Cement Design Based on Cement Mechanical Response

Summary The disappearance of cement bond log response as a result of variations of downhole conditions has been observed in numerous wells. This observation has led to concern about the loss of proper zonal isolation. Stresses induced in the cement, through deformation of the cemented casing resulting from the variation of down-hole conditions, are the cause of this damage. We present an analysis of the mechanical response of set cement in a cased wellbore to quantify this damage and determine the key controlling parameters. The results show that the thermo-elastic properties of the casing, cement, and formation play a significant role. The type of failure, either cement debonding or cement cracking, is a function of the nature of the downhole condition variations. This analysis allows us to propose appropriate cement mechanical properties to avoid cement failure and debonding. We show that the use of high compressive strength cement is not always the best solution and, in some cases, flexible cements are preferred.