# US 11,441,415 B2 · Managing wellbore cement compositions based on material characteristics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,441,415 B2 - Document ID: US11441415B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/629,076 - Filed: 2019-02-12 - Published: 2021-07-08 - Granted: 2022-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 2019-02-12 - Assignees: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Applicants: Halliburton Energy Services, Inc. - Inventors: Thomas Jason Pisklak; Samuel Jason Lewis, Jr.; John P. Singh; Abraham S. Grader; Ronnie Glen Morgan; Brendon C. Tan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11441415B2 ## CPC - E21B 47/005: Monitoring or checking of cementation quality or level - G01N 23/046: using tomography, e.g. computed tomography [CT] - G01N 23/20091: Measuring the energy-dispersion spectrum [EDS] of diffracted radiation - G01N 23/223: by irradiating the sample with X-rays or gamma-rays and by measuring X-ray fluorescence - G01N 23/2251: using incident electron beams, e.g. scanning electron microscopy [SEM] - G01N 24/081: {Making measurements of geologic samples, e.g. measurements of moisture, pH, porosity, permeability, tortuosity or viscosity} - G01N 33/383: {Concrete or cement} - E21B: EARTH OR ROCK DRILLING; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR A SLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS - G01N: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (measuring or testing apparatus or processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or microorganisms C12M, C12Q) ## Abstract Wellbore cement compositions can be managed based on material characteristics determined from a cement sample. For example, a cement sample can be retrieved from a wellbore. The cement sample can be analyzed using a plurality of sensors to generate a three-dimensional mapping of particles in the cement sample. The three-dimensional mapping can represent three-dimensional spatial relationships between the particles in the cement sample. The three-dimensional mapping can be compared to baseline three-dimensional mappings in a database. The comparison of the three-dimensional mappings can be used to identify at least one material characteristic of the cement sample. Based on the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample, a cement mixture can be prepared or information related to the cement mixture can be output. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: retrieving a cement sample from a wellbore; analyzing the cement sample using a plurality of sensors to generate a three-dimensional mapping of particles in the cement sample, the three-dimensional mapping representing three-dimensional spatial relationships between the particles in the cement sample; comparing the three-dimensional mapping to a plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings in a database to identify at least one material characteristic of the cement sample; and preparing a cement mixture based on the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample from the wellbore. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein: the cement sample is a cement cutting from a casing shoe; and the plurality of sensors include any combination of: a first sensor configured to perform X-Ray Computing Tomography on the cement sample, a second sensor configured to perform Focused Ion-Beam Scanning Electron Macroscopy with X-Ray Diffraction on the cement sample, a third sensor configured to perform X-Ray Fluorescence on the cement sample, a fourth sensor configured to perform Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy on the cement sample, or a fifth sensor configured to perform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on the cement sample. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one material characteristic comprises one or more physical properties selected from the group consisting of: a porosity of the cement sample, density of the cement sample, CSH content in the cement sample, degree of crystallinity, a volume fraction of a chemical component in the cement sample, a total surface area of a chemical component in the cement sample, a given geometric shape factor of a chemical component in the cement sample, and an amount of unreacted bulk blend component in the cement sample. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the database by: preparing a plurality of slurry mixtures; curing the plurality of slurry mixtures under combinations of conditions including temperature values, pressure values, time values, and density values to create baseline cement samples; and analyzing the baseline cement samples using the plurality of sensors to generate the plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the temperature values are greater than or equal to 230° F. (110° C.), and wherein the plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings describe strength and permeability characteristics for each of the baseline cement samples. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one material characteristic comprises one or more mechanical properties selected from the group consisting of: a Young's modulus, a Poisson's ratio, strain to failure, compressive toughness, a compressive strength, and a tensile strength of the cement sample. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more mechanical properties are time-dependent mechanical properties. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining that a cost of the cement mixture is less than a threshold cost value using information in a database; determining that the cement mixture has a particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample using the information in the database; and in response to determining that (i) the cost of the cement mixture is less than the threshold cost value and (ii) the cement mixture has the particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic, preparing the cement mixture to have the particular composition. ### Claim 9 A system comprising: a plurality of sensors configured to detect a plurality of characteristics of a cement sample obtained from a wellbore and transmit sensor signals representing the plurality of characteristics; a processing device communicatively coupled to the plurality of sensors; and a memory device comprising instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to: receive the sensor signals from the plurality of sensors; generate a three-dimensional mapping of particles in the cement sample based on the sensor signals, the three-dimensional mapping representing three-dimensional spatial relationships between the particles in the cement sample; compare the three-dimensional mapping to a plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings in a database to identify at least one material characteristic of the cement sample; and output information usable for preparing a cement mixture based on the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample from the wellbore. