Primary and Remedial Cementing Core – Cement Squeeze / Remedial Repair

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Remedial or Squeeze Cementing

Cement Squeeze Job Types

Mixing Cement
Mixing of cement should be done by the batch method rather than by the hopper method in order to
obtain a uniform slurry, to exactly proportion ingredients, and to permit measurement of slurry
properties before the mix is pumped into well. Pre mixed bulk materials are undesirable due to the
chance of using an erroneous blend. The typical mixing procedure is as follows:

o Measure the required volume of water into the tank

o Add fluid loss polymer and retarder to water, then mix thoroughly before adding cement
o If high gel slurry is to be used, add one sack of cement to the water to reduce bentonite yield;

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then add bentonite and the remaining cement volume simultaneously

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Surface Tests of Cement Slurry
Surface tests of the cement squeeze slurry are imperative. After ingredients have been mixed and
circulated for 5‐10 minutes, a sample should be weighed and its fluid loss checked. On the standard field
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model filter press (100 psi, ambient temperature), fluid loss should be about 50 cc in 30 minutes. A
yellow color to the filtrate usually indicates the presence of a lignosulfonate retarder.

Cement Placement
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Cement slurry should be spotted over perforations, particularly if long perforated sections are present. If
salt water displacing fluid is used, the accelerating effect of the salt on the cement should be considered
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and, if necessary, the cement isolated with a spacer fluid fore and aft. Tubing and packer (if used) should
then be pulled above the top of the cement. However, with proper fluid loss control and sufficient
clearance between tubing and casing, many jobs have been done with tubing through the perforated
zone.
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Reversing Out Excess Cement

Reverse circulation should be conducted as an operation to maintain differential pressure into the
perforations but carried out at a somewhat lower differential pressure than the final squeeze pressure.
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All cement can be washed out of the perforated interval, if desired. This is the preferred technique in
most situations.

WOC
Waiting‐on‐cement time is governed by the same factors as in primary cementing, namely, well
temperature, pressure, water‐cement ratio, retarder, etc. Cement having a compressive strength of 200
to 250 psi should effectively plug a perforation. Four to six hours WOC time is often sufficient before
proceeding to the next operation if reasonable care is observed to avoid excessive differential pressure
into wellbore.

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Evaluation
Testing of the squeeze job should be determined by the requirements of subsequent well operations.
Don't overdo the testing and evaluation effort if the cost and subsequent operational steps not taken
are incurred only for resolving curiosity questions.

Apply pressure into the formation at least as great as will be exerted by subsequent frac jobs. It should
be noted that pressuring up inside the casing alone is not a positive indication of a cement‐sealed
perforation. The reason is that a mud‐plugged perforation may also withstand considerable differential
pressure.

Apply differential pressure into the wellbore that is at least as great as that which will be encountered in
producing the zone.

If a squeeze cement job fails with differential pressure into the wellbore, it is likely that mud plugs

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popped out of one or more perforations. The solution is merely to conduct another squeeze job. The
referenced mud plug release should not be incorrectly identified as a failed squeeze job where the

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cement slurry or job technique was at fault. Employing the low fluid loss cementing technique, the cost
of a second or third squeeze job is minimized.

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Circulation Squeeze Above Primary Cement Top
Occasionally, the cement evaluation log may clearly indicate that there is essentially no cement in the
annulus through a particular interval or perhaps that the zone is above the top of the original, primary
cement. This situation is one where a circulation type squeeze, Figure 5‐38, may be a good solution or
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perhaps the only option.
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Figure 5‐38 Circulation squeeze situation.

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Basically, the technique requires perforating several holes at the top and bottom of the interval where a
cement seal is desired. If it is possible to circulate through the annulus back to the surface, then the
upper perforations are not needed. In effect, this operation can be considered the second stage of a
primary cement job, rather than a squeeze cement job. (It also has all the problems of two‐stage
cementing.)

