Simulation of the Manufacturing Process of Foamed Cement

Abstract

Foamed cement has been used widely by the petroleum industry as a high-stress resistant, low-density material to withstand extreme downhole environments inherent to offshore wellbores. A lack of understanding regarding how foamed cement sets under subsurface field conditions can lead to risk assessment uncertainties and compromised well integrity. The National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a novel procedure for manufacturing foamed cement in a laboratory environment which entails forcing the fluid through a series of sudden contractions and sudden expansions. This work investigated the effects of such geometric features on the internal pressure and velocity fields of cement during the manufacturing process. Numerical simulations were conducted on a fluid flowing through three key geometric configurations chosen to mimic the aforementioned process with density and viscosity comparable to the cement produced by NETL. It was observed that the velocity profiles developed and regressed quickly and efficiently, achieving uniform parabolic shapes while traversing both sudden contractions and sudden expansions. Predictable trends in flow patterns were also exhibited by sudden contractions followed by sudden expansions. Advisers / coauthors: Kevin T. Shanley, Division of Engineering Programs, SUNY New Paltz, Dustin Crandall, National Energy Technology Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy