U.S. patent number 3,815,677 [Application Number 05/231,686] was granted by the patent office on 1974-06-11 for method for operating in wells.
This patent grant is currently assigned to Esso Production Research Company. Invention is credited to Eugene S. Pennebaker, Jr..
United States Patent |
3,815,677 |
Pennebaker, Jr. |
June 11, 1974 |
METHOD FOR OPERATING IN WELLS
Abstract
Primary cement channels formed in the cement surrounding the
tubing or pipe strings are located and, thereafter, remedial or
repair operations are conducted. In multiple tubingless oil and/or
gas wells cement channels formed in the cement are revealed by
comparing neutron logs run in each pipe string of the multiply
completed well. Comparing each of the neutron logs with an open
hole sonic log aids in identifying the cement channels. A series of
oriented density log scans of the well bore defines the location
and areal extent of the cement channels in more detail. In both
single and multiple completions an oriented density log, suitably
calibrated to measure apparent density, may be used alone to locate
and define channels in the cement. Log interpretations and field
examples are presented.
Inventors: |
Pennebaker, Jr.; Eugene S.
(Corpus Christi, TX) |
Assignee: |
Esso Production Research
Company (Houston, TX)
|
Family
ID: |
22870259 |
Appl.
No.: |
05/231,686 |
Filed: |
March 3, 1972 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
166/253.1;
175/4.51; 166/285 |
Current CPC
Class: |
E21B
47/005 (20200501); G01V 5/10 (20130101); G01V
11/00 (20130101) |
Current International
Class: |
E21B
47/00 (20060101); G01V 5/10 (20060101); G01V
5/00 (20060101); G01V 11/00 (20060101); E21b
033/13 (); E21b 047/00 () |
Field of
Search: |
;73/151,155
;166/64,66,253,254,285 ;175/4.51 ;250/253,254,256,258,270 |
References Cited
[Referenced By]
U.S. Patent Documents
Foreign Patent Documents
Primary Examiner: Novosad; Stephen J.
Assistant Examiner: Ebel; Jack E.
Attorney, Agent or Firm: Schneider; John S.
Claims
Having fully described the method, objects and advantages of my
invention, I claim:
1. A method for locating channels in cement resulting from the
incomplete displacement of mud by said cement surrounding at least
two pipe strings cemented in a well comprising:
running a neutron log in each of said pipe strings while recording
each of said logs at the same logging instrument sensitivity and
while maintaining the same reference zero for each logging run for
detecting said channels in said cement; and
comparing said neutron logs with each other to locate departures of
said neutron logs from each other, said departures in said logs
indicating said channels in said cement.
2. A method as recited in claim 1 including running a sonic log in
open hole prior to cementing said pipe strings in said well; and
comparing said neutron logs with said sonic log to aid in
identifying said cement channels.
3. A method for locating channels in cement surrounding at least
two pipe strings cemented in a well comprising:
running a neutron log in each of said pipe strings;
comparing said neutron logs with each other to locate said channels
in said cement, the differences in said logs indicating said
channels in said cement: obtaining oriented density logs in each of
said pipe strings at the same selected depths in said well; and
comparing said density logs to determine the location of said
channels in said cement.
4. A method as recited in claim 3 including performing remedial
operations including perforating into said channel.
5. A method for operating in a well containing at least two pipe
strings cemented therein comprising the steps of:
running neutron depth correlation logs in each pipe string;
superimposing said neutron logs to the same reference zero; and
comparing said superimposed logs for departures of the neutron logs
from each other to indicate location of channels in said
cement.
6. A method as recited in claim 5, including:
running a sonic log in open hole prior to running and cementing
said pipe strings in said well;
adjusting recording sensitivity of said neutron logs to the same
relative sensitivity of said sonic logs; and
comparing said superimposed neutron logs and said sonic logs to
indicate location of channels in said cement.
7. A method as recited in claim 6 including making at least one
oriented density scan in one of said pipe strings at a selected
depth to confirm location of a channel in said cement.
8. A method as recited in claim 6 including making at least one
oriented density scan in each of said pipe strings at the same
selected depth to confirm location of a channel in said cement.
