Wide range retarder that improves early compressive strength development

Abstract

A cement composition comprising an aqueous fluid, a cement, and a cement retarder. The cement retarder comprises a biosurfactant, and is operable to retard cement thickening of the cement composition, relative to a same cement composition absent the cement retarder, over a temperature range of from about 40° F. (4.4° C.) to about 500° F. (260° C.), from about 40° F. (4.4° C.) to about 400° F. (204.4° C.), from about 50° F. (10° C.) to about 350° F. (176.7° C.), or from about 60° F. (15.6° C.) to about 250° F. (121.1° C.).

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.