Recipes of cement slurries for sealing pipe columns in boreholes drilled in absorptive rocks

Sealing the casing pipe column in holes drilled in the area of absorptive rocks can cause many problems. The main difficulty is the possible escape of cement in the absorption zone and, consequently, the disappearance of cement and loss of circulation, the effect of which will be the lack of sealing the given interval. In order to reduce this phenomenon of the escape of cement into absorptive zones, the recipes of slurries with reduced density are developed. Such lightweight slurries allow to reduce the hydrostatic pressure in the space of the annular opening, thanks to which the balance in the system of the reservoir pressure - hydrostatic pressure is preserved. When designing lightweight cement slurry, light admixtures are used that reduce density. However, the introduction of such light fractions can sometimes result in a strong sedimentation of the liquid slurry and an increase in its rheological parameters. This is disadvantageous, because the slurry will then require the use of expensive pressing, which can cause an increase in hydraulic resistance and penetration of cement into the absorptive zones. In addition, the cement coat made of lightweight slurries is characterized by poorer values of mechanical and structural parameters. In order to eliminate these unfavorable factors, the cement slurry must be developed so that its parameters correspond to the specific borehole conditions, as discussed in this publication. Problems concerning the recipes of cement slurries for sealing the columns of pipes set in holes drilled in absorptive rocks are still valid and require research on new issues. Therefore, the article presents the results of research works on the development of new cement slurries intended for sealing the columns of casing pipes placed in such geological formations. Four leaven formulas were developed, whose parameters were compared to the control recipe. Previously used and new lightweight filler additives and the means to obtain a homogeneous structure were used to prepare the leaven. New recipes for cement slurries were designed for borehole conditions with a temperature of approx. 50 degrees C and a pressure of approx. 10 MPa. Sedimentation stability tests of cement slurries and testing of parameters determining the effectiveness of sealing were carried out. The porosity tests were carried out for samples of hardened slurries and the homogeneity of the structure of the cement coat formed was determined based on the obtained results.