EVALUATING THE IMPACT OF MICROSILICA ON TRANSITION TIME AND CEMENT SLURRY PROPERTIES FOR GAS MIGRATION PREVENTION

Abstract

In oil and gas well drilling, cementing processes are crucial for ensuring well integrity and stability. However, issues such as gas migration and leakage within cement slurries can threaten wellbore integrity. Microsilica, as highlighted by F. Daou & B.Piot [1], is a material believed to effectively to mitigate gas migration and improve strength and durability of cement slurry. This research involves a series of laboratory experiments to evaluate the performance of cement slurries containing microsilica additives, including tests on rheology, thickening time, fluid loss, static gel strength, and compressive strength. The goal is to assess the effectiveness of microsilica in preventing gas migration, particularly by reducing transition time, and to identify any potential side effects on cement slurry properties. Results from the experiments indicate that adding microsilica to the cement slurry can reduces the transition time up to 63%. Additionally, microsilica was found to impact several properties: it increased the slurry's viscosity, reduced fluid loss, decreased thickening time, and enhanced compressive strength.