A Comprehensive Theoretical and

Experimental Study on Fluid Displacement

for Oilwell-Cementing Operations
Pedro Esteves Aranha, Cristiane Richard de Miranda, Walter F. Cardoso Jr., Gilson Campos, and
André Leibsohn Martins, Petrobras; Frederico C. Gomes, Simone Bochner de Araujo, and Marcio S. Carvalho,
Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio)

Summary Theoretical analysis of the dynamics of displacement of one

Displacing fluids in downhole conditions and for long distances fluid by another is characterized by the solution of the system of
is a complex task, affecting several steps of well construction. differential equations that describes the miscible fluid displace-
Cementing gains relevance the moment that fluid contamination ment between two fluids of distinct physical properties. The solu-
compromises cement-sheath integrity and consequently zonal tion of the equations of motion provides the evolution of the
isolation. shape of the interface between two fluids during the process. Cer-
Density and rheology design for all the fluids involved is tainly it is a complex problem, especially when one of the fluids
essential to achieve operational success. Properties hierarchy and presents non-Newtonian rheological properties, as usual in several
preferred flow regimes have been empirically defined and tend to displacement operations.
provide reasonable generic results. Challenging operations, in- In the particular case of displacing flows through annular
cluding ultradeep waters and their narrow operational-window space, different models have been developed in the literature to
scenario, require further knowledge of the physics involved to describe the process. Bittleston et al. (2002) developed an asymp-
prevent undesirable events. totic model that considers the variation of the eccentricity along
This paper presents the in-house development of software for the well and uses a Cartesian coordinate system to represent the
annular miscible fluid displacement that analyzes fluid displace- geometry of the annular space, which is a valid approximation
ment in typical vertical and directional offshore wells, for Newto- only for the cases in which the radii ratio is close to unity. To
nian and non-Newtonian liquids and laminar- and turbulent-flow lower the computational cost, the resulting 2D problem is solved
regimes. The formulation proposed provides accurate results for a as a sequence of 1D problems, which also compromises the accu-
wide range of input parameters, including the cases in which the racy of the predictions.
ratio of the inner radious to the outer radius of the annulus is small. Numerical simulation of flows is a powerful tool in the evalua-
The computational work is validated by unique results ob- tion of different processes in the industry. Experimental investiga-
tained from an experimental test rig where detailed displacement tion in an oil well is an expensive task, and sometimes not
tests were conducted. Contamination degrees were measured after operationally feasible. Several studies (Dutra et al. 2004, 2005;
the displacement of a sequence of fluids through 1192 m of verti- Aranha et al. 2011) have been conducted on the use of computer
cal well. Effect of fluid-density and rheology hierarchy, flow simulation to evaluate the influence of parameters such as density,
regimes, and displacement concepts was investigated. The results rheological parameters, flow rate, and geometry of the well in the
provide relevant information for the industry and fundamental efficiency of fluid displacement.
understanding on displacement of Newtonian and non-Newtonian Because of the complexity of the problem, few studies have
liquids through annular sections. been conducted to validate the displacement simulation. Miranda
et al. (2007) studied, by the use of experiments and flow simulation,
the influence of hierarchy of some rheological parameters and den-
Introduction
sity on the efficiency of fluid replacement in a 12-m acrylic tube.
Operations to displace fluids during drilling, cementing, and com- This article presents the development of in-house software for
pletion of wells need detailed design to guarantee their efficiency annulus miscible fluid displacement by considering both Newto-
and operational safety. Fluid displacement occurs in cementing nian and non-Newtonian liquids and laminar and turbulent
operations, cement plugs, viscous-plugs treatment, and substitu- regimes. The model is not limited to annulus at which the inner-
tion of a drilling fluid for a completion fluid, among other to outer-diameter ratio is close to unity. The predictions were vali-
operations. dated by experimental results obtained from an experimental test
The process of fluid displacement through vertical wells is rig where detailed displacement tests were conducted in a verti-
mainly governed by the viscosity and density ratio between fluids, cal-well geometry with a 95% standoff.
flow rate, and annular eccentricity (Haut and Crook 1979; Sauer
1987; Lockyear and Hibbert 1989). A widely accepted guideline
Theoretical Development for Annulus Miscible
for cement placement is to pump under turbulent-flow conditions.
However, this requires higher pump rates in eccentric annuli, Fluid Displacement
which may not always be available because of operational-window A complete analysis of the flow in the annular space that occurs
constraints, as discussed by Tehrani et al. (1992). Hence, there is during cementation is extremely complex; the flow is 3D and tran-
frequently a need to design cement jobs under laminar-flow condi- sient, with moving boundaries and one or more liquids presenting
tions. The displacement achieved under laminar-flow conditions non-Newtonian behavior. Thus, a complete model has a prohibi-
can vary, depending on the material properties of the fluids tively high computational cost.
involved, the pump rate, and the well geometry. Simplified models, such as the one proposed by Bittleston
et al. (2002), are available in the literature and are used by the oil
industry in commercial simulation software for the cementing
process. However, the strong simplifying assumptions, especially
Copyright V
C 2012 Society of Petroleum Engineers
the use of Cartesian coordinates to describe the geometry of the
This paper (SPE 150276) was accepted for presentation at the SPE Deepwater Drilling and annular space, limit the range of parameters at which these mod-
Completions Conference, Galveston, Texas, USA, 20–21 June 2012, and revised for
publication. Original manuscript received for review 28 March 2012. Revised manuscript els are accurate. The use of Cartesian coordinates to describe the
received for review 20 July 2012. Paper peer approved 14 August 2012. annular space is accurate only for very narrow gaps (i.e., when the

