Evaluation of Cement Systems For Permafrost
Authors: Morris E.F. , Stude D.L. , Cameron R.C. 
Published: March 2010

Cementing of casing in the permafrost in the Arctic regions presents new problems to many operators. Primarily, the cement system must be kept from freezing until after the setting reaction is complete. Different types of systems have been suggested and used to solve this problem. High-alumina cement systems, however, appear to be the most satisfactory at this time.

This paper presents data of several systems proposed for permafrost cementing and attempts to point out the merits and disadvantages of each.

EARL F. MORRIS is group leader of the Cementing Research and Development Section of the Dowell Division of The Dow Chemical Company Research Laboratory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Morris graduated from Kansas State College of Pittsburg in 1953 with a B.S. degree in chemistry. He then worked as technical sales engineer for the Continental Oil Company until 1960, when he joined Dow as a chemist in the Industrial Services Division. He later worked as a chemist in the Dowell cementing laboratory and as a sales engineer for the Dow Secondary Oil Recovery Department. He rejoined Dowell in his present position in 1968.

Mr. Morris is a member of AIME and has co-authored many papers on various cementing subjects.

D. L. STUDE is a chemist in the Cementing Research and Development Section of The Dow Chemical Company Research Laboratory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Mr. Stude joined Dowell as a laboratory technician in 1957 after attending the University of Tulsa. He was promoted to his present position in 1967.

R. C. CAMERON, area engineer for Dowell of Canada, graduated from the University of Alberta with a B.Sc. in chemistry after spending four years in the Royal Canadian Air Force. Initially, he was employed by Heiland Exploration. Mr. Cameron joined Dowell in 1950 in Edmonton as service engineer, and has worked in various engineering capacities in Western Canada. At present, he is stationed in Edmonton as area engineer responsible for Arctic operations. He is a Member of CIM.

PAPER PRESENTED: at the 21st Annual Technical Meeting of the Petroleum Society of CIM, Calgary, May, 1970.

Introduction

CEMENTING OF PIPE SET THROUGH THE PERMAFROST in Arctic wells introduces new problems. The permafrost section is reported to vary from unconsolidated sands and gravels with ice lenses to some areas of ice-free, consolidated rock. A broad definition of permafrost is that formation from surface to a depth where the temperature is at 32 °F or below. The permafrost temperature may range from 15 °F to 32 °F. Conventional cement systems, commonly used in oil-well cementing, are not satisfactory under these conditions. Conventional cement slurries will freeze, preventing the development of set cement when placed in the low-temperature environment.

Operators in the Arctic requested a cement system that could be mixed, pumped and conventionally placed behind the pipe set through the permafrost. The cement should set to adequate compressive and bond strengths sufficient to support the pipe and prevent the circulation of drilling fluids up the annulus as drilling is continued.