SPE 90489

Application of a Lightweight Cement Slurry for the Naturally Fractured

Mesa Verde Formations
D.B. Posey and D.L. Purvis, BJ Services, SPE Members

Copyright 2004, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.

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Abstract
The Mesa Verde formation is highly naturally fractured and
varies in depth from 5500 ft to 6200 ft. Low recoverable
reserves make wells in this area marginally economical.
The lower hole is air drilled and cemented back to the
intermediate at 3700 feet. Historically, the production casing
has been cemented with a 50/50 Poz/H blend mixed at 13.2
ppg. Bond logs were often marginal and fall back was a
problem.
This paper reviews the development of a lightweight cement
system with the ability to develop high compressive strength
to enhance the mechanical seal. This slurry needed to have
plating lost circulation material (LCM) to prevent fall back
and minimize node buildup due to high fluid loss.
Compressive strength, fluid loss and rheological properties for
various formulations are presented. The results of over forty
jobs are summarized with operation and bond log results
reviewed in detail from four typical wells.
Introduction
The Mesaverde grouping, the largest low permeability
producer of gas in the San Juan Basin, was deposited along the
Cretaceous Western Interior Seaway during the late
Cretaceous period. The Mesaverde group includes the Cliff
House, the Menefee, and the Point Lookout sandstone. Gas in
place estimates vary but have been estimated as high as 38
trillion cubic feet of gas. 1 It is a naturally fractured reservoir
that has a total thickness of approximately 900 feet. The
average depth to the top of formation is 5400 feet.2 Typical
frac gradients are 0.43 - 0.45 psi per foot. It is a very mature
reservoir with initial production dating back to the late
1920s.3

The wells being drilled are on the outer edge of the basin. The
average Estimated Ultimate Recovery (EUR) is the range of
0.5 1.5 Bcf. This makes the wells marginally economical.
Any additional cost will further reduce the wells ability to
produce commercially.
Due to pressure depletion, the
formation is not able to support a full column of water. A
completion and a lightweight cement system have been
developed to address these reservoir issues.
Area of Interest
The area of this study is confined to the northwest San Juan
Basin, specifically in 31N-5W to 6W Rio Arriba County, New
Mexico. The area consists of wells drilled to the Mesaverde
along with wells drilled to the deeper Dakota formation.
Drilling Practices
The standard drilling practice in this area is to drill the
intermediate casing with mud down to approximately 3700
feet. This is cemented to surface. The well is then air drilled
to total depth. The target zones are the Mesaverde at
approximately 6,100 feet or the Dakota at approximately
8,000 feet. A 4 liner is run from 3600 to TD on wells
designed as a single completion. A 5 long string is used
for dual completions.
Historically these wells were cemented with a 50:50:4
Poz:Class H:Gel blend mixed at a weight of 13.2 pounds per
gallon (ppg). In the case of a long string, a lead and tail
system was incorporated. The lead system was a 50:50:4 Poz:
Class H:Gel mixed at 13.4. The tail system consisted of Class
H plus additives. Bond logs were often marginal. Cement fall
back often exposed the liner top or the zone of interest. This
required numerous squeezes to ensure wellbore integrity prior
to stimulation. These remedial treatments cost a considerable
amount of time and expense relative to the overall economic
life of the well.
To reduce remedial expense a cement system was needed that
would meet the following criteria:

Density & rheology low enough to keep the

Equivalent Circulating Density (ECD) below 13.0
ppg across the Mesaverde formation.
Compressive strengths above 1500 psi after 24 hours.
Fluid loss below 100 ml.

SPE 90489

Low gas permeability

Right angle set characteristics

Due to the possibility of encountering corrosive waters from

the Morrison located below the Dakota, resistance to corrosive
waters was also advantageous.
Slurry Selection
Many types of cement and additives were evaluated during the
development of the slurry used in this study. Most of these
slurries were blends utilizing API Class H cement combined
with a percentage of fly ash.
Type F fly ash is a low-cost and readily available byproduct
of coal combustion. Commonly known in oilfield operations
as pozzolan or poz it is often used as a cement extender. The
beneficial properties of pozzolan, a highly reactive silica,
combined with cement have been recognized by the
construction industry for many years. Laboratory tests have
reported significant reductions in gas permeability when
pozzolan is added to a cement slurry4. As lime is liberated
during the hydration of cement, it reacts with pozzolan to form
calcium silicates and aluminates. These by-products increase
the density and decrease the permeability of the set cement
slurry contributing to compressive strength development. This
reaction also reduces the amount of lime present to react with
organic acid, thus producing a more acid resistant cement5,6.
The partial replacement of cement with pozzolan reduces the
over-all heat of hydration, thereby reducing the propensity to
develop thermal cracks at lower temperatures7. Pozzolan has
a specific gravity of 2.5 as compared to 3.16 for Portland
cement. This density difference results in decreased slurry
density in pozzolan blends8.
Silica fume was identified as a potentially beneficial additive
when combined with pozzolan. The increased rate of
hydration due to the presence of silica fume significantly
improves compressive strength development. This increased
hydration rate is due to the silica fume pozzolanic reaction.9
Various alternatives to Class H cement were also evaluated.
ASTM Type III cement has been utilized by the construction
industry for many years. Its low level of tricalcium aluminate
provides resistance to sulfate as well as corrosives often found
in formation waters7. The typical Blaine fineness for Type III
cement is 6000 cm2/gram compared to 2000 cm2/gram for API
Class H. This increase of approximately 200% in surface area
significantly increases the amount of water that can be added
to the slurry without producing excessive free water. This in
turn reduces the slurry density.
Properties
Based on significant laboratory testing a slurry based on Type
III cement, pozzolan, silica fume and other proprietary
additives was developed and optimized for the San Juan
Basin. This lightweight slurry is typically mixed at a weight of
12.5 ppg. The rheological properties tested in the lab were
very similar to the 50:50:4 Class H slurry. However, in actual
field operations the lightweight slurry mixed considerably
smoother with less variation in density.

