CEMENTING BEST PRACTICES Number: C-SL7.

2-0001
Revision: 1.0
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CEMENTING BEST PRACTICES

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1. Purpose

1.1. To provide standardized guidelines and recommendations in this document the chance
for a successful primary cement job is greatly increased. The single most important
event in a primary cement job is the process of mud removal (or displacement of the
native wellbore fluid(s)).

2. Scope

2.1. The Cementing Best Practices will be used by all Calfrac Well Services (CWS)
employees who are given a list of best practices as stated within this procedure.

2.1.1. Generalized List of Best Practices

2.1.1.1. Fluid Velocity

2.1.1.2. Spacers and Flushes

2.1.1.3. Centralization

2.1.1.4. Pipe Movement

2.1.1.5. Hole Conditioning

2.1.1.6. Drilling Fluid Properties and Conditioning

2.1.1.7. Lost Circulation

2.1.1.8. Displacement

2.1.1.9. Plugs (Wiper Plugs)

2.1.1.10. Shoe/Shoe Track and Float Equipment

2.1.1.11. Other Considerations

NOTE: The list above is by no means a complete list of all of the considerations in a
primary cement job, it is merely to serve as a generalized starting point.

2.2. Without the proper displacement of the mud or other wellbore fluids before cement
placement, the chance for a successful primary cement job is severely diminished.

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3. Procedure

3.1. Fluid Velocity

3.1.1. The pump rate, or flow rate plays a very important role in displacement efficiency
and how effectively the borehole can be cleaned. Displacement efficiency is
defined as the percentage of annular area at any given cross-section that is filled
with cement.

3.1.2. There are three flow regimes that fluids can be pumped in during a cement job,
plug flow, laminar flow, and turbulent flow. Plug flow is easily achieved at very
low pump rates, laminar flow can be achieved with all wellbore fluids at a slightly
higher pump rate, and turbulent flow can only be achieved by some fluids at very
high pump rates.

3.1.3. As a general idea its usually best to pump as fast as the hole conditions will
allow, formation information and simulations must be ran in order to know these
limits. Generally only lightweight spacers or drilling fluids are able to achieve
turbulent flow with the pump rate limitations during a cement job.

3.1.4. Typically due to the density and rheological properties of cement, it takes an
extremely high pump rate to get the cement into turbulent flow, therefore it’s
usually recommended to pump cement in laminar flow (turbulent flow with
cement can be achieved but typically results in formation break down and the
loss of fluids to the formation). It is not recommended to design any cement jobs
to be pumped in plug flow, due to the low energy of this flow regime.

3.1.5. The overall idea of increasing the fluid velocity is to impart the highest amount of
energy possible downhole that is allowable with the current conditions. By
pumping at higher flow rates more energy is imparted on the downhole fluids,
and the result will be higher displacement efficiency and a better primary cement
job. It is very important to know where the various fluids that are pumped during
a cement job are located in the wellbore at all times.

3.1.6. It is recommended to increase the pump rate when the spacer begins to exit the
casing and starts to interact with the drilling fluids in the annulus.

3.2. Spacers and Flushes

3.2.1. The pump rate, or flow rate plays a very important role in displacement efficiency
and how effectively the borehole can be cleaned. Displacement efficiency is
defined as the percentage of annular area at any given cross-section that is filled
with cement.

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3.2.2. There are three flow regimes that fluids can be pumped in during a cement job,
plug flow, laminar flow, and turbulent flow. Plug flow is easily achieved at very
low pump rates, laminar flow can be achieved with all wellbore fluids at a slightly
higher pump rate, and turbulent flow can only be achieved by some fluids at very
high pump rates.

3.2.3. As a general idea its usually best to pump as fast as the hole conditions will
allow, formation information and simulations must be ran in order to know these
limits. Generally only lightweight spacers or drilling fluids are able to achieve
turbulent flow with the pump rate limitations during a cement job. Typically due
to the density and rheological properties of cement, it takes an extremely high
pump rate to get the cement into turbulent flow, therefore it’s usually
recommended to pump cement in laminar flow (turbulent flow with cement can be
achieved but typically results in formation break down and the loss of fluids to the
formation).

