Cement set activators for set-delayed cement compositions and associated methods

• US 9,227,872 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2013
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Original Assignee: Halliburton Energy Services Incorporated (Halliburton Company)
• Inventors: Pisklak, Thomas J., Agapiou, Kyriacos, Otieno, Pauline A., Morgan, Ronnie G., Boul, Peter J., Brothers, Lance E.
• Primary Examiner(s): DiTrani, Angela M
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ahuja, Anuradha
• Application Number:
  US13/854,115
• Publication Number:
  US 20130248183A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,010 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/06 Quartz; Sand
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/062 Microsilica, e.g. colloïdal silica preparing microsilica slurries or suspensions C04B18/148
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 14/16 porous, e.g. pumice
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 20/023 Chemical treatment
• 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 2111/1037 Cement free compositions, e.g. hydraulically hardening mixtures based on waste materials, not containing cement as such
• 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 24/006 Boron-containing compounds
• 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 24/2641 Polyacrylates; Polymethacrylates
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 24/383 Cellulose or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/10 Lime cements or magnesium oxide cements
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 28/18 containing mixtures of the silica-lime type
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 40/0658 Retarder inhibited mortars activated by the addition of accelerators or retarder-neutralising agents
• CPC Class Codes: C04B 7/34 : Hydraulic lime cements; Roman cements ; natural cements
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2208/10 : Nanoparticle-containing well treatment fluids
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/428 : for squeeze cementing, e.g. for repairing
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 8/467 : containing additives for specific purposes
• CPC Class Codes: E21B 33/13 : Methods or devices for cementing, for plugging holes, crevices or the like

Abstract

Disclosed herein are cement compositions and methods of using set-delayed cement compositions in subterranean formations. A method of cementing in a subterranean formation, may comprise providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, and a set retarder, activating the set-delayed cement composition with a cement set activator, wherein the cement set activator comprises at least one activator selected from the group consisting of nanosilica, a polyphosphate, and combinations thereof, introducing the set-delayed cement composition into a subterranean formation, and allowing the set-delayed cement composition to set in the subterranean formation.

Claims

1. A method of cementing in a subterranean formation, comprising:

providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, a phosphonic acid derivative set retarder, and a polycarboxylated ether dispersant;

activating the set-delayed cement composition with a cement set activator, wherein the cement set activator comprises at least one activator selected from the group consisting of nanosilica, a polyphosphate, and combinations thereof;

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 cement set activator is added to the set-delayed cement composition in an amount of about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the set-delayed cement composition.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement set activator comprises a combination of a monovalent salt and the polyphosphate.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the polyphosphate comprises sodium hexametaphosphate.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the monovalent salt comprises sodium sulfate.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the monovalent salt and the polyphosphate are present in a ratio of about 2:

1 to about 1;

25.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the cement set activator comprises nanosilica and wherein the nanosilica has been stabilized by at least one nanosilica stabilizer selected from the group consisting of:

sodium oxide, potassium oxide, lithium oxide, an amine, and any combination thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition remains in a pumpable fluid state for a time period of at least about 7 days prior to the activating.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is introduced into a well bore penetrating the subterranean formation, the well bore having a bottom-hole static temperature of less than about 200°

F.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the set-delayed cement composition is introduced into an annulus between a conduit disposed in a well bore and a wall of the well bore or another conduit.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the set retarder comprises a methylene phosphonic acid derivative or a methylene phosphonate.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the water is present in the set-delayed cement composition in an amount of about 33% to about 200% by weight of the pumice prior to activation with the cement set activator.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the pumice has a mean particle size in a range of from about 1 micron to about 200 microns.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the set retarder is present in the set-delayed cement composition in an amount of about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of the pumice prior to activation with the cement set activator.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the set-delayed cement composition has a density in the range of from about 4 lb/gal to about 20 lb/gal prior to activation with the cement set activator.

16. A method for activating a set-delayed cement composition comprising:

providing a set-delayed cement composition comprising pumice, hydrated lime in an amount of about 10% to about 30% by weight of the pumice, a set retarder in an amount of about 1% to about 5% by weight of the pumice, water in an amount of about 35% to about 70% by weight of the pumice, and a dipsersant;

wherein the set retarder comprises a phosphonic acid derivative;

wherein the dispersant comprises a polycarboxylated ether dispersant;

storing the set-delayed cement composition for a period of at least about 1 day;

activating the set-delayed cement composition with a cement set activator, wherein the cement set activator comprises a polyphosphate and an additive selected from the group consisting of nanosilica and a monovalent salt;

introducing the set-delayed cement composition into an annulus between a conduit disposed in a well bore and a wall of the well bore or another conduit; and

allowing the set-delayed cement composition to set in the annulus.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the cement set activator is added in an amount of about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the set-delayed cement composition.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the cement set activator comprises a combination of the polyphosphate and the monovalent salt, wherein the polyphosphate comprises sodium hexametaphosphate, and wherein the monovalent salt comprises sodium sulfate.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the cement set activator comprises a combination of the polyphosphate and the nanosilica, wherein the polyphosphate comprises sodium hexametaphosphate, and wherein nanosilica has been stabilized by at least one nanosilica stabilizer selected from the group consisting of:

sodium oxide, potassium oxide, lithium oxide, an amine, and any combination thereof.

20. A cementing system comprising:

mixing equipment for mixing a set-delayed cement composition, the set-delayed cement composition comprising water, pumice, hydrated lime, a set retarder, a dispersant, and a cement set activator;

wherein the cement set activator comprises at least one activator selected from the group consisting of nanosilica, a polyphosphate, and combinations thereof;

wherein the set retarder comprises a phosphonic acid derivative; and

wherein the dispersant comprises a polycarboxylated ether dispersant; and

pumping equipment for delivering the set-delayed cement composition into a well bore.