The Cement Evaluation Log is usually a reliable indicator of where perforations can be placed, with a
reasonable chance of circulating between zones. A cement retainer is set between the perforations,
clean fluid is circulated to remove the gelled mud, cement is circulated behind the casing with returns
through the top perforation, and finally a low‐pressure squeeze is performed.

Several advantages and limitations are apparent in this type job design.

Advantages:

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o An opportunity is seized to clean out gelled mud through fluid circulation

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o Circulation usually permits placement of a longer column of cement than could be placed by
squeezing "blind" from one set of perforations

Limitations:

o
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The volume of cement required can only be estimated (cement returns from the upper
perforations are desirable to obtain full fill‐up of the annulus and to close off these
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perforations)
o Both the upper perforations and also the lower perforations may have to be re‐squeezed to
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effectively seal them (even then there is a significant possibility that the perforations may
leak at some future time)
o Since the casing cannot be "moved" to help break the gel of the annular mud, it is optimistic
to think that the circulating water or cement will displace all of the mud; in reality, mud
channels will likely remain but the mud will be sufficiently resistant to flow so that the
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annulus will be effectively sealed

Fluid loss control and pumpability time are again important factors to job success.
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Block Squeeze
Block squeezing, Figure 5‐39, is a technique wherein perforations are placed above and below a
prospective producing zone. Squeeze jobs are then performed through each set of perforations, in turn,
as a precaution against possible channeling of water or gas into the zone.

This technique is a questionable practice. A primary disadvantage is that holes that may subsequently
leak are placed in the casing closer to the undesired water or gas zones. It may also be an unnecessary
operation.

A more favorable practice is to perforate the desired producing zone and then test it to determine if the
primary cement job is, in fact, defective. If it is defective, repair by squeezing those perforations.

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Figure 5‐39 Block squeeze.

Concentric Tubing Squeeze Practices

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Squeeze cementing can be carried out using a concentric tubing workstring or coiled tubing run through
a production tubing string. This can be done below a packer in a conventional completion, or, in a dual
completion, either between packers or below the bottom packer. Suggested procedures for a typical
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short‐zone job through 2‐3/8 in. tubing in 5‐1/2 in. casing follow:

1. Run the small diameter work string to the lowest perforation to be squeezed.
2. Batch mix low‐fluid‐loss cement with retarder to provide more than adequate pumpability time.
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3. Pump in about 4 bbl of fresh water, required cement volume (usually about 2 bbl for short zones),
and 2 bbl of fresh water followed by appropriate displacing fluid (usually saltwater).
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4. For short zones, pump cement to the bottom of the work string and circulate cement around
bottom until about 1/2 bbl of cement has been circulated above the uppermost perforation. The
objective is to spot about 50 ft of cement in the casing, opposite and above perforations.
5. Pull the work string about 15 ft above the top perforations with the hydraulically operated
stripper‐type blowout preventers closed in on the pipe.
6. Close the BOPs and perform a low‐pressure squeeze job with maximum squeeze pressure, usually
300 to 500 psi above the anticipated reversing pressure.
7. If a cement plug is desired opposite perforations, reverse out excess cement above the
perforations, raise the pipe about 300 ft while keeping the hydraulically‐operated stripper closed,
and then wait for the cement to set.

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8. To remove all cement opposite squeezed perforations and leave only dehydrated nodes of cement
inside the perforations, start reversing out the cement with work tubing above the perforations.
After cement returns are obtained, continue reverse circulation while slowly lowering the tubing
through the perforated interval. Note that with low density fluid in the annulus, reversing a long
column of cement through the tubing exerts significant collapse pressure on the tubing. This must
be checked. If this is a problem, cement can be reversed out in short slugs by starting at the top of
the cement, lowering a few feet into the cement, and bringing that out before lowering further. It
is usually preferable to reverse out cement to bottom because of the difficulties in drilling cement
from the casing with a small‐diameter bit. In squeezing between packers in a dual completion, it is
obviously necessary to reverse out cement.
Techniques similar to procedure 1‐8 above have been very successfully applied to larger casing (7‐in
liner) using a coiled tubing (1‐1/2 in. and 1‐3/4 in. OD) work string. See reference 58, by Hornbrook and
Mason for more details.

