CEMENT PLUGS | BALANCED PLUG

TECHNIQUE
admin | November 27, 2009 | Comments (0)
CEMENT PLUGS
The process of setting a cement plug involves the placement of a relatively small amount of cement slurry inside
an open hole or inside casing. The main reasons for setting a cement.
plug are as follows:
(a) To plug back a zone or abandon a well
(b) To sidetrack above a fish or to initiate a sidetrack
(c) To provide a seal for open hole testing
(d) To cure a lost circulation zone.
The two common techniques for setting a cement plug are:
1. Balanced Plug Bailer
2. Dump Bailer
BALANCED PLUG TECHNIQUE
Tubing or drill pipe is run into the hole to the desired setting depth and the spacers and cement are pumped. The
volume of spacer pumped is such that they are equal in height both inside the tubing and the annulus, see Figure
6.12. This is to ensure that the hydrostatic pressures inside the drillpipe and the annulus are exactly the same;
hence the name balanced
plug. The plug is usually placed with a smaller pipe than the drillpipe, called stinger. The stinger length should be
the plug length plus 100 ft. Setting Procedure:
(a) Run the cement stinger to 300 ft below the bottom setting depth for the plug.
(b) Spot a viscous mud pill having the same density as the mud in hole. The volume of the pill should be
sufficient to cover the 300 ft interval. A pill is not required if the cement plug is to be set on bottom, or on top of a
bridge plug.
(c) Pull the stinger back 300 ft.
(d) Pump a 10-20 bbl weighted spacer (preflush). The exact volume will depend on the hole size. Water should
only be used with Water Based Mud (WBM) and if hydrostatic conditions allow its use.Surfactants are required
for Oil Based Mud (OBM). Base Oil on its own can only be used if hydrostatic conditions allow its use. However,
its use will greatly enhance the chances of a successful plug.
(e) Pump sufficient volume for a 500 ft plug or as specified in the drilling programme. The
slurry should be displaced at maximum rate. The rate should be slowed down to 2 barrels per
minute (BPM) when the cement is 10-20 bbls away from the ported sub in the stinger and kept at this rate.
(f) Pump sufficient spacer behind the cement to balance the pre-flush.
(g) Displace with mud to the balanced position.
(h) Pull back slowly to at least 500 ft above the top of the plug and reverse circulate clean.
Note:If a series of plugs are to be set on top of each other, then reverse circulate clean immediately above the
bottom plug before attempting to set the next plug.
(i) Pull out of hole.