3.2.4. It is not recommended to design any cement jobs to be pumped in plug flow, due
to the low energy of this flow regime. The overall idea of increasing the fluid
velocity is to impart the highest amount of energy possible downhole that is
allowable with the current conditions. By pumping at higher flow rates more
energy is imparted on the downhole fluids, and the result will be higher
displacement efficiency and a better primary cement job.

3.2.5. It is very important to know where the various fluids that are pumped during a
cement job are located in the wellbore at all times. It is recommended to
increase the pump rate when the spacer begins to exit the casing and starts to
interact with the drilling fluids in the annulus.

3.2.5.1. Choosing the appropriate volume of spacer to use

3.2.5.2. Well geometry and orientation

3.2.5.3. What drilling fluid was used

3.2.5.4. Were formation issues or loss circulation zones encountered

3.2.5.5. And other factors

3.2.6. In general a spacer should have sufficient volume to cover at least 1000 ft of
open hole, and have 10 minutes of contact time with the formation and or previous
casings (computer simulations are necessary to accurately calculate contact time
in order to account for free fall events that will change fluid flow rates). For
horizontal or extended reach wells it is recommended to increase the spacer
volume to account for the increased contact with the formation and drilling mud.

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The density of the spacer is generally recommended to be between the density of

the drilling fluid and the cement being pumped, for instance a 10 ppg drilling fluid
and 16 ppg cement the spacer density recommended would be 13 ppg.

3.3. Centralization

3.3.1. Proper centralization will encourage uniform flow around the casing and lead to
an increased chance for a successful primary cement job. By properly
centralizing the casing with mechanical centralizers the chance for effective
isolation and high displacement efficiency are increased.

3.3.2. Casings that are improperly centralized will create large and narrow flow paths
that will encourage fluid bypass and leave trapped fluids on the narrow side of
the hole. Additionally large flow paths will create paths of low resistance and can
lead to fluid channeling.

3.3.3. The use of computer modeling will show optimum centralizer placement and
allow the operator to achieve the proper standoff to promote effective drilling fluid
removal and displacement efficiency. While 100% centralization would be
optimal it is unrealistic to design for 100% standoff. Calfrac recommends at least
70% standoff and generally this is accepted as sufficient casing centralization
(standoff recommendations in literature typically range from 67% to 80%). In a
horizontal or deviated wellbore centralization is more important due to the fact
that the casing will have the tendency to want to lay on the low side of the hole
due to gravity.

3.3.4. Generally rigid centralizers or bow spring centralizers are used to help centralize
the casing. Bow spring centralizers are much weaker than rigid centralizers and
should only be used in vertical wells, or the vertical sections of wells.

3.3.5. Rigid centralizers are designed not to deflect or deform and are commonly used
in deviated or horizontal wells due to their ability to maintain their shape.

3.4. Pipe Movement

3.4.1. Reciprocation and/or rotation of the casing during the cementing process will
help to increase the hole cleaning efficiency and mud removal. Pipe movement
should be attempted on all primary cement jobs when possible. While the
preferred method includes both rotation and reciprocation, at least one form of
movement should be planned for.

3.4.2. The movement of the pipe will help to break up gelled mud that may be sitting in
pockets that are not effectively moved during normal circulating process, also the

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casing movement will encourage fluids to change flow path directions and
increase the effective circulating area of the wellbore.

3.4.3. The physical interaction of the pipe and the wellbore is needed to mechanically
break up gelled fluid deposits and to encourage the circulation of the low side of
the hole (especially important in horizontal well applications). Pipe movement is
another process that will transfer energy down hole and improve the chances for
a successful primary cement job.

3.4.4. Generally speaking the more energy that can be transferred down hole through
physical motion, rheology, fluid velocity, etc; the better the displacement
efficiency and the higher the probability of a successful primary cement job will
be.