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Plugback Operations

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A plugback operation is designed to completely fill some selected portion of the hole, usually for
abandonment. It is often associated with open hole completions since bridge plugs can be used in casing

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to accomplish the same purpose. See Figure 5‐40.
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Figure 5‐40 Plug‐back cement job.

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The cement slurry type used for these jobs is usually not critical for a normal plug back but densified
cement is often a good choice.

Densified cement, mixed with a reduced water‐cement ratio (3.4 gal per sack) and with dispersant (0.75
to 1.0% CFR‐2) to control viscosity will tolerate more mud contamination than normal cement.

Calcium chloride is sometimes used as an accelerator in shallow wells. Cement slurry should be
somewhat heavier than displacing fluid. Densified cement weighs about 17.5 lb/gal.

Squeeze cement slurry placement can often be best accomplished by circulation. The key is to place
cement with as little mixing as possible with wellbore fluids allowed to occur. Hydrostatic pressures
must be balanced in the circulation method. That is, the length of the cement column, spacer column,
and mud column inside pipe must be matched by an equal length of each outside the pipe.

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A novel plugback technique has been developed in North Africa to shut off bottom water in long zone,
open hole, fractured, vugular, carbonate completions without the use of a rig. The method involves

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filling the plug back zone with sand, topped with a short cement cap, as follows:

1. Locate hole bottom and tubing bottom with wireline.

to 5 bbl/min).
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2. Use a cementing unit to load the hole with water (or oil) and establish a stabilized pump in rate (4

3. Add sand to water (or oil) through cement tub or cone type hopper at a concentration of 0.5 to
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1.0 lb/gal and pump in the volume of sand required for the desired hole fill up less the cement
cap. The pump‐in rate should be selected to screen out sand at the bottom of the hole (2 to 3
bbl/min).
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4. Displace the sand mixture with a calculated volume of fluid to place on top of sand at the desired
fill up depth. When sand clears the tubing, reduce the displacement rate to 0.5 to 1.0 bbl/min to
avoid washing sand into vugs or fractures.
5. Check the top of the sand fill with wireline and then place additional sand, if necessary.
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6. Batch mix a slurry containing 80% neat cement and 20% frac sand. The slurry should weigh 18 or
19 lb/gal. Mix sufficient volume to provide a 10 ft to 20 ft cement cap on top of sand the fill up.
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Use 100% excess slurry volume.

7. Displace the sand cement slurry with water (or oil) to place top of the plug at the desired depth.
Use a low displacement rate to avoid washing the sand plug into formation.
8. Check the top of cement after a WOC time of six hours. Add more sand cement slurry, if
necessary.
9. Test the squeezed well zone on a small choke after 48 hours WOC. If no water is produced,
stimulate the upper section with acid to increase PI and reduce danger of coning around the plug.

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Effect of Filtration Rate on Cement Placement

A high‐fluid‐loss cement pumped under a packer to squeeze a long perforated zone may (depending on
the pumping rate) dehydrate so rapidly opposite the upper perforations that filter cake of dehydrated
cement completely fills the casing and prevents application of cement or pressure to the lower
perforations, as shown in 5‐34. The same effect may occur in a channel where cement filter cake may
quickly close the channel at one end and prevent filling the channel with cement. If the same zone is
reperforated, the shattering effect of perforating probably re‐opens the original channel to the
perforations.

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Figure 5‐34 Probable result of high‐fluid‐loss cement squeeze.

Cement with a low filtration rate (50 cc in 30 minutes) forms a thin filter cake that thickens slowly. Most
of the slurry remains "fluid" and pumpable, thus the chances of filling a channel with cement or
contacting each perforation with cement are very much improved, as shown in 5‐35. Water filling the
channel from the lower water zone is forced back into the water zone by the low‐fluid‐loss cement.