9. A method as recited in claim 8 including perforating from within
one of said pipe strings and directing the perforating shots either
into or away from a channel located in said cement.
10. A method for operating in a well having at least two
pipestrings cemented therein comprising the steps of:
running neutron depth correlation logs in each pipe string;
comparing said neutron logs for departures from each other to
indicate location of channels in said cement;
making oriented density scans in each of said pipe strings at the
same depth, at which depth a channel in said cement has been
indicated by departures in said neutron logs; and
then lowering a directional perforating gun in one of said pipe
strings and firing said perforating gun.
11. A method as recited in claim 10 in which the channel in said
cement is located between the wall of the borehole and one of said
pipe strings and said perforating gun is lowered in said one pipe
string and directed to fire into said channel.
12. A method as recited in claim 10 in which the channel in said
cement is located between the borehole wall and one of said pipe
strings and said perforating gun is lowered in the other pipe
string and directed to fire away from said one pipe string.
13. A method as recited in claim 10 in which the channel in said
cement is located between the wall of the wellbore and one of said
pipe strings and the perforating gun is lowered in said other pipe
string and directed to fire as close to said one pipe string as
possible.
14. A method for locating mud-filled channels in cement resulting
from the incomplete displacement of mud by said cement, said
channels surrounding at least one pipe string cemented in a well
comprising:
scanning the region surrounding said pipe string with a calibrated
oriented density logging tool; and
plotting said density scan, the density variations in said plot
providing indications of channels in said cement.
15. A method as recited in claim 14 including performing remedial
operations to offset adverse effects of channels existing in said
cement.
16. A method for operating in a well in which at least two pipe
strings are cemented therein comprising
logging said pipe strings to locate channels in the cement
surrounding said pipe strings;
perforating into a channel in said cement in one pipe string at a
selected depth;
perforating into said channel in another pipe string at a different
selected depth; and
pumping cement into said channel to close said channel with the
circulation flow path being through the perforations in said one
pipe string, through said channel and out the perforations in said
other pipe string.
17. A method as recited in claim 16 in which water is circulated
through said circulation flow path prior to circulating said cement
therethrough.
18. A method for locating mud-filled channels in cement resulting
from incomplete displacement of mud by cement, said channels
surrounding at least two pipe strings cemented in a well
comprising:
running a neutron log in each of said pipe strings while recording
each of said logs at the same logging instrument sensitivity and
while maintaining the same reference zero for each logging run in
order to determine the location of said channels in said cement,
the differences in said logs indicating said channels in said
cement.
19. A method as recited in claim 18 in which said logging
instrument is centralized during each logging run.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention concerns well completion operations and, in
particular, operations in which channels formed in the cement
surrounding well pipes are located. The invention also involves
conducting remedial or repair operations once the cement channels
are located.
Primary cementing of single and multiple tubingless wells continues
to be a major problem in the oil industry. Although it is apparent
that complete displacement of drilling mud by cement is critical to
a successful primary cement job, no adequate means has been
available to examine the cement in place to evaluate how successful
the displacement has been. The difficulty in relying on traditional
percent success from well test data in evaluating primary cement
jobs is well known. Often, wells which have apparently been
completed satisfactorily, thus indicating a good primary cement
job, suddenly start producing extraneous fluids. Squeeze cementing
repair operations may cure the problem. However, often,
particularly in multiple tubingless completions, repeated squeeze
and reperforate operations fail to shut off the unwanted fluid.
Heretofore, neutron, acoustic, and density logs have been run in
well pipe strings in single completions in an attempt to evaluate
cement jobs and in a paper by Richard L. Cardwell, "Well Logging in
the USSR", Seventh Annual Logging Symposium Transactions, Society
Professional Well Logging Analysts, Denver, Colorado, June 11 to
14, 1967, a density logging tool designed to locate channels in
cement surrounding a pipe string in a well bore is described which
uses a gamma ray source and three or four gamma ray detectors. None
of these prior methods involved multiple tubingless well operations
or any unique application of the various logging techniques or use
of calibrated oriented density logs in single or multiple
tubingless operations. The method of the present invention
overcomes previous difficulties in cementing operations in wells.
