Seminars Archive

Formulation and characterization of new materials for oilwell cementing operations

Abstract
In addition to the recently announced oil reserves in offshore presalt areas, Brazil has long produced oil and gas in onshore areas spread all over the country. Newly discovered areas in the Amazon Basin add to traditional fields in the Southeastern and Northeastern regions. The Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), located in the city of Natal, Brazil, has played an important role during the past 15 years in developing applied research to a number of strategic areas related to the production of heavy oil and gas in the region. This presentation aims at introducing the work of an interdisciplinary group of UFRN researchers currently dedicated to new materials for oilwell cementing. Solutions in cementing materials have been developed and slurries have been designed for a variety of well conditions, such as those subjected to steam injection or characterized by gas migration and lost circulation. Light slurries for depleted wells and blend systems have also been developed. The presentation will introduce aspects related to slurry preparation and their physical, chemical and mechanical characterization. Specific techniques applied to investigate the performance of cementing materials under oilwell conditions will also be presented.