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Figure 5‐35 Squeeze. Probable result of low‐fluid‐loss cement.

A reasonable time period is required for executing this process downhole. The keys to effectively filling
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the channel are: (1) cement fluid loss control, both to reduce the rate of filter cake buildup and to
prevent an increase of slurry viscosity through loss of water, and (2) pumpability time, so that the
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operation can be accomplished before the cement initially sets.

When the cement reaches the lower end of the channel opposite the water zone, the cement particles
plate out, and the filter cake build process begins, ideally filling the channel with cement filter cake.
Planning a Remedial Cement Squeeze Job
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Objective
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The first step in planning a remedial or squeeze job is to determine what the downhole problem really is
and what the objective of the squeeze job really is.

The basic objective is usually to get a little cement to the right place in the well. If the intent is to close
off a channel in the primary cement that is providing unwanted communication with some permeable
zone, then the cement must be pumped into through the producing perforations and into the channel.
To provide best chance for success, the following apply:

o Keep treating pressures below fracture pressure so that control is maintained over where the
cement slurry goes
o Keep the mix water with the slurry so that the slurry viscosity does not get so high that it will
not move (that is, control the slurry fluid loss)

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o Keep the cement in motion (at least slowly) downhole so that the gel strength effect does not
increase viscosity
o Mechanically and hydraulically set up the squeeze program such that some step in the job
procedure leaves the perforations and channel filled with fluid which can be pushed to
somewhere else by the cement slurry (i.e., clean water that can be pushed into a permeable
zone; in this manner of thinking and planning, the cement slurry ends up in the channel and
perforations)
If the well was perforated in mud, or if perforations were ever contacted by mud, some mud plugs will
likely remain and more than one squeeze job may be needed, even if a clean fluid is used.

Even if squeeze pressures sufficient to fracture the formation are employed, there may still be
perforations that do not accept cement and are not sealed off. Thus, they may ultimately "break down"
when sufficient differential pressure into the wellbore is applied.

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Attempts to clean perforations known to be plugged prior to a squeeze cement job usually involve use

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of acid‐surfactant formulations. To be effective, some technique of contacting each perforation with the
treating fluid must be used.

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One technique involves injecting a clean fluid above frac pressure while using ball sealers to successively
close off perforations taking fluid; pumping continues until all perforations have been broken down. This
is somewhat time‐consuming and costly since a squeeze packer may be required. It may be less costly to
do more than one squeeze cement job, particularly if concentric tubing workover techniques are used.
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Several methods have been used to clean out a channel and leave it filled with water. One method,
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called a circulation squeeze, is to perforate the channel some distance above (or below) the producing
zone perforations. Next, a packer is set between the two sets of perforations and circulation established
through the channel, first with water and then with cement. This method has the advantage of
positively placing cement in the channel but it is an expensive technique. Also, it puts holes in the casing
that may not be desired and that may be difficult to seal off.
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A better method is to create sufficient drawdown on the producing zone perforations such that fluid
from the unwanted zone moves through the channel, thus cleaning it out and leaving it filled with a
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relatively clean low‐solids fluid.

The cement slurry can then push this clean fluid back into the permeable zone it originally came from.
This results in the channel being filled with cement and the only holes in the casing are the ones that are
used to produce the zone. This method is a more effective technique and one that is usually much less
expensive, mostly because it can be accomplished in one trip (using coiled tubing or concentric tubing)
in which the cement is spotted over the perforations and forced into the channel, with the excess
reversed out.

Planning a squeeze job involves consideration of the following factors: fluid in the wellbore, condition of
perforations, squeeze tools, type and quantity of cement, and the selection of the squeeze pressure.

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Workover Fluid Type

Clean salt water is the preferred workover fluid for low pressure or high pressure squeeze jobs.

Consideration of formation damage often dictates the specific composition of the fluid.