3.4.5. Computer simulations should be ran before jobs to evaluate the pipe movement
practices and to ensure that the possible increase in equivalent circulating
density (ECD) will not create any issues due to swab and surge effects. In some
cases a reciprocation rate of 30-50 feet per minute is typical and a rotation rate of
15-20 rpm.

3.5. Hole Conditioning

3.5.1. Generally it is a good idea to properly condition and clean the borehole before a
primary cement job. In order to properly condition the borehole before a primary
cement job it is necessary to circulate the hole with clean drilling fluid to help
remove all cuttings, gelled mud deposits, and to help remove or thin out the filter
cake on the formation walls.

3.5.2. The goal would be to reach a uniform mud density, stable mud rheology (mud
rheology in is equal to mud rheology out), and no cuttings should be returning to
the surface. Research has shown that generally the more times a borehole is
circulated the higher the percentage of drilling fluid mobilized will be (with the
maximum mobilization taking place with 4-5 wellbore volumes circulated).

3.5.3. At a minimum all wells should be circulated at least two full wellbore volumes
before starting the primary cement job. By circulating at least two wellbore
volumes the fluid flow will help to remove gelled mud deposits, wellbore gas, and
any cuttings or filter cake material that was disturbed by the casing running
process.

3.5.4. On another note, the static time between mud circulation and a cement job
should be minimized to prevent mud from gelling up and becoming immobile.

3.6. Drilling Fluid Properties and Conditioning

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3.6.1. Drilling fluid conditioning is often one of the variables that is overlooked when it
comes to primary cement jobs. The condition of the drilling fluid before a primary
cement job can have a dramatic effect on the outcome of the job quality.
Generally speaking the properties that make fluids good for drilling operations
are not the same properties for primary cementing operations. It is necessary to
clean, treat, remove gas from the fluid, and alter the properties of the fluid before
starting the cement job. Generally it is recommended to:

3.6.1.1. Lower the fluid density

3.6.1.2. Reduce the yield point (YP)

3.6.1.3. Reduce the plastic viscosity (PV)

3.6.1.4. Reduce the filtrate loss

3.6.1.5. Remove as many low gravity solids (lgs) as possible

3.6.1.6. Drilling fluids should have a flat profile (i.e. should exhibit non-progressive
gel development)

3.6.2. Keeping in mind that the drilling fluid will still need to support and stabilize the
wellbore and prevent gas contamination of the drilling fluid. By lowering the
drilling fluid gel strengths, YP, and PV the fluid will be easier to displace and lead
to higher displacement efficiency, and ultimately lead to a better primary cement
job.

3.7. Lost Circulation

3.7.1. One of the greatest challenges in cementing oil and gas wells is preventing lost
circulation before or during cementing operations. In most cases losses or lost
circulation problems need to be handled and taken care of before any cementing
operations take place.

3.7.2. It is a very good idea to ensure that full mud returns are present before starting
the primary cement job as the process of running casing may have disturbed loss
zones that were previously fixed.

3.7.3. If losses are encountered during the cementing operations the options to help the
losses are very limited and most of the time it is too late to do anything about
them.

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3.7.4. If losses are expected during a primary cement job, it is important to design
cement slurries (if conditions permit) that contain loss circulation materials and
with reduced ECD’s (i.e. lightweight cement systems).

3.7.5. The act of pumping specially designed spacers can help combat loss circulation
problems during cementing operations.

3.8. Displacement

3.8.1. One of the most critical steps in any cement job is the displacement process
where cement is displaced out of the casing and in to the annulus of the well.

3.8.2. It is very important to have an accurately calculated displacement volume and to

accurately track the displacement volume as the job is pumped. In order to
prevent over displacement of the well, the actual displacement volume pumped
should not be more than theoretical displacement plus half of the shoe track
volume.

3.8.3. Typically during the displacement stage of the primary cement job the spacer(s)
and cement(s) are exiting the casing and beginning to flow up the annulus. For
this reason it is very important to make sure that the displacement rate is in
accordance with the fluid velocity guidelines listed in this document.

