Patent ID: 8307898

Claim:
A method for cementing a liner having a (heel) top end and a (toe) bottom end positioned in an open borehole extending from a wellbore produced by drilling with a drilling apparatus including a tubular member having at least one obstruction in the tubular member, the method comprising: a) injecting cement into the liner through the tubular member and a liner wiper plug located at the top of the liner and having an opening therethrough which permits fluid communication between the tubular member and the liner; b) passing a cement cleanout fluid through the tubular member to move the cement through the tubular member; c) the cement and cement cleanout fluid forming a cement cleanout fluid/contaminated cement fluid interface material, to a selected distance upstream from the top end of the liner; d) stopping injection before any cement cleanout fluid/contaminated cement enters the liner; e) closing the flow path of fluids down the liner at the top end of the liner at or near the liner wiper plug; f) discharging the cement and cement contaminated by the cement cleanout fluid remaining in the tubular member above the liner wiper plug into an annulus between an outer surface of the tubular member and an inner surface of the wellbore above the top end of the liner; g) shutting off flow to the annulus, h) releasing the liner wiper plug; i) pushing the liner wiper plug to the toe end of the liner; and j) reestablishing flow to the annulus above the top end of the liner so additional fluid passed by the tubular member can fully remove contaminated cement from the wellbore.