Squeeze Packers
Squeeze packers are not normally required for low pressure squeeze cementing. When there are other
sets of perforations in a wellbore, in addition to those that are to be squeezed, or where anticipated
squeeze pressures exceed the casing burst pressure allowance, then squeeze tools must be used.

For circulation type squeeze jobs, a retrievable packer or a cement retainer set between the upper and
lower sets of perforations is required to circulate cement in the annulus, behind the casing.

A drillable packer or cement retainer is used primarily to isolate lower perforations when upper

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perforations are to be cemented or to cement lower perforations that are to be abandoned.

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A retrievable squeeze packer may be advantageous in that initial setting and follow up resetting of the
packer permits flexibility (for example, a casing leak can be located and squeeze cement pumped on the

Cement Slurry Design

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same single trip). Less rig time is therefore required.

Design of a suitable squeeze cementing slurry is not complicated. Slurry density, volume, cost, and
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strength must be considered as in primary cementing, but pumpability time and filtration rate are of
primary importance.
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Uniformity in quality control of the cementing material is important in squeeze cementing. API Class G
or H basic cements that are manufactured to more rigid specifications are often good choices. Additives
are then used to design the desired pumpability time and filtration rate.

The pumpability time required for low‐pressure squeeze cementing depends upon several factors
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including well depth, tubular size, pumping rate, differential pressure applied, and the filtration rate of
the cement slurry.
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In other words, pumpability time must exceed, by a suitable safety factor, the time to get the cement
slurry to bottom and form the required cement filter cake. Two and one‐half to four hours are typical
pumpability times.

A pressure‐temperature thickening time tester should be used to determine pumpability time for critical
conditions, or where routine squeeze cementing formulations have not been established. To be
meaningful, tests must be run using the same cement, water, and additives which will actually be
present on the job.

Table 5‐32 illustrates standard API squeeze cementing well simulation test schedules. For a critical job, if
the standard conditions set up in the schedule do not fit anticipated job conditions, then the thickening
time test procedure should be modified, as necessary.

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Table 5‐32
API Squeeze and Plug‐Back‐Cementing Well‐Simulation Test Schedules

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Bottomhole
Surface circulating Time to Bottomhole Time to apply
Schedule Depth, Mud density, pressure, temperature, reach circulating pressure, final squeeze
number ft lb/gal psi degF temperature, min psi pressure, min
12 1,000 10 500 89 3 3,300 23

13 2,000 10 500 98 4 4,200 25

14 4,000 10 500 116 7 5,600 28

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15 6,000 10 600 136 10 6,700 31

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16 8,000 10 1,000 159 15 7,800 35

17

18

19
10,000

12,000

14,000
12

14

16
1,300

1,500

1,800
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213

242
19

24

29
9,400

11,800

14,000
38

42

45
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20 16,000 17 2,000 271 34 16,500 48
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21 18,000 18 2,200 301 39 19,000 51

As a general rule, the "hesitation process" of squeeze cementing reduces, by a factor of two, the
pumpability time of cement, as measured using the regular API squeeze cementing schedule test
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procedure. This method is illustrated later in the chapter in Figure 5‐37.

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Figure 5‐37 Idealized recording‐pressure chart during squeeze job using hesitation technique.

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Cement intended to be pumped in a squeeze job and allowed to remain motionless for more than 15 to
20 minutes develops increasing gel strength and thereafter becomes more and more difficult to move.
This is true even though lab measurements may indicate pumpability times of several hours. A polymer
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development by Halliburton Services' named GasStop permits gel strength buildup to be delayed
significantly. This delay of gel strength development of a slurry makes the need to keep the cement
moving less of a concern; such delay enhance the ability to place cement at the right place in the well.
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Filtration rates in the range of 50 to 125 cc in the API test for cement (1,000 psi, 325‐mesh screen,
ambient temperature) is satisfactory. Filtration rate is one factor that controls the time required to form
the cement filter cake. Thus, if it is necessary to fill a long channel with cement, lower fluid‐loss values
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should provide the additional time required.