Channels in the cement surrounding single or multiple pipe strings
are located and defined so that proper remedial operations may be
carried out.
The neutron, sonic (velocity) and oriented density logs used in the
method of the present invention are well known and commercially
available logs. Neutron logging is discussed on pages 546 to 549 of
"History of Petroleum Engineering" published by American Petroleum
Institute, 1961. Sonic logging is discussed in that same
publication on pages 549 to 554. The oriented density logging tool
is preferably a focused gamma-gamma density orienting tool used to
orient a perforating gun away from other strings of pipe in the
borehole. A continuous stream of gamma rays emitted from a strong
radioactive source, preferably cesium, is directed in a narrow beam
towards the surrounding media. It is rotated by a downhole motor to
obtain a full 360.degree. investigation of the well bore and
adjacent formation rock. The backscatter of gamma rays from this
bombardment reaches the detector approximately 9 inches above the
radioactive source and is measured by a Geiger-Mueller tube focused
in the same vertical plane. Scattering of the gamma rays is
proportional to the atomic number of the materials in the
scattering medium. The higher the atomic number, or density, the
greater will be the attenuation (less scatter), and therefore fewer
counts will reach the detector. The logging technique and a tool
capable of performing it are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,426,851
entitled "Method and Apparatus for Operating In Wells", issued to
H. S. Arendt, Feb. 11, 1969.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One aspect of the present invention involves a method for locating
channels in cement surrounding at least two pipe strings cemented
in a well which comprises running a neutron log in each of the pipe
strings and then comparing the neutron logs with each other, the
differences in these logs providing indications of channels in the
cement. Another aspect of the present invention involves comparing
the neutron logs with a sonic log previously run in open hole.
Still another aspect of the present invention involves a method for
defining channels in cement surrounding one or more pipe strings
cemented in a well which comprises logging (by scanning) the areas
surrounding the pipes in the well with an oriented density logging
tool. These logs are made at various depths in the well as deemed
necessary. The oriented density logs when made at the same level in
two or more strings are compared with each other, and differences
in the logs provide indications of channels in the cement. The
oriented density logs may be used alone or, preferably, in the
multiply completed wells, in conjunction with the neutron log
comparisons and the comparison of the sonic log with the neutron
logs in order to locate and define the channels in the cement more
accurately. The oriented density log when calibrated to measure
apparent density may be used alone to locate and define channels in
the cement surrounding one or more strings of pipe.
Once the channels in the cement have been located and accurately
surveyed, various remedial operations such as reperforation and
cement squeeze techniques may be conducted. For instance,
perforations can be oriented in one string of pipe to gain access
to the channel above and below the interval to be repaired. The mud
can then be circulated from the channel and be replaced with cement
by methods well known and/or readily apparent to those skilled in
this art.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIGS. 1A and 1B are top and elevation views, respectively, of a
dual completion illustrating a portion of the well before
production;
FIGS. 2A and 2B are also top and elevation views, respectively,
illustrating the same portion of the well shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B
after production;
FIGS. 3A and 3B are top views of a dual completion illustrating two
perforating shot orientations;
FIG. 4 is a top view of a dually completed well illustrating the
area of investigation of a neutron logging tool;
FIG. 5 is an elevation view of a dual completion; FIGS. 5A, B, and
C are respectively views taken along lines A--A, B--B, and C--C of
FIG. 5; and FIG. 5D illustrates neutron logs run in each of the
pipe strings of FIG. 5;
FIG. 6 is an elevation view of a deeper section of another dual
completion; FIGS. 6A, B, and C are, respectively, views taken along
lines A--A, B--B, and C--C of FIG. 6; and FIG. 6D illustrates
neutron logs run in each of the pipe strings of FIG. 6 and a sonic
log run in the open borehole of FIG. 6;
FIG. 7A is a top view of a dual completion; FIG. 7B illustrates
neutron logs run in each pipe string of FIG. 7A; and FIG. 7C
illustrates oriented density logs run at the same depth in each
pipe string of FIG. 7A;
FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C are similar to FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 7C,
respectively, illustrating logs run in a deeper portion of the
well;
FIG. 9A is a top view of a dual completion; and FIGS. 9B and 9C
illustrate oriented density logs run at a selected depth in each
pipe string of FIG. 9A:
FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C are similar to FIGS. 9A, 9B, and 9C,
respectively, illustrating logs run at a lower point in the
well;
FIGS. 11A, 11B, and 11C are similar to FIGS. 10A, 10B, and 10C,
respectively, run at a still deeper location in the well;
FIG. 12A is a top view of a dual completion before initial
completion thereof; and FIG. 12B illustrates an oriented density
log run in one of the pipe strings of FIG. 12A;
FIG. 13A is a view similar to FIG. 12A illustrating the well after
a first circulation cement squeeze; and FIG. 13B is an oriented
density log run in one of the pipe strings of FIG. 13A;
FIG. 14A is a view similar to FIG. 12A illustrating the well after
acid cleanout of the channel and a second cement squeeze and FIG.