The primary benefit of this system lies in the compressive

strength, fluid loss and loss circulation properties. The Class
H based system at a temperature of 150 deg F developed 24
and 48 hour compressive strengths of 980 and 1825 psi,
respectively. Fluid loss was 490 cc per 30 minutes. The new
system also at 150 deg F developed a 24 and 48-hour
compressive strength of 1825 and 2425 psi, respectively.
Fluid loss was 52 cc per 30 minutes. Chart 1 shows a
comparison of these properties. Laboratory testing also
indicated the slurry exhibited right angle set characteristics.
This property aids in the prevention of gas migration. An
improved LCM was added at 4% by weight of cement
(BWOC) to control fall back. These temperature conditions
are typical for a Mesaverde completion.
Slurry test results for the deeper Dakota formation are similar
with the exception of compressive strength, which is higher do
to the elevated temperatures. As a result of the higher
compressive strength of this new slurry, the tail slurry
commonly utilized in Dakota completions was eliminated.
This simplified the operation as well as eliminating the need
for separate transports and batch mixer thus further reducing
overall cost.10
Case History #1
The first case history is a 4 liner job with the 50:50 Poz:H
slurry. The intermediate section was drilled to 3986 measured
depth (MD). This section was cemented to surface. The well
was drilled to TD at 6,160. A spacer system consisting of 10
bbls of gel with 5 lbs bentonite per bbl followed by 10 bbls of
fresh water was used to coat the annulus ahead of cement.
Cement was pumped at 4.5 bbl/min and displaced at 7
bbl/min. Ten barrels of cement was reversed out from the top
of the 4 liner.
An acoustic bond log was run 13 days after cementing. Figure
1 shows the bond from TD to 5,750 feet. While bond is
evident, the log indicates possible channeling as well as a poor
bond to pipe. Figure 2 indicates that the cement fell back to
approximately 5,380. The bond from this depth to the top of
the liner shows little or poor cement coverage.
Exceeding the fracture gradient at that depth most likely
caused this cement fall back. Once the formation broke down,
the formation continued to take cement until the overbalanced
condition in the annulus was lost.
In order to fracture the well, a squeeze was required to cover
the Cliff House/ Menefee before these zones could be fracture
stimulated. Cost of this squeeze work plus rig time was in
excess of $15,000.
Case History #2
The second case history is a 5 long string utilizing the new
lightweight cement system. The intermediate section was set
at a depth of 3,662 and cemented to surface. The well was
then drilled to TD at 8,147. A spacer system consisting of 20
bbls of gelled water followed by 10 bbls of fresh water was
used to coat the annulus ahead of the cement. The cement was