If a naturally‐fractured formation is being squeezed, higher fluid loss values should reduce the
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penetration of cement into the natural formation fractures. As previously noted, granular materials may
also be required in this case to provide a bridge against which to form the cement filter cake.

Desired filtration rate and pumpability characteristics can be obtained by any of several types of cement
slurries. Twelve percent bentonite "modified" cement, similar to that used in primary cementing, is a
satisfactory squeeze cementing slurry. It has the advantage of lower density, 13.0 to 13.5 lb/gal, which
may significantly reduce the back pressure applied against squeezed perforations if a long column of
cement must be reversed out after the job. It typically consists of: API Class A, B, G, or H cement, 12
lb/sack Wyoming bentonite (which must not be "peptized" or "beneficiated"), and 0.6 to 1.0% calcium
lignosulfonate (products such as HR‐7, Lignox, Kembreak), depending on pumpability time
requirements.

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Fluid loss control and retarding effect can also be obtained by high molecular weight polymers such as
Halad‐9 or FLAC; mixing is simplified with these. Table 5‐33 and Table 5‐34 illustrate properties of Halad‐
9 slurries.

Table 5‐33
Fluid Loss Properties*

Percent Halad‐9 Fluid loss: cc/30 min—325‐mesh screen pressure indicated, psi

100 500 1,000

0.60 96 178 250

0.80 24 70 100

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1.00 14 32 60

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1.20 10 24 43
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Class A cement Halliburton Halad‐9, Water—5.6 gal/sk
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Thickening Time Properties*
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Percent Halad‐9 API squeeze tests
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2,000 ft 4,000 ft 6,000 ft 8,000 ft

0.00 3:15 2:09 1:12 0:52

0.60 4:00+ 2:52 2:14 1:32

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0.80 4:00+ 4:03 2:30 2:17

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1.00 4:00+ 4:00+ 3:05 2:20

*Class A cement Halliburton Halad‐9, Water—5.6 gal/sk

A combination of bentonite and high molecular weight polymer is used in some situations. A typical
slurry consists of Class H cement with 4% bentonite, 1.0% Halad‐9 or FLAC, and 0.25 to 0.5% retarder.

In Canada, a typical slurry consists of Class G cement with about 1.0% CFR‐2 additive for fluid loss
control.

Compressive strength of the set cement is not an overly important factor in squeeze slurry design. It
should be noted that a perforation plugged with mud filter cake will often withstand tremendous

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differential pressures, either into the well, or into the formation. Cement with a 24‐hour compressive
strength of 500 to 1000 psi will satisfactorily plug a perforation.

Cement Slurry Volume

The optimum volume of a squeeze slurry is the minimum amount required to seal perforations or
channels. The slurry volume should completely fill the casing through the perforated interval and should
allow an excess of 0.1 to 0.2 cu ft per perforation. If channels are anticipated behind the casing, allow
additional excess. Total volume on a low‐pressure job rarely exceeds 10 to 15 bbl.

If the formation is hydraulically fractured, a tremendous volume of cement may be pumped outside the
casing into the vertical fracture and away from the well. However, there is no correlation between
volume of cement pumped into a fracture and job success.

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Squeeze Pressure

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Higher than necessary squeeze pressure does not add to job success but only increases the chance of
fracturing the formation. With high fluid loss cement, the pressure seen at the surface is not actually
exerted on the cement in the perforations but merely on dehydrated cement inside the casing, many
feet above the perforations. IG
The final squeeze pressure at the formation should be 200‐300 psi less than the formation fracture
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pressure. With no accurate data or other local knowledge or experience available, the fracture gradient
is often considered to be 0.75 psi/ft. It should be noted that a full column of 15.5 lb/gal cement often
exerts sufficient pressure to fracture a formation, even with no additional surface pressure.
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If excess cement must be reversed out, final squeeze pressure should be 300‐500 psi greater than
reverse circulating pressure.
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