Micro-annulus generation under downhole conditions: Insights from three-dimensional staged finite element analysis of cement hardening and wellbore operations

作     者：Weicheng Zhang Andreas Eckert Weicheng Zhang;Andreas Eckert

作者机构：Department of Geosciences and Geological and Petroleum EngineeringMissouri University of Science and TechnologyRollaMOUSA 

出 版 物：《Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering》 (岩石力学与岩土工程学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2020年第12卷第6期

页      面：1185-1200页

核心收录：

学科分类：0820[工学-石油与天然气工程] 082001[工学-油气井工程] 08[工学] 

基　　金：The authors would like to thank Chevron ETC for financial support for this study 

主　　题：Micro-annulus Debonding Staged finite element analysis Cement hardening Poro-elastic bulk shrinkage Pore pressure Temperature fluctuation 

摘      要：A micro-annulus(MA)is defined as a high permeability zone or gap initiating/occurring at the casingcement and cement-formation interfaces during the wellbore life *** MA can significantly compromise wellbore integrity by establishing enhanced fluid flow *** study uses a staged finite element approach to simulate wellbore integrity during various loading steps of wellbore operations under downhole *** emphasis is placed on the processes of cement poro-elastic property evolution,volume variation,and pore pressure variation as part of the cement hardening *** resulting state of stress during the life cycle of a typical injection well(***,completion,and injection)is analyzed to assess the onset and evolution of micro-annuli at various interfaces of the composite wellbore system under downhole *** results show that cement shear failure is observed at the casing-cement interface during pressure testing(excessive wellbore pressure);and tensile debonding failure initiates at the cement-formation interface due to cement shrinkage during hardening and injection-related cooling(thermal cycling).Sensitivity analyses considering several parameters show that:(1)the degree of poro-elastic bulk shrinkage has significant implications for both shear and tensile failure initiation e the less the cement shrinks,the less likely the failure initiation is;(2)cement integrity increases with increasing depth;(3)cement pore pressure evolution has significant implications for tensile failure e if cement pore pressure decreases more,higher temperature differences can be sustained before an MA occurs;and(4)cement temperature fluctuations during hardening promote initiation of debonding *** summary,the results presented indicate that establishing downhole conditions to quantitatively analyze MA generation is *** results are different compared to laboratory studies without considering/simulating downhole *** kno