14B illustrates and oriented density log run in one of the pipe
strings of FIG. 14A;
FIGS. 15 and 16 are top view of wells illustrating shot phasing for
a dual and single string completion, respectively;
FIG. 17 illustrates logs obtained with calibrated oriented density
logging tools showing variations in apparent bulk densities
measured under the conditions shown in FIGS. 17A and 17B;
FIG. 17A is a top view of a single-string completion with good
cement placement in the annulus between the casing and borehole
wall;
FIG. 17B is the same completion with a mud filled channel in the
cement between the casing and borehole wall; and
FIG. 18 illustrates the log obtained with an oriented density
logging tool.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A, 2B, illustrate the problem of interzone fluid
migration in a dual tubingless completion. Two pipe strings 10 and
11 of, for example, 2 7/8 inch casing pipe have been centralized
and cemented in a, for example, 7 7/8 inch well bore 12 by cement
indicated at 13. An oil sand 14 and a salt water sand 15 are
penetrated by well bore 12. Inefficient displacement of the cement
results in a mud filled channel 20 between pipe string 11 and the
wall of borehole 12. Channel 20 spans the distance between oil sand
14 and salt water sand 15 and may extend vertically hundreds and
even thousands of feet. As shown at 21, pipe string 10 is
perforated in oil sand 14 in a direction 180.degree. away from pipe
string 11 using a conventional oriented gun perforation procedure.
Since channel 20 is on the opposite side of the borehole behind
pipe string 11, the only flow path between perforation 21 and
channel 20 is through the pores of the reservoir rock. After the
well has been placed on production, as illustrated in FIGS. 2A and
2B, pressure in oil sand 14 immediately adjacent to the well bore
may be drawn down sufficiently to allow salt water from the salt
water sand 15 to break through the mud in channel 20, flow out into
oil sand 14 and around the well bore and enter perforation 21 as
indicated by the arrowed lines. Since a cement slurry cannot be
pumped through the pores of the reservoir rock, repeated squeeze
cementing operations may fail to reach channel 20 and shut off the
water. The cement slurry, which is an excellent frac fluid, would
merely be placed in a vertical fracture in the formation to form a
vertical dike extending outward for a distance dependent on the
volume of cement employed in the squeeze job.
Knowledge of the primary cement problem described with reference to
FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 2A, 2B, permits completion remedies such as
illustrated in FIGS. 3A and 3B. Well completion procedures may be
altered to select pipe string 11 for the completion attempt as
shown in FIG. 3A. In the event pipe string 11 cannot be used for
the completion, the perforating gun may be oriented in pipe string
10 toward channel 20 in a direction that will just miss pipe string
11 as illustrated in FIG. 2B. Conventional perforation procedures
such as illustrated in FIGS. 1A, 1B in which channel 20 is
completely avoided by perforating in pipe string 10 directly away
from channel 20 would be satisfactory so long as the gelled mud
provided a satisfactory seal. Direct penetration of channel 20 as
illustrated in FIG. 3A would be reserved for those cases in which
simple squeeze cementing techniques failed to repair the
communication problem.
