Integrated Experimental and Numerical Evaluation for Wellbore Integrity of Wells under Downhole Conditions

Abstract

Cement sheath integrity is a critical part of maintaining wellbore integrity during the wellbore lifecycle and needs to be thoroughly investigated under representative downhole conditions. This paper utilizes an integrated experimental and numerical approach to investigate the cement hardening process and evaluate the severity of wellbore damage under downhole conditions for the entire wellbore lifecycle. The integrated approach includes data collection for downhole conditions and a staged Finite Element Analysis (FEA) framework to evaluate cement failure occurrence. The modeling results indicate that the state of stress developed in the cement after hardening fundamentally affects cement failure occurrence under various loads. The integrated approach indicates that the cement strength decline due to degradation affects the onset of failures (i.e., debonding, radial cracks, and disking) significantly; excessive shrinkage during cement hardening promotes onset of debonding failure which largely endanger the wellbore integrity in the long-term. In summary, to obtain a robust evaluation of wellbore integrity, a systematic evaluation of the cement hardening process and the associated parameters considering downhole conditions where the cement is actually used is suggested. A cement system with less shrinkage, lower Young's modulus, and higher strength can effectively improve wellbore integrity.

Department(s)

Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum Engineering

Second Department

Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering

Comments

Center for Creative Photography, University of Arizona, Grant None

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

978-171383912-5

Document Type

Article - Conference proceedings

Document Version

Citation

File Type

text

Language(s)

English

Rights

© 2024 American Rock Mechanics Association, All rights reserved.

Publication Date

01 Jan 2021

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