596 December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion

 In this case, the differential equation becomes nonlinear
TABLE 1—WELL DATA because the viscosity at each point that appears in the definition of
the coefficients of Eq. 1 is a function of the local pressure gradient
Depth Outside Inside (Eq. 7). At each timestep, an iterative procedure is followed: Ini-
(m) Diameter (in) Diameter (in) tially, the pressure field is evaluated by solving Eq. 1 by use of a
constant viscosity. The computed pressure gradient is used to
Drill Pipe 1191 3.5 2.764
obtain the equivalent viscosity at each point, as shown in Eq. 7.
Previous Casing 1192 7 6.366
The new value of the viscosity field is used in the solution of
Eq. 1, and the procedure continues until the difference between
ratio of the inner to the outer radius is close to unity). Simple the computed pressure fields obtained at two consecutive itera-
flow-rate predictions become inaccurate if the radii ratio is tions is under a given tolerance.
< 0.85. In this work, an asymptotic model derived from lubrica- In some situations, the flow of one of the liquids may become
tion theory was developed to study the displacement of different turbulent. This usually occurs when a fluid presents very low vis-
liquids through an annular space with variable eccentricity along cosity. The same concept of an equivalent Newtonian viscosity
the well. The model considers the effect of curvature in the annu- (of laminar flow) used for the non-Newtonian flows is extended to
lar space and describes the annular space by use of a cylindrical turbulent flow. At each point, the Newtonian viscosity of a lami-
coordinate system. Thus, the models remain accurate even when nar flow that produces the same local pressure-drop/flow-rate rela-
the radii ratio is < 0.85. The model also considers that the inclina- tionship of the turbulent flow is evaluated, as indicated in Eq. 8:
tion of the well can vary along it. In addition, unlike the available 8 2 39
models presented in the literature, the proposed formulation >
>
> 24 ð1  k2 Þ2 5>
>
>
2
>Re 1  k 
>   >
>
(Gomes and Carvalho 2010) is not limited to small eccentricities. >
< 1
ln =k >
= dP2
Lubrication theory in cylindrical coordinates is used to derive l¼ 
the differential equation (Eq. 1) that describes the pressure field >
> 8 >
> dz
>
> >
>
Pðz; hÞ inside the annular space: >
> >
>
: ;
    8 9
@ @P @ @P > >
C1 þ C2 þ C3 þ C4 ¼ 0; . . . . . . . . ð1Þ >
> >
>
@z @z @h @h < 1 =
  :                ð8Þ
where the functions Ci are given by >
> 4ðRe  Ri Þ 0:5 >
>
>
:ð1  k2 Þ >
;
" # qf
1 4 4 ðR2i  R2e Þ2
C1 ¼ R  Re þ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð2Þ The friction factor f that appears in Eq. 8 was evaluated by use
16l i lnðRe =Ri Þ
" # of the modified Blasius equation for flow in annular space:
qgz da 4 ðR2  R2e Þ2 0:316
C2 ¼  cosa Ri  R4e þ i . . . . . . . . ð3Þ f ¼  
0:25 ; . . . . . . . . . ð9Þ
16l dz lnðRe =Ri Þ 1þk 2
1þk
" # Re 
1 ðR2i  R2e Þ4    ð1  k2 Þ ð1 þ kÞlnð1=kÞ
2 2 2 Re
C3 ¼  R R
e i ln . . . .ð4Þ
2lðR2i  R2e Þ 4 Ri
where Re is Reynolds number.
  As in the case of non-Newtonian flow, the differential equation
qg cosacosh R3i  R3e R2  R2e Re   becomes nonlinear because the equivalent viscosity is a function
C4 ¼ þ i ln Ri
; . . . . ð5Þ
3l 6 ðRi þ Re Þ of the pressure difference and friction factor. At each timestep, an
iterative procedure is followed to calculate the pressure field of
