Development and Integrated Management of an Advanced Simulation Tool for Deepwater Well Cementing

During deepwater well drilling, primary cementing plays a critical role in providing mechanical support to the wellbore walls and ensuring hydraulic isolation between producing zones. This paper presents the development of an advanced simulation tool aimed at providing a better understanding of the complex fluid displacement phenomena present in well cementing processes. The project involves the development of a 3D computational simulator capable of representing the transient process of displacing a sequence of fluids, considering different rheological properties, pumping rates, and geometric configurations. The integrated management of the project included conducting large scale pipe and annular flow experiments, numerically generated experiments based on a CFD validated code, and the development of an advanced web simulation tool. This article details the mathematical modeling, the numerical implementation, as well as basic aspects of the web application. Validated results demonstrate the simulator's effectiveness in correctly predicting the displacement of drilling fluids, spacers, and cement slurries, ensuring the success of well cementing operations. This work highlights the importance of integrated management in the development of complex projects such as this 3D simulation tool. The final simulator can address several critical cementing operations issues, such as contamination inside downward pipe flow, 3D aspects involved in pipe-annular transition, fluid displacement in enlarged sections, highly inclined annular flow and operations considering mechanical plug. Furthermore, the simulator's ability to model various rheological properties of fluids and different geometric configurations ensures accurate and reliable predictions. Collaboration among institutions and the use of advanced simulation methods contributed to a better understanding of cementing processes and improved well safety and integrity. Additionally, the project showcases how interdisciplinary efforts, and innovative technologies can address complex challenges in the oil and gas industry, ultimately leading to more efficient and safer drilling operations.