Smart Acoustic Cement for Well Integrity Diagnostics

Wellbore integrity is of critical importance for ensuring efficient well operations as well as human health and environmental safety. An increasing numbers of wells are being drilled in areas of large populations that rely on subsurface sources of drinking water. The ability to assess well integrity would further reduce the risk of aquifer contamination due to inadequate cement jobs. A cost-effective method of determining cement condition would ensure improved efficiency in addition to increased levels of safety. Furthermore, increased knowledge of cement condition will help to better guide well construction and operation. However, current techniques for well cement evaluation often yield ambiguous or inaccurate results. Oceanit has developed a unique acoustically responsive well cement that allows enhanced determination of cement location, integrity, and stress. The new well isolation material provides unique identification of the location of well cements through enhanced acoustic impedance, even in lightweight and foam formulations. It allows improved detection of voids at the cement-formation barrier as well as the casing- cement interface. The smart cement utilizes a specially engineered particulate filler that acts as an acoustic band gap filter and contrast agent at particular frequencies. Oceanit leverages over $1.5M of Oil & Gas Industry investment in well sensing and smart cement development at Oceanit. Oceanit plans to further develop its smart acoustic cement and prepare for full-scale field trials through additional lab tests and sub-scale field tests at its established test site. These will include determining the range and resolution of stress measurements as well as optimizing the smart cement formulation. The goal of the project is to demonstrate significant value for the acoustic smart cement in detecting and thereby reducing well integrity risks due to cementing and formation issues.