where Ri is internal radius (m), Re is external radius (m), q is fluid the turbulent flow.
density (kg/m3), l is fluid viscosity (Pas), g is gravity (ms–2), h The set of differential equations that describes the flow was
is azimuthal coordinate (radians), and a is inclination of the well solved by use of an explicit Euler time integration to update the
with respect to the horizontal direction (radians). color-function field that marks the position of each of the phases.
It is important to notice that the coefficients C1 ðz; hÞ, C2 ðz; hÞ, Upwinding was used to descretize the color function, and a
C3 ðz; hÞ, and C4 ðz; hÞ depend on the geometry of annular space [Ri second-order finite-difference method was used to descretize the
and Re(z,h)] and the properties of the liquid (q and l) that occupies pressure equation. Predictions agree well with results from a full
each point ðz; hÞ. Consequently, these coefficients vary with time 3D model for a very short annular space.
as one fluid is replaced by another during the displacement process.
To define the liquid properties at each point during the dis-
placement process, we use a pseudoconcentration function / that
is convected by the flow. Its evolution is described by Experimental Work
A set of experimental runs was performed to evaluate fluid dis-
@/ placement at different rheology and density ratios. The experi-
þ u  r/ ¼ 0; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð6Þ
@t mental work was performed at an onshore experimental test well.
It is a laboratory dedicated to full-scale tests with a 1192-m verti-
where u is the average velocity vector.
cal well equipped with a conventional rig.
Eq. 1 is derived for Newtonian fluids. The flow of non-Newto-
The vertical well was equipped with a densometer at the return
nian liquids is described by use of the same equation by considering
line. The displacement tests were performed in a 3.5-in. drillpipe,
the concept of an equivalent viscosity. At each point, an equivalent
returning through a 7-in. casing with an inside diameter of 6.366 in.
Newtonian viscosity that leads to the same local pressure-drop/
Table 1 presents relevant well data. To maintain the tube centraliza-
flow-rate relationship of the non-Newtonian flow is evaluated:
tion, rigid centralizers with 6.0-in. outside diameter were positioned
2 3 along the well to create a constant 95% standoff. Fig. 1 presents a
4 2
1  k 1  k sketch of the experimental apparatus for displacements tests. Sam-
R2e 4   5
1  k2 ln 1=   ples were collected at the return flowline; the evaluation of fluid
k 2 dP contamination was determined by measuring its properties.
l¼ ð Re ð1  k Þ  ; . . . . . . . . ð7Þ
s dz Table 2 summarizes fluids used and their properties. All fluids
8 dr
Ri gðsÞ were prepared with a compatible base (synthetic oil). The main
goals of the experimental campaign were to evaluate the role of
where: k is radii ratio, s is shear stress, and g is viscosity function. rheological and density hierarchies and of the flow regime in the

December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion 597

 FLUID #1 (aprox. 13 ppg) FLUID #2 (aprox. 9 ppg) FLUID #3 (aprox. 6.3 ppg)

FLUID #1 FLUID #2 FLUID #3

TANKS FOR
MIXTURES
DISCHARGE

PUMP UNIT

VERTICAL WELL

DRILLPIPE
OD 3.0 in
ID 2.764 in

by-pass

CASING
Interface OD 7.0 in DENSOMETER
ID 6.366 in

SAMPLING

1192 m

Fig. 1—Schematic view of apparatus for displacement tests.

