Squeeze cementing
AssigneeHalliburton Company
InventorsJeffrey A. Dahl, E. Dwyann Dalrymple, James R. Stanford
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Abstract
This invention relates to a method of terminating the undesirable flow of water from a highly permeable portion of a portion of or a fracture in a subterranean formation into a wellbore, which method involves the use of a hydraulic cement consisting of discrete particles having a particle size not greater than about 30 microns. The cement, which is utilized in a slurry of a hydrocarbon liquid and a surfactant, has a low density, good thixotropic properties and, in one embodiment, expansive characteristics.
Claims13
A method for terminating the flow of water from a portion of a subterranean formation into a wellbore said method comprising the steps of:
- placing within said wellbore adjacent said portion a volume of a slurry of hydraulic cement, said volume being in an amount at least sufficient to saturate said portion;
- permitting said volume to penetrate into said portion;
- and
- maintaining said slurry in said portion for a time sufficient to enable said slurry to form a rigid mass of cement in said portion;
- wherein said slurry consists essentially of a mixture of said hydraulic cement, a hydrocarbon liquid and a liquid surfactant soluble in said hydrocarbon liquid, the particle size of said hydraulic cement is not greater than about 30 microns, the Blaine Fineness of said hydraulic cement is no less than about 6000 cm.sup.2 /gram, and said hydraulic cement is Portland cement or slag or mixtures thereof;
- and further
- wherein said liquid surfactant includes as an essential component an alkyl aromatic sulfonic acid within the scope of the formulas ##STR2## or the alkaline earth metal salts thereof wherein R.sub.1 is selected from linear alkyl groups having 12 carbon atoms or 16 to 24 carbon atoms and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3 are linear alkyl groups containing 12 carbon atoms.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.