealant composition comprising;

cementitious components comprising;

cement kiln dust in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of the cementitious components,

pumicite in an amount of about 5% to about 100% by weight of cementitious components, and

0% to about 24% of Portland cement by weight of the cementitious components, and

water; and

allowing the sealing composition to set.

22. The method of claim 21 wherein the cement kiln dust is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious components, and wherein the pumicite is present in an amount of about 25% to about 75% by weight of the cementitious components.

23. The method of claim 21 wherein the cementitious components further comprise lime.

24. The method of claim 21 wherein the cementitious components further comprise hydrated lime in an amount of about 1% to about 40% by weight of the cementitious components.

25. The method of claim 21 wherein the sealant composition comprises 0% to about 1% of Portland cement by weight of the cementitious components.

26. The method of claim 21 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of fly ash, slag cement, metakaolin, shale, zeolite, crystalline silica, amorphous silica, fumed silica, salt, fiber, hydratable clay, microsphere, rice husk ash, elastomer, elastomeric particle, resin, latex, and any combination thereof.

27. The method of claim 21 wherein the sealant composition further comprises at least one additive selected from the group consisting of a set retarding additive, a strength-retrogression additive, a set accelerator, a weighting agent, a lightweight additive, a gas-generating additive, a mechanical property enhancing additive, a lost-circulation material, a filtration-control additive, a dispersant, a fluid loss control additive, a defoaming agent, a foaming agent, an oil-swellable particle, a water-swellable particle, a thixotropic additive, and any combination thereof.

28. The method of claim 21 wherein the sealant composition is free of any additional cementitious components other than the cementitious components.

29. The method of claim 21 further comprising introducing the sealant composition into a well bore.