displacement process. Some operational parameters may be uncom- Results and Discussion
mon in real operations because we intended to stress the difference The numerical simulations of the tests presented in Table 2 were
in results. Tests 1A and 1B aimed to simulate the displacement of a carried out with the in-house software. Fig. 2 shows an example
“washer” by a “spacer” at two different flow rates. Tests 2A and 2B of the simulation of Test 2B. The software allows the simulation
were designed to simulate the displacement of a “drilling fluid” by a of the evolution of fluid interface, Re, and local velocity, as shown
“spacer” with lower rheology and density (disregarding rheology- in Fig. 2. Flow variables can also be plotted at specified cross sec-
hierarchy criteria). Tests 3A and 3B were intended to simulate a tions along the well. The predictions of pumping pressure were
“drilling fluid” being displaced by a “washer.” compared with data from hydraulic simulations conducted with
The flow rates of 4, 5, and 7.2 bbl/min aimed to reproduce the another in-house flow simulator (Campos et al. 1993; Aranha
desired Re range [140 to 650 for the non-Newtonian fluids (dril- et al. 2010).
ling fluid and spacer) and 18,000 to 100,000 for the Newtonian The next figures highlight the comparison between experimen-
fluid (washer)] found in a displacement of 121=4-in. openhole sec- tal results and theoretical predictions resulting from the proposed
tion with a 95=8-in. casing pumped at 8, 10, and 15 bbl/min, model. Figs. 3 and 4 present the experimental and numerical
respectively. It is convenient to emphasize that, although simula- results for Tests 1A and 1B, respectively. It is possible to observe
tion results describe only the annular flow displacement, the an abrupt change in the measured fluid density, indicating that
experiments included (because of equipment limitation) both pipe there was a well-defined interface between the fluids without
and annular displacement. appreciable mixing between them. The numerical predictions of

598 December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion

 TABLE 2—SUMMARY OF TESTS PERFORMED

TESTS

1A 1B 2A 2B 3A 3B

Displaced Fluid Washer Washer Fluid 3 Fluid 5 Fluid 7 Fluid 8

(drilling fluid) (drilling fluid) (drilling fluid) (drilling fluid)
Density (lbm/gal) 6.2 6.2 13.1 13.1 9.1 9.5
Rheometric Readings (degrees)
h600 5 5 200 170 50 54
h300 2 2 121 99 27 33
h200 1 1 91 74 19 23
h100 57 44 12 14
h6 15 11 1 3
h3 14 9 1 2
Bingham Model Parameters
Plastic Viscosity (cp) 1.4 1.4 93.6 80.7 24.5 26.1
Yield Stress (lbf/100 ft2) 0.3 0.3 21.5 14.5 2.0 4.2
Displacement Fluid Fluid 1 Fluid 2 Fluid 4 Fluid 6 Washer Washer
(spacer) (spacer) (spacer) (spacer)
Density (lbm/gal) 9.5 9.2 9.6 9.2 6.2 6.2
Rheometric Readings (degrees)
h600 54 55 71 56 5 5
h300 33 31 40 33 2 2
h200 23 22 30 29 1 1
h100 14 14 20 15
h6 3 3 5 3
h3 2 2 4 2
Bingham Model Parameters
Plastic Viscosity (cp) 26.1 26.4 33.2 26.9 1.4 1.4
Yield Stress (lbf/100 ft2) 4.2 3.7 6.4 5.2 0.3 0.3
Flow Rate (bbl/min) 4.0 7.2 5 7.2 4.0 7.2

both the fluid density and pumping pressure reproduce the experi- It is important to notice that in Test 1B, it was difficult to
mental results well. The comparison between the experimental maintain a constant flow rate of 7.2 bbl/min at the beginning of
and simulated mixture volume and simulated annular height for the displacement, and both the pumping pressure and the flow rate
Tests 1A and 1B are presented in Table 3. A slightly optimistic oscillated. The in-house simulator was able to capture this behav-
prediction can be justified by the fact that part of the mixing may ior, as indicated in Fig. 4. The densities of samples obtained from
take place on the way down the casing, a question not addressed the return flowline agreed with the data acquired. The mixture
by the theoretical model. volume accounted for the interval when the measured densities

Fig. 2—In-house software, simulating the displacement for Test 2B.

