Oil and gas well cement systems using elemental sulfur

• US 8,596,363 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2012
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanjel Energy Services Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Sanjel Limited Partnership
• Inventors: Mahmoudkhani, Amir, Warrender, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): MARCANTONI, PAUL D
• Application Number:
  US13/569,632
• Publication Number:
  US 20130299171A1
• Time in Patent Office: 482 Days
• Field of Search: 166/292, 166/293, 106/736, 106/724, 106/705
• US Class Current: 166/292
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/047 Zeolites
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/106 Kaolin
• 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 18/141 Slags
• 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 2103/0029 Type A
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/0035 Type G
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/10 Accelerators; Activators
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 2103/20 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 22/02 Elements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/2676 Polystyrenes
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/42 Organo-silicon compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/04 Portland cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/36 containing sulfur, sulfides or selenium
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/02 Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/426 for plugging
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/428 for squeeze cementing, e.g. for repairing
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/46 : containing inorganic binders, e.g. Portland cement
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 : Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like
• CPC Class Codes: Y02W 30/91 : Use of waste materials as fillers for mortars or concrete

Abstract

A cement composition for cementing an oil or gas well includes Portland cement, water and a sulfur component. The cement composition may be used to cement a well bore by creating a cement slurry including the sulfur component, pumping the slurry into the well bore to a selected location and allowing it to solidify.

Claims

1. A method of cementing a subterranean wellbore, comprising the step of creating a pumpable cement slurry, and introducing the slurry into the wellbore, wherein said slurry comprises water and a cement composition comprising a Portland cement and elemental sulfur, the slurry being free of aggregate.

2. The method of claim 1 which is a primary cementing method.

3. The method of claim 1 which is a remedial cementing process.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition further comprises one or more of the following additives:

a retarder, a fluid loss control agent, an accelerator, a dispersant, a cementitious material, or a pozzolanic material.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the Portland cement is a type A or a type G cement.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the slurry further comprises fly ash.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfur component comprises finely divided elemental sulfur, or its reaction products, or both.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the elemental sulfur has an average particle size less than about 1 mm in size.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the sulfur component comprises more than 0% and less than about 40% by weight of blend of the cement composition.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the sulfur component comprises more than about 5% and less than about 30% by weight of blend of the cement composition.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the sulfur component comprises more than about 10% and less than about 20% by weight of blend of the cement composition.

12. The method of claim 7 wherein the elemental sulfur comprises high purity sulfur, with less than about 2% impurities by weight.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement composition further comprises a sulfur cross-linking agent.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the sulfur cross-linking agent comprises a styrene-butadiene copolymer or a poly-sulfur silane coupling agent.