The neutron logging tool is used in many operating areas for
perforating depth control. This tool responds primarily to hydrogen
and therefore measures changes in the amount of pore fluids (water
or hydrocarbons) or porosity of the formation. Because of the
limited depth of investigation of the neutron logging tool, a
relatively high percent of its response comes from material in the
borehole, particularly in tubingless completions. As seen in FIG. 4
the two pipe strings 10 and 11 of the dual tubingless completion
are cemented in borehole 12 by cement 13. A neutron logging tool 25
run in pipe string 11 has an approximate area of investigation
indicated at 26. The borehole material, cement, contains a very
high percent of hydrogen. With uniform cement placement in the
annulus, the counting rate of the cement plus other strings of
casing although high is constant and the logs run in each string of
a multiple tubingless completion would be essentially identical.
However, if the cement placement is not uniform the effect of the
borehole material on the neutron logs is readily apparent.
The "cement effect" in a dual tubingless completion is illustrated
in FIGS. 5, 5A, 5B, 5C, and 5D. In order to simplify the
description, the parts of the wells have been given the same number
designations in each figure. Thus, pipe strings are referred to as
10 and 11 and the borehole is designated 12 and the cement 13 and
the mud channel 20. With good cement placement in the annulus from
5,000 to 5,500 feet (the depth at FIG. 5A) neutron logs run in both
pipe strings show essentially identical responses in FIG. 5D. The
borehole effect from each string is the same. Below 5,500 feet mud
channel 20 in cement 13 occurs between pipe string 11 and the
borehole wall (the depth of FIG. 5B) in the interval between 5,500
and 6,000 feet. The borehole contributes a different effect at this
depth. The neutrons emitted from the neutron logging tool in pipe
string 11 must now travel through the fluid filled channel 20 where
they are heavily attenuated before logging the formation. A marked
reduction in counting rate or shift to the left towards higher
porosity (radioactivity decrease) results. Pipe string 10
surrounded by good cement produces an essentially normal neutron
log. In the interval below 6,000 feet (the depth of FIG. 5C) the
two logs cross as channel 20 changes to a position between pipe
string 10 and the borehole wall.
A good match between the two neutron logs does not necessarily
indicate the absence of a mud channel. A channel equidistant
between the two strings of pipe would cause both logs to shift by
the same amount. An additional reference is desirable and one is
available from an open hole sonic log. The sonic log measures
porosity, but since it is run in open hole, it is uninfluenced by
any cement effects. Since neutron logs and sonic logs measure
porosity, they should closely resemble each other when the neutron
logs are recorded at the same relative amplitude as the sonic log.
A radical departure of one or both neutron logs from the acoustic
log may indicate presence of a mud channel in the primary
cement.
In FIGS. 6, 6A, 6B, 6C, and 6D, a deeper section of the well
discussed with reference to FIG. 5 is illustrated. In FIG. 6D an
open hole acoustic log indicated as dashed lines 30 has been
superimposed on the neutron logs run in pipe strings 10 and 11. At
7,000 feet the abnormally low counting rate observed in the neutron
log of string 10 is caused by channel 20 in the cement between
string 10 and the borehole wall (at the depth of FIG. 6A). The
neutron log of string 11 agrees reasonably well with the acoustic
log 30 in this section. The two neutron logs gradually converge
with depth until they are essentially the same at 8,000 feet.
Without another reference one would interpret the logs as showing
good cement in the lower part of the borehole. A lack of good match
with the open hole acoustic log, however, reveals that the channel
is a continuation of the one observed in the section of FIG. 6A and
with depth has moved from behind pipe string 10 as indicated in the
section of FIG. 6B to a position adjacent to the two pipe strings
as shown in the section of FIG. 6C.
Procedures for enhancing neutron logging operations for use in
cement channel detection are as follows:
1. Adjust the logging instrument sensitivity to give the same
departure between sands and shales as that recorded by the open
hole acoustic log;
2. Use a carefully centralized detector for each logging run;
3. Record all logs at the same sensitivity setting; and
4. Record instrument zero before and after each run to detect any
change in recording characteristics. Make no shift of the reference
zero between runs.