December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion 599

 1200 12
Pump Pressure

Predicted Pump Pressure

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

1000 10 Flow Rate
Measured Density

Ideal Plug Displacement Density

800 8
Predicted Density
Pressure (psi)

600 6

400 4

200 2

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 3—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 1A.

3500 10 Pump Pressure

Predicted Pump Pressure

9
3000

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

Flow Rate
8 Measured Density

2500 Ideal Plug Displacement Density

7
Predicted Density
Pressure (psi)

6
2000
5
1500
4

1000 3

2
500
1

0 0
0 50 100 150 200
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 4—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 1B.

were between the density values of displaced and displacing the predicted profile of the fluid density is quantitatively different
fluids. from the experimental result, possibly because of miscibility or
The results presented agree with the general knowledge that, diffusion. Table 4 shows the comparison between the measured
for vertical wells with good centralization, ensuring compatibility and predicted mixture volumes for Tests 2A and 2B. The absence
between fluids and the hierarchy of density and rheology of the of density and rheology hierarchies between the “drilling fluid”
“washer” and “spacer” fluids leads to a uniform displacement and “spacer” (Tests 2A and 2B) led to the formation of a greater
front with a small volume of mixture. mixture volume and a nonuniform interface, compared with dis-
Figs. 5 and 6 present the results of tests 2A and 2B, respec- placement in Cases 1A and 1B.
tively, where it is possible to observe a smooth variation of the Figs. 7 and 8 present the experimental and numerical results
fluid density, indicating the formation of a large volume of mix- of Tests 3A and 3B, respectively. In both cases, the experiments
ing. Fluids involved in this case did not respect the hierarchy of show indication of a uniform displacement, which in principle
density and rheology, and the flow rate was low enough that the was not expected, because the sequence of injected fluids did not
displacement occurred in the laminar regime. obey the appropriate hierarchy criteria for both density and rheol-
The numerical predictions of fluid density and pumping pres- ogy. The main difference between these tests and Tests 2A and
sure agree with the measurements and show the formation of 2B was that the flow of n-paraffin (washer) occurred under the tur-
interface mixing observed in the experimental result. However, bulent regime (Re > 18,000), which must have contributed to the
result of scant mixing between the fluids. The observed abrupt
increase in density upon arrival of the interface of both phases at
TABLE 3—COMPARISON OF SIMULATED RESULTS AND the outflow section of the annulus may have occurred as a result
THE RESULTS FOR TESTS 1A AND 1B of barite settling or removal of debris that could have been present
in the bottom of the well.
Simulated Measured Simulated The proposed turbulent model implemented in the in-house
Mixture Mixture Mixture Annular software was able to capture the stabilization of the interface
Test Volume (bbl) Volume (bbl) Height (m) because of the turbulent nature of the flow of the displacing phase,
as shown in Figs. 7 and 8. Both experimental and numerical
1A 11 13 131
results have shown that, in the case of vertical wells with good
1B 10 11 120 centralization, the absence of hierarchy for rheology and density

600 December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion

 3000 16
Pump Pressure

Predicted Pump Pressure

14
2500 Flow Rate

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

Measured Density
12
Ideal Plug Displacement Density
2000 Predicted Density
10

Pressure (psi)
1500 8

6
1000

4
500
2

0 0
0 50 100 150 200
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 5—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 2A.

3500 16
Pump Pressure

Predicted Pump Pressure

3000 14
Flow Rate

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

Measured Density
12
2500 Ideal Plug Displacement Density

Predicted Density
10
Pressure (psi)

2000
8
1500
6

1000
4

500 2

0 0
0 50 100 150 200
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 6—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 2B.

between the drilling fluid and washer did not lead to the formation Further development includes pipe-movement effects, diffusion/
of an interface mixture because the displacement happened in a miscibility terms, and pipe-flow displacement.
turbulent regime—this behavior is observed in several onshore The experiments provide validation to simulation results. The
operations when “washer” fluid returns to the surface through an set of data produced indicates that density/rheology hierarchy is
annular section during the displacement. fundamental for laminar displacement, whereas turbulence allows
proper displacement of viscous fluids by low-viscosity pills. Experi-
ments were performed in a perfectly centralized vertical well (95%
Conclusions standoff) to study different displacement scenarios. Standoff effects
An innovative model to describe the displacement of Newtonian/ were not evaluated and certainly play an important role in the dis-
non-Newtonian fluids through annular space was developed. placement process.
Derived from the well-known lubrication theory, now considering The present simulation approach is a fundamental tool in
annular curvature effects, this approach provides accurate results cementing design for complex wells. Also, operational procedures
even in wide annular gaps. Turbulent regimes are also considered. for fluid substitution during drilling and completion phases can be
established, targeting operational efficiency and safety.