SPE 90489

pumped at a rate of 4 bbl/min and displaced at a rate of 5.5

bbl/min.
An acoustic bond log was run 12 days after cementing. Figure
3 shows the bond from TD to 7,810 feet. Good bond to pipe is
evident from this depth to 2,800 (Figure 4). No remedial
squeezes were needed on this well.
Case History #3
The third case history is a 4 liner using utilizing the new
lightweight cement system. The intermediate section was set
at a depth of 3,747 and cemented to surface. The well was
then drilled to TD at 6,113. The liner top was set at 3,628.
A spacer system consisting of 10 bbls of gelled water followed
by 10 bbls of fresh water was used to coat the annulus ahead
of the cement. The cement was pumped at rate of 4 bbl/min
and displaced at a rate of 5 bbl/min. Twenty barrels of cement
was reversed out from the top of the 4 liner.
An acoustic bond log was run 3 days after cementing. Figure
5 shows the bond from TD to 5,850. Good bond to pipe is
evident from this depth to liner top (Figure 6). No remedial
squeezes were needed on this well.
Case History #4
The forth case history is a 4 liner using utilizing the new
lightweight cement system. The intermediate section was set
at a depth of 3,747 and cemented to surface. The well was
then drilled to TD at 6,097. The liner top was set at 2,681.
A spacer system consisting of 10 bbls of gelled water was
used to coat the annulus ahead of the cement. The cement was
mixed at 12.3 ppg instead of the original 12.5 ppg. It was
pumped at rate of 4.5 bbl/min and displaced at a rate of 6
bbl/min. Fifteen barrels of cement were reversed out from the
top of the 4 liner.
An acoustic bond log was run 20 days after cementing. Figure
7 shows the bond from TD to 5,835. Good bond to pipe is
evident from this depth to liner top (Figure 8). No remedial
squeezes were needed on this well.
Summary
From January 1999 to August 2001, a total of 53 wells were
cemented with the 50:50 Poz:H blend. Remedial squeeze work
was performed on 13 of those wells, a success ratio of only
75%. Assuming an average cost of $10,000 per squeeze
(includes rig time and cement costs), an additional $130,000
was needed to complete these wells.
Since the implementation of the lightweight slurry system in
August of 2001, forty wells have been cemented. To date no
squeeze work has been required. If the same cost and success
ratio is applied, this amounts to direct savings of a $100,000
over the previous blend.

Conclusions
A new lightweight cement system that has the ability to give
high compressive strength, low fluid readings and good lost
circulation control has been developed and successfully
implemented in the San Juan Basin. The lightweight system is
ideal for a naturally fractured environment. After
implementing the new system wells has yielded superior bond
logs and as a result zero remedial squeeze jobs have had to
been performed. Operationally, the system has been easier to
pump on location relative to the 50:50 Poz:H system. In the
case of the deeper Dakota wells, it has eliminated the need for
two systems.
References
1.

Crist, T.E. and Boyer, C.M..: A Geological and Coalbed

Methane Resources Analysis of the Menefee Formation in
the SanJuan Basin, Southwestern Colorado and
Northwestern New Mexico SPE 18945 presented at the
1989 Rockcy Mountain Regional Low Permeiability
Reservoirs Symposium, Denver Co. (March 6-9)

2.

Dutton, Shirley P., Clift, Sigrid J., Hamilton, Douglas S.,

Hamlin, H. Scott, Hentz, Tucker F., Howard, William E.,
Akhter, M. Saleem, Laubach, Stephen E.: Major LowPermeability Sandstone Reservoirs in the Continental
United States Report of Investigations No. 211

3.

Four Corners Geological Society: Oil and Gas Fields of

the Four Corners Area Volume 1 1978

4.

Golapudi, U. and Ramakrishnan, V., Islam, M.R.:

Improvement of Properties and Microstructure of Oil-Well
Cements SPE 26312 submitted June 8, 1993

5.

Ostroot, G.W. and Donaldson, A.L.: Sub-Surface Disposal

of Acidic Effluents SPE 3201 presented at the 1970
Evangeline Regional Meeting, Lafayette, La. (Nov 9-10)

6.

Blount, C.G., Brady, J.L., Fife, D.M., Gantt, L.L., Heusser,

J.M. and Hightower, C.M.: HCL/HF Acid Resistant
Cement Blend: Model Study and Field Application SPE
19541; JPT (February 1991)

7.

Beach, H.J., Frawley, F.E., EnDean, H.J. and Yates, D:

Causes and Prevention of Failures in Cement Pipe
Linings SPE 2478; JPT (January 1970)

8.

Purvis, D.L. and Merritt, J.W.: Economic Completion

Slurries Utilized in Partially Depleted Reservoirs SPE
80942 presented at the 2003 SPE Productions and
Operations Symposium, Oklahoma City, Ok., March 22-25

9.

Mueller, D.T. and Dillenbeck, R.L.: The Versatility of

Silica Fume as an Oilwell Cement Admixture SPE 21688
presented at the 1991 SPE Productions and Operations
Symposium, Oklahoma City, Ok., April 7-9

10. Posey, D.B., Purvis, D.L.: Application of a Light Weight

Slurry for Naturally Fractured Formations, Presented at
the 51st Annual Southwestern Petroleum Short Course,
Lubbock Texas, April 21-22, 2004

SPE 90489

6
4.9

50:50 Blend
Lightweight Blend

3.8
3.1

3
1.85

2
0.98

0.52

0.3
0

0
Thickening Time (hrs)

Compressive
Strength (x1000
psi) 24 hr

Fluid Loss (x100

ml/30min)

Free Water (%)

Chart 1
Comparison of Properties

Figure 1
50-50 Blend

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Figure 2
50-50 Blend

Figure 3
Lightweight Blend
Mesa Verde/ Dakota Well

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Figure 4
Lightweight Blend
Mesa Verde/ Dakota Well

Figure 5
Mesa Verde Well

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Figure 6
Mesa Verde Well

Figure 7
Mesa Verde Well
Mixed at 12.3 ppg

SPE 90489

Figure 8
Mesa Verde Well
Mixed at 12.3 ppg