Oriented density logs may be compared with the neutron logs with or
without comparison with the open hole sonic log to define better
the location and extent of the channels in the cement. To evaluate
the effectiveness of neutron and oriented density logs in
distinguishing between good and poor cement placement, a number of
special surveys were run in dual string wells cemented in 7 7/8
inch diameter holes. The tests involved running neutron logs in
each pipe string followed by a large number of scans with the
oriented density tool at various depths. The scans were made in
pairs, that is, at the same depth in each pipe string. Scans were
made at selected depths to confirm neutron log interpretation of
spiraling channels.
As shown in FIG. 7A a channel 20 is located behind pipe string 11.
In FIG. 7B a neutron correlation log of pipe string 11 is shown
superimposed on a neutron log of pipe string 10. The general shift
downward exhibited by pipe string 11 indicates the presence of
channel 20 behind pipe string 11. To confirm this interpretation,
scans with the oriented density logging tool were made in both pipe
strings at 5,140 feet the depth denoted by the arrows in FIG. 7B.
The oriented density patterns recorded are shown in FIG. 7C. The
two pipe strings were centralized and the logs were recorded on the
same instrument sensitivity. Therefore, with the same fluid in each
pipe string essentially identical logs would be expected. However,
it is to be noted that the pipe anomoly is weaker in the scan
obtained from pipe string 10 than that obtained from pipe string
11. It is also to be noted that the formation anomoly is missing
from the pattern obtained in pipe string 11 despite the fact that
the formation should have been well within the field of view of the
detector.
The lack of formation anomoly in the pattern recorded in pipe
string 11 could have been caused by a mud filled channel between
the pipe string and the borehole wall. The low density of the mud
would cancel the effects of the higher density formation resulting
in the pattern shown in FIG. 7C. The pattern obtained in pipe
string 10 confirms this interpretation. The pipe anomoly is
relatively low, thus indicating mud in the direction of the other
pipe string. The mud could not be between the two pipe strings;
otherwise the scan in pipe string 11 would also have seen a low
pipe anomoly looking in the direction of pipe string 10. The normal
formation anomoly observed by the logging tool looking from pipe
string 10 indicates probably good cement between it and the wall of
the hole. In this particular well a comparison of the two neutron
logs indicated that the channel shown in FIG. 7A extended downward
over a considerable distance but spiraled slowly. Approximately 800
feet lower in the well as illustrated in FIGS. 8A, 8B, and 8C the
logs indicated that the channel had moved behind pipe string 10.
For instance, in this interval, the neutron log for pipe string 10
shows a shift downward as indicated by the arrowed line in FIG. 8B.
Oriented density log scans (FIG. 8C) in both pipe strings at that
depth confirms the existence of channel 20. The off-center negative
anomoly recorded in pipe string 10 is interpreted as a channel in
the annulus behind pipe string 10 and extending clockwise for a
short distance as shown in the well bore cross section of FIG.
8A.
In another well, a dual 2 7/8 inch in 7 7/8 inch hole, was drilled
directionally to 7,426 feet. The centralized pipe strings were
cemented in the borehole. A comparison of the two neutron depth
correlation logs indicated a possible channel behind pipe string 10
extending vertically for several hundred feet and through both
intended completion intervals (see FIGS. 9A, 10A, and 11A). The
oriented density log scans shown in FIGS. 9B, 9C, 10B, 10C, and
11B, 11C were made in the intervals of interest to confirm channel
20. The logs of FIGS. 9B and 9C were made at a depth of 7,312 feet
and the logs of FIGS. 10B and 10C were made 11 feet lower and the
logs of FIGS. 11B and 11C were made at a depth of 7,343 feet. Pipe
string 10 was perforated from 7,312 feet to 7,317 feet into channel
20 as illustrated in FIG. 9A for the upper completion. Scans
between the two intervals FIGS. 10B and 10C and within the lower
interval FIGS. 11B and 11C confirmed that channel 20 was continuous
between the two intervals. Therefore, pipe string 11 for the lower
completion, was perforated with the shots oriented toward channel
20 for confirmation. The packer leakage test showed communication
between the two zones and circulation was readily established
between the two pipe strings. The bottom interval was squeezed
while pressure was held on the other pipe string 10. After
reperforating the lower interval, another packer leakage test
revealed that the communication had been repaired.