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein: the cement sample is a cement cutting from a casing shoe; and the plurality of sensors include any combination of: a first sensor configured to perform X-Ray Computing Tomography on the cement sample, a second sensor configured to perform Focused Ion-Beam Scanning Electron Macroscopy with X-Ray Diffraction on the cement sample, a third sensor configured to perform X-Ray Fluorescence on the cement sample, a fourth sensor configured to perform Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy on the cement sample, or a fifth sensor configured to perform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on the cement sample. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one material characteristic comprises one or more physical properties selected from the group consisting of: a porosity of the cement sample, density of the cement sample, CSH content in the cement sample, degree of crystallinity, a volume fraction of a chemical component in the cement sample, a total surface area of a chemical component in the cement sample, a given geometric shape factor of a chemical component in the cement sample, and an amount of unreacted bulk blend component in the cement sample. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the memory device further comprising instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to generate the database by: analyzing baseline cement samples prepared under a plurality of temperature values using the plurality of sensors to generate the plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system of claim 12, wherein the plurality of temperature values are greater than or equal to 230° F. (110° C.), and wherein the plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings describe strength and permeability characteristics for each of the baseline cement samples. ### Claim 14 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, wherein the at least one material characteristic comprises one or more mechanical properties selected from the group consisting of: a Young's modulus, a Poisson's ratio, a compressive strength, strain to failure, compressive toughness, and a tensile strength of the cement sample. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more mechanical properties are time-dependent mechanical properties. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The system of claim 9, the memory device further comprising instructions that are executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to: determine that a cost of the cement mixture is less than a threshold cost value using information in a database; determine that the cement mixture has a particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample using the information in the database; and in response to determining that (i) the cost of the cement mixture is less than the threshold cost value and (ii) the cement mixture has the particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic, configure the information to indicate that the cement mixture is to have the particular composition. ### Claim 17 A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising program code that is executable by a processing device for causing the processing device to: receive sensor signals from a plurality of sensors, the sensor signals representing a plurality of characteristics of a cement sample obtained from a wellbore; generate a three-dimensional mapping of particles in the cement sample based on the sensor signals, the three-dimensional mapping representing three-dimensional spatial relationships between the particles in the cement sample; compare the three-dimensional mapping to a plurality of baseline three-dimensional mappings in a database to identify at least one material characteristic of the cement sample; and output information usable for preparing a cement mixture based on the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample from the wellbore. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein: the cement sample is a cement cutting from a casing shoe; and the plurality of sensors include any combination of: a first sensor configured to perform X-Ray Computing Tomography on the cement sample, a second sensor configured to perform Focused Ion-Beam Scanning Electron Macroscopy with X-Ray Diffraction on the cement sample, a third sensor configured to perform X-Ray Fluorescence on the cement sample, a fourth sensor configured to perform Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy on the cement sample, or a fifth sensor configured to perform Nuclear Magnetic Resonance on the cement sample. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the at least one material characteristic comprises one or more physical properties selected from the group consisting of: a porosity of the cement sample, density of the cement sample, CSH content in the cement sample, degree of crystallinity, a volume fraction of a chemical component in the cement sample, a total surface area of a chemical component in the cement sample, a given geometric shape factor of a chemical component in the cement sample, and an amount of unreacted bulk blend component in the cement sample. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising program code that is executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to: determine that a cost of the cement mixture is less than a threshold cost value using information in a database; determine that the cement mixture has a particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic of the cement sample using the information in the database; and in response to determining that (i) the cost of the cement mixture is less than the threshold cost value and (ii) the cement mixture has the particular composition associated with the at least one material characteristic, configure the information to indicate that the cement mixture is to have the particular composition.