3.8.4. In general it is usually best to pump as fast as the hole conditions will allow,
formation information and simulations must be ran in order to know these limits.

3.8.5. The displacement pump rate should be kept as high as possible for the
displacement process with a rate slow down before the wiper plug is going to
land to prevent damaging the float equipment.

3.9. Plugs (Wiper Plugs)

3.9.1. Top and bottom wiper plugs are recommended to be run on all primary cement
jobs (unless well or casing configurations will not allow for top and bottom plugs).
The plugs are a very valuable tool that will help prevent contamination of the
cement with drilling fluids, and will also help prevent contamination of the cement
by the displacement fluid.

3.9.2. Additionally a top wiper plug will help prevent leaving a cement film on the inside
of the casing and will also act as a positive indicator that the cement has been
fully displaced from the casing during the displacement process. Important Note:
The cementing head and cementing plugs should be carefully inspected to
ensure compatibility with the casing string to be run. Be certain the plugs are
designed to pass through the heaviest weight of casing being run.

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3.9.3. Additionally the cementing head and plug system should be designed to be
launched with minimal shutdown time.

3.10. Shoe/Shoe Track and Float Equipment

3.10.1. The casing shoe or float shoe serves multiple purposes, first the shoe will assist
in getting the casing to TD, and if equipped with a float valve it will prevent
cement from u-tubing back into the casing at the end of a primary cement job.

3.10.2. Additionally if there is a float collar equipped with a float valve there will be two
valves that will prevent cement from entering back into the casing at the end of
the job (i.e. redundant valves). It is recommended that at a bare minimum one
joint of casing is run between the shoe and the collar (shoe track) in order to
capture any contaminated cement or drilling fluids.

3.10.3. If a bottom wiper plug is not run, then the recommended minimum shoe track is
two joints of casing due to the increased chance of contamination. The volume
of contaminated fluids can be estimated by assuming a 2mm thick coating inside
the casing, and a properly designed shoe track will be sized adequately to hold
this volume of fluid.

3.10.4. By using float valves to prevent u-tubing of the cement, at the end of the job all
pressure can be bled off the casing. By not holding any pressure on the casing
at the end of the job the casing will not balloon out or expand and induce the
creation of a micro-annulus. (If pressure is held on the casing at the end of a
cement job the casing will balloon out and expand while the cement sets up.

3.10.5. Once the cement is set up and the pressure is relieved the casing will shrink
back to its unpressurized size leaving a micro-annulus between the cement and
casing).

3.11. Other considerations:

3.11.1. Hole Size: The recommended hole size is 1.5 to 2.0 inches larger than the
casing.

3.11.2. Static Time: Drilling fluids (drilling mud) will quickly begin to gel up and build
gel strength if allowed to sit static. Try to minimize static time between
circulation and cementing if possible.

3.11.3. Downhole Temperature: Actual downhole temperature data is preferred in

order to design the correct cement system.
3.11.4.

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3.11.5. Cement System Considerations: In horizontal well applications it is very

important to have a cement slurry that exhibits zero free water at a 45o test
angle, in horizontal well applications the free water will travel to the high side of
the hole and create a channel that will allow communication along the lateral.

3.11.6. Gas Flow Potential: In any case where gas flows may be encountered it is
always a good idea to evaluate the flow potential and estimate the severity of
the risk. The use of Calfrac’s Gas Flow Potential (GFP) will estimate the gas
flow risk, and can be used to judge the severity. There are numerous methods
to prevent gas flows before, during, and after a cement job but the hazard must
be identified before the cement job.

4. References

4.1. Not Applicable.

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Revision History

Document Owner: Dylan Goudie, Alexei Oxendler, Ben Griffin

Revision MOC# Description of Change Revision Date Received By Approved By

mm/dd/yyyy Doc. Control
Michelle Dirk
1.0 NA Initial Release 11/04/2013
Paup Blaufuss

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