Methods for formulating a cement slurry for use in a subterranean salt formation

A method comprising:

• (a) calculating a theoretical first wellbore radius in a subterranean salt formation having a treatment fluid therein based on salt creep analysis in the presence of formation-treatment fluid;
• (b) calculating a theoretical second wellbore radius in the subterranean salt formation during a cementing operation with a proposed cement slurry based on salt creep analysis in the presence of formation-cement slurry,
• wherein the cementing operation involves forming a proposed cement sheath within the wellbore, and wherein the proposed cement sheath must withstand a wellbore load to prevent failure of the cement sheath in the wellbore;
• (c) determining experimentally a rheology of the proposed cement slurry versus salt dissolution curve;
• (d) determining experimentally and based on a convection-diffusion equation a salt dissolution versus flow rate curve;
• (e) calculating a theoretical final wellbore radius in the subterranean salt formation based on the theoretical first wellbore radius, the theoretical second wellbore radius, and salt dissolution after forming the proposed cement sheath;
• (f) determining a rheology of the proposed cement slurry versus flow rate curve;
• (g) calculating theoretically whether the proposed cement sheath is capable of withstanding the wellbore load by calculating theoretical thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the proposed cement slurry based on salt creep analysis in the presence of formation-cement sheath;
• (h) determining experimentally whether the proposed cement sheath is capable of withstanding the wellbore load based on an ultrasonic cement analyzer test and actual thermal and thermo-mechanical properties of the proposed cement slurry after salt dissolution;
• (i) calculating theoretically a theoretical pump time and a theoretical pump pressure for the treatment fluid and the proposed cement slurry based on a computational fluid dynamics model,
• wherein the theoretical pump pressure for the treatment fluid and the proposed cement slurry is between a pore pressure and a fracture gradient of the subterranean salt formation, and
• wherein the theoretical pump time for the treatment fluid and the proposed cement slurry is such that the proposed cement slurry will theoretically permit formation of the proposed cement sheath in the wellbore without substantial premature curing;
• (j) determining experimentally whether the theoretical pumping time for the treatment fluid and the proposed cement slurry will permit formation of the proposed cement sheath in the wellbore without substantial premature curing based on a thickening time test of the proposed cement slurry;
• (k) performing steps (g)-(h) before steps (i)-(j), or
• performing steps (i)-(j) before steps (g)-(h);
• (l) establishing a final cement slurry, a final pumping pressure and time for the treatment fluid, and a final pumping pressure and time for the cement slurry;
• (m) performing a wellbore operation with the treatment fluid using the final pumping time and pressure for the treatment fluid;
• and
• (n) performing the cementing operation with the final cement slurry using the final pumping time and pressure for the final cement slurry.