The oriented density logs run heretofore have been uncalibrated.
These logs have shown only relative changes in density as the tool
is rotated. Thus logs run in one string alone have been difficult
to interpret. The solid line curve of FIG. 17 is an example of a
density scan obtained by a calibrated oriented density logging tool
run in a single string of, for example 2 7/8 inch pipe cemented in
a borehole. Since it is known that the density of cement is
approximately 1.9 grams/cc and formation rock is 2.1 to 2.5
grams/cc, the log reveals that the pipe is surrounded by good
cement and is eccentric in the borehole, as shown in FIG. 17A. The
dash line curve of FIG. 17 is a log obtained when a fluid filled
channel is present within the borehole. Since the densities of all
commonly expected fluids (drilling mud, water, gas) in channels
within the borehole are less than cement, formation rock or other
pipe strings, their presence is revealed on the log when densities
less than 1.9 grams/cc are detected. The dash line curve
illustrates the log obtained with a mud filled channel adjacent to
the pipe string of FIG. 17B. FIG. 18 illustrates the density log
obtainable with the oriented density tool. It is readily apparent
that without a density reference it is impossible to tell whether
the log represents the borehole condition shown in FIG. 17A, with
good borehole cement at point B, or the borehole condition shown in
FIG. 17B with cement at point A and a fluid filled channel at point
B.
Calibration of the oriented density tool can be accomplished by
methods well known to ones skilled in the art. Other variations
involving the use of a focused scattered gamma tool to scan the
region surrounding pipe in a borehole will be readily apparent to
those skilled in the art. For instance, one variation is a
continuous scan of the borehole raising or lowering the tool.
The following example illustrates the effectiveness of a squeeze
cementing operation in displacing mud when repairing a channel in
the cement. Two strings of 2 7/8 inch casing pipe were cemented in
a 7 7/8 inch hole for two pressure maintenance water injection
completions 32 feet apart. Neutron correlation and oriented density
logs showed severe channeling throughout the entire cement column
particularly behind pipe string 10 (see FIGS. 12A, 13A, 14A). In
some intervals, however, the channel was behind pipe string 11 or
behind and between both pipe strings simultaneously. An attempt was
made to avoid the channel in the initial completion attempt but the
winding channel could not be avoided and circulation was
established between the two pipe strings. Salt water was circulated
between the two pipe strings through the channel. After circulating
cement between the two sets of perforations (7,158 to 7,165 feet in
pipe string 11 and 7,197 to 7,217 feet in pipe string 10) the
pattern of FIGS. 13A and 13B showed considerable improvement in the
formation anomoly at 7,194 feet. The fact that the formation
anomoly was still not as wide at the base as normally expected led
to the conclusion that the mud had not been completely removed from
the channel. Following the recompletion attempt, a wash acid job to
increase injectivity reestablished communication between the pipe
strings. A second cement circulation squeeze following a mud acid
circulation cleanout operation improved the pattern further as
shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B.
Thus, the oriented density log can be a valuable follow-up tool in
improving remedial cementing techniques. Also, improved perforating
gun design and more uniform and improved orienting practices have
resulted from these tests. A change in perforating gun shot
orientation is illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16. Complete wellbore
coverage from a multi-directional 45 degree shot phasing instead of
the existing single phase 180 degree phasing is preferable for
single string wells. A spread pattern arrangement instead of single
phase orientation is recommended for multiply completed wells.
These changes in shot phasing as illustrated in FIGS. 15 and 16
would provide better coverage of the wellbore and thus assure
maximum opportunity for successfully repairing channels.
Changes and modifications may be made in the specific, illustrative
embodiments of the invention shown and/or described herein without
departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the
appended claims.
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