TABLE 4—COMPARISON OF SIMULATED RESULTS AND Nomenclature

THE RESULTS FOR TESTS 2A AND 2B g ¼ gravity (ms–2)
K ¼ radii ratio
Simulated Measured Simulated Re ¼ Reynolds number
Mixture Mixture Mixture Annular Ri ¼ internal radius (m)
Test Volume (bbl) Volume (bbl) Height (m) Re ¼ external radius (m)
a ¼ inclination of the well with respect to the horizontal
2A 96 70 1140
direction (radians)
2B 43 48 512
l ¼ fluid viscosity (Pas)

December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion 601

 2000 12
Pump Pressure

1800 Predicted Pump Pressure

10 Flow Rate

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

1600
Measured Density

1400 Ideal Plug Displacement Density

8
Predicted Density
Pressure (psi)

1200

1000 6

800
4
600

400
2
200

0 0
0 50 100 150 200
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 7—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 3A.

3500 12
Pump Pressure

Predicted Pump Pressure

3000 10 Flow Rate

Density (lb.gal−1) / Flow Rate (bbl.min−1)

Measured Density

2500 Ideal Plug Displacement Density

8 Predicted Density
Pressure (psi)

2000
6
1500

4
1000

2
500

0 0
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Pumped Volume (bbl)

Fig. 8—Comparison of the experimental and simulated results for Test 3B.

h ¼ azimuthal coordinate (radians) Wells. Paper SPE 94623 presented at the SPE Latin American and Ca-
s ¼ shear stress ribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
q ¼ fluid density (kg/m3) 20–23 June. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/94623-MS.
g ¼ viscosity function Dutra, E.S.S., Naccache, M.F., Mendes, P.R.S. et al. 2004. Analysis of Inter-
face Between Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Fluids Inside Annular
Eccentric Tubes. In Proceedings of the ASME International Mechanical
Engineering Congress and Exposition, 14–19 November, Anaheim, Cali-
References fornia. p. 787–793. New York, New York: American Society of Mechan-
Aranha, P.E., Martins, A.L., Campos, G. et al. 2010. Desenvolvimento de ical Engineers. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/IMECE2004-59335
Modelo Transiente para Previsão de Pressões e vazões considerando Gomes, F.C. and Carvalho, M.S. 2010. An Asymptotic Cylindrical Model
Efeito de Queda Livre em Operações de Cimentação de Poços de Pet- for Well Cementing Process. 13th Brazilian Congress of Thermal Sci-
róleo. Presented at the XVIII Congresso Brasileiro de Engenharia Quı́- ences and Engineering, 5–10 December, Uberlândia.
mica, Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, 19–22 September 2010. Haut, R.C. and Crook, R.J. 1979. Primary Cementing: The Mud Displace-
Aranha, P.E., Miranda, C.R., Magalhães, J.V.M. et al. 2011. Dynamic ment Process. SPE 8253 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Con-
Aspects Governing Cement-Plug Placement in Deepwater Wells. SPE ference and Exhibition. Las Vegas, Nevada, 23–26 September. http://
Drill Compl 26 (3): 341–351. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/140144-PA. dx.doi.org/10.2118/8253-MS.
Bittleston, S.H., Ferguson, J., and Frigaard, I.A. 2002. Mud Removal and Lockyear, C.F. and Hibbert, A.P. 1989. Integrated Primary Cementing
Cement Placement During Primary Cementing of an Oil Well. J. Eng. Study Defines Key Factors for Field Success. J. Pet. Tech. 41 (12):
Math. 43: 229–253. http://dx.doi.org/10.1023/A:1020370417367. 1320–1325. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/18376-PA.
Campos, W., Lage, A.C.V.M., and Poggio Jr., A. 1993. Free-Fall-Effect Miranda, C.R., Carvalho, K.T., Vargas, A.A. et al. 2007. Minimizing Fluid
Calculation Ensures Better Cement-Operation Design. SPE Drill Contamination During Oilwell Operations. Offshore Mediterranean
Compl 8 (3): 175–178. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/21107-PA. Conference, Ravenna, Italy.
Dutra, E.S.S., Martins, A.L., Miranda. C.R. et al.2005. Dynamics of Fluid Sauer, C.W. 1987. Mud Displacement During Cementing: A State of the Art.
Substitution While Drilling and Completing Long Horizontal-Section J. Pet. Tech. 39 (9): 1091–1101. http://dx.doi.org./10.2118/14197-PA.

