1
Spacer Design
Considerations and
Laboratory Testing
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 2
General Observations
Spacers are difficult systems to design. They
must be compatible with two other fluids, muds and
cement slurries, which are in general very incompatible.
Spacers need to be designed to chemically work with
muds and cement slurries.
Since every mud and cement slurry is different, spacers
should be essentially custom designed for every job.
It should NEVER be assumed that a spacer
formulation which worked with a previous field
mud will also work with the present field mud,
even if similar mud additives are being used.
This is particularly important when designing
spacers for oil-based mud systems. Test in the
lab!
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 3
Design Criteria
The spacer must be compatible with both the drilling
mud and the cement slurry.
The spacer must be non-settling (use the suggested
procedures to test for static and dynamic settling).
The spacer should have (if possible) a density between
that of the drilling mud and the cement slurry.
If possible, the spacer should have a consistency
between that of the drilling mud and the cement slurry.
But it is MUCH better to design for pressure drop
hierarchy.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 4
Design Criteria (cont.)
When using oil-based muds, the spacer must
contain surfactants for water-wetting the pipe
and formation face, to enable the cement to bond
effectively to those surfaces.
If needed for formation compatibility, the spacer
may need the addition of KCl to minimize
formation damage, help stabilize shales, etc. 2 -
3% by weight is normally used in these cases.
For best results, the spacer should be pumped at
the rates indicated by the erodibility technology.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 5
Design Criteria (cont.)
Enough spacer volume should be pumped to
achieve a minimum of 10 min contact time at the
top of the pay, or to fill 800 to 1,000 ft of annulus,
whichever produces the greater volume.
The spacer should possess good fluid loss control.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 6
Design Criteria (cont.)
Without a positive barrier (plug) between the
fluids, mixing takes place in the casing particularly
between the preflush and the spacer (big density
difference). This is worst for long and large ID
casing. Worst for vertical holes.
By the way, in cases when only one bottom plug is
used, it must always be placed in front of the
slurry, regardless of what fluids are being
pumped ahead of the slurry. That is the fluid
we must protect from contamination. I know
you have been told other things. They are wrong!
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 7
Design Criteria in Highly Inclined
and /or Horizontal Holes
In the annulus, thinning of the mud by the
preflush may cause settling. This is particularly
bad in horizontal holes since the solid particles
only have to travel a few inches to get to the low
side of the hole.
I do not like to use preflushes in highly deviated or
horizontal holes for that reason.
In this situations the preflush may damage the
solids suspending properties of the mud and the
spacer.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 8
Compatibility
Two fluids are considered to be compatible if no significant
change in desired properties occurs as a result of mixing
the fluids.
Compatibility testing is time consuming!
Compatibility tests must be performed between the spacer
and the field mud, and the spacer and the cement slurry to
be used in the job. It is also necessary to investigate the
compatibility of the three fluids together, because
problems may develop downhole if the three fluids come in
contact (channeling, bypassing).
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 9
Compatibility (cont.)
Appendix P of API SPEC 10, entitled Investigation of
Preflushes and Spacers for Cementing, provides details
on tests which can be performed to determine
compatibilities.
Tests are also outlined to check the effect of spacers on
the cement slurry thickening time, compressive strength,
fluid loss and settling characteristics. Approximately 5-
10% spacer contamination into the cement slurry is
normally used for those tests.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 10
API
Recommended
Mixtures to
Test for
Compatibility
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 11
Other Tests
Use the selected mixtures detected during the
Screening Procedure
Thickening time - Look for no acceleration
and/or excessive gelation (high BC readings)
Compressive Strength - Look for excessive
negative effect on CS development
Settling - Look for excessive settling at the
interfaces . Use static or dynamic procedure
as applicable
Fluid Loss - Look for possible severe
loss of control at the interfaces.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 12
Impact of Spacers and Preflushes
on Cement Slurry Properties
Regarding compressive strength of the cement slurry,
spacers are expected to negatively affect it because of
dilution and chemical effects.
This is not considered a serious problem since the
contaminated interface spacer-cement slurry will be
pumped above the zone of interest.
Some retardation of the slurry by the spacer is also
acceptable based on the same argument.
However, the spacers should not accelerate the cement
slurry for obvious reasons.
In addition, the spacer should not severely affect the fluid
loss control properties of the mud and the cement slurry,
particularly across high permeability zones.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 13
Other Compatibility Tests
Some additional testing may be required for special
situations. When the BHCT is above 250F, it is
recommended that a contaminated thickening time test be
run.
Test the proposed cement slurry with 5-10% spacer
contamination to see if the thickening time is shortened.
If it is shortened, then add retarder to the spacer to
prevent the reduction on thickening time.
Normally, when cement slurry is diluted/contaminated with
another fluid, it will lengthen the thickening time.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 14
Other Compatibility Tests
(cont.)
At elevated temperatures, however, with cement slurries
contain large amounts of retarder, contamination with a
fluid with no retarder in the water phase may dilute the
retarder concentration sufficiently to compensate for the
dilution effect of the slurry and actually shorten the
thickening time.
If retarder is added, check the spacer again to ensure that
it has sufficient suspension properties because cement
retarders typically have a thinning effect on spacer fluids.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 15
A Simple Compatibility
Screening Test
Conduct these tests first:
Condition approximately 300 ml mud and 300 ml spacer to
BHCT or 190F, whichever is less, in an atmospheric
consistometer for 20 minutes.
Transfer 50 ml each of the heated mud and spacer to 100
ml beakers.
Slowly add the spacer into the beaker containing the mud
while stirring the mud by hand with a glass rod.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 16
A Simple Compatibility
Screening Test
If at any point during the mixing test, the mixture of the
two fluids does not drip from the rod on its own (pick up
the rod occasionally while stirring), the two fluids should
be considered incompatible and the test should be
terminated.
If the mixture remains fluid (passes the drip test), then
look (visually) for any significant viscosity change which
indicates possible incompatibility. If a significant viscosity
increase is noted, record the volume of the spacer used.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 17
A Simple Compatibility
Screening Test
Repeat the procedure by slowly pouring the mud into
the beaker containing the spacer.
If the mixture passes the drip test, again note the
volumes of mud and spacer at which significant
viscosity changes occurred. If no significant viscosity
changes were noticed, the two fluids are compatible,
and the test is terminated.
If significant viscosity changes were noticed,
measure the rheology at BHCT conditions or 190F of
the mud/spacer mixtures that showed the highest
viscosities.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 18
A Simple Compatibility
Screening Test
Compare the measured rheology of the mixtures to the
rheologies of the spacer and the mud.
If the rheology of the mixtures is substantially higher than
that of any of the two fluids, the two fluids should be
considered incompatible.
Repeat all of the previous steps with the spacer and the
cement slurry.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 19
Wettability of Spacers and Flushes
When an oil-based drilling fluid is being used, when
displacing the oil-based drilling fluid, the
pipe/formation must be changed from an oil-
wet to a water-wet condition so that the cement
can bond properly.
With oil (or synthetic oil) based drilling fluids, a
water-based spacer with water-wetter surfactants
needs to be used.
Some oil-based spacer/flush may be used ahead of
the water-based spacer (oil-based spacers are
naturally compatible with oil-based drilling fluids).
When a water-based drilling fluid is being used, the
spacer system should also be water-based.
Work currently being done by API subcommittee 10.
In the mean time:
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 20
Wettability Test
Spacers/Flushes (cont.)
A simple test can be performed to determine if the
surfactant concentration is adequate for complete
water-wetting of the pipe and formation:
Condition and heat the fluids as for the
compatibility screening test.
Insert a clean metal rod into the beaker of oil-
based mud (heated to BHCT or 190F) and agitate
for 10 min to ensure that the rod surface becomes
oil-wet.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 21
Wettability Test
Spacers/Flushes (cont.)
Place the rod under a slowly dripping water tap to observe
the beading associated with oil-wet surfaces.
Insert the rod into the beaker of spacer (heated to BHCT
or 190F) and agitate for 5 min.
Again place the rod under a slowly dripping water tap and
observe for adhesion of the water to the surface of the rod
(no beading) which indicates that it has been rendered
water-wet by the spacer.
The spacer or flush must pass this test if the mud is oil-
based.
Beirute Consulting, L.L.C. 22
Spacers Erodibility and
Pressure Drop Hierarchy
Computer simulation:
Given mud erodibility, design spacer properties
for PDG removal
Design for positive pressure drop hierarchy
23
Spacer and Preflush
Volume Optimization
Go to that spreadsheet