602 December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion

Tehrani, A., Ferguson, J., and Bittleston, S.H. 1992. Laminar Displace- cement durability, and physical and chemical properties of
ment in Annuli: A Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study. Pa- cement systems for oil wells.
per SPE 24569 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and André Leibsohn Martins is a senior adviser in the Well Technol-
Exhibition, Washington DC, 4–7 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/ ogy Sector at the Petrobras R&D Center in Rio de Janeiro. He
24569-MS. holds DS and BS degrees, both in chemical engineering, from
the Universidade Federal Fluminense in Rio de Janeiro and an
Pedro Esteves Aranha is a research petroleum chemist in the MS degree in petroleum engineering from the State University of
Well Technology Sector at the Petrobras R&D Center in Rio de Campinas. Since joining Petrobras, Martins has been the coordi-
Janeiro. He holds BS and MS degrees, both in chemistry, from nator of major research projects involving drilling and comple-
the Federal University of Sao Carlos. Since 2007, Aranha has tion of long horizontal-section wells in offshore environments.
been developing software for cementing operations as well
as executing computational analyses. Frederico Carvalho Gomes is a research engineer and a DSc
candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at
Cristiane Richard de Miranda is a senior adviser with Petrobras. Pontificia Universidade Catolica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-Rio),
She holds a DS degree in materials science and an MS degree Brazil. He holds BSc and MSc degrees in mechanical engineer-
in inorganic chemistry. de Miranda has been working in the ing, both from PUC-Rio. Gomes is currently working on the de-
Research Center of Petrobras for more than 20 years in velopment of numerical models and software for cementing
cementing projects. Her main topics of research are related and drilling processes and free surface flows.
to fluid displacement, cement durability, and physical and
chemical properties of cement systems for oil wells. Simone Bochner de Araujo is a research engineer and an MSc
candidate in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at
Walter Francisco Cardoso Jr. is a research petroleum chemist PUC-Rio. She holds a BSc degree in mechanical engineering
in the Rock-Fluid Interaction Sector at the Petrobras R&D Cen- from PUC-Rio. de Araujo is currently working on the develop-
ter in Rio de Janeiro. He holds an industrial chemistry degree ment of numerical models and software for cementing and
from the Universidade Federal Fluminense. With previous expe- drilling processes.
rience as a drilling fluids engineer on Campos basin rigs since
2004, Cardoso has been working on the drilling fluids R & D Marcio Carvalho earned a PhD degree in chemical engineer-
team, with the main focus on salt formation dissolution and ing from the University of Minnesota. He worked as senior pro-
wellbore leaching. cess development engineer at 3M Company and Imation
Corporation in the area of coating processes. In 1998 Carvalho
Gilson Campos is a senior adviser in well cementing at Petro- moved back to Brazil, where he is a professor in the Depart-
bras Production Engineering Headquarters in Rio de Janeiro. ment of Mechanical Engineering at PUC-Rio. Carvalho is also a
He graduated in industrial chemistry from Universidade Fed- member of the graduate faculty in the Department of Chemi-
eral Fluminense. Campos has been the coordinator of applied cal Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Min-
cementing technology for more than 20 years in cementing nesota. His research is focused on several aspects of coating
projects. The main topics of cementing technologies in which processes, non-Newtonian fluid mechanics in small-scale flows,
he has been involved are related to fluid displacement, asymptotic methods, and flow of emulsions in porous media.

December 2012 SPE Drilling & Completion 603