I. Concept of Cementing Engineering

The operation of filling the annular space between the casing and the wellbore with cement.

 

II. Purpose of Cementing

  1. Reinforce the wellbore to ensure safe drilling continues.
  2. Isolate oil, gas, and water layers to ensure stratified testing during exploration and reasonable oil and gas production throughout the exploitation process.

III. Origin and Development of Cementing

  1. In 1903, in the La Habra oilfield in California, USA, cement slurry was used to plug the water layer above the oil layer in a well. Frank and Union Oil Company mixed 50 bags of Portland cement and delivered it downhole using a sand-scooping bucket. After 28 days, the cement in the well was drilled out, and the well was completed after drilling through the oil layer.
  2. In China, 1,200 years ago, tung oil and lime (CaO) were used to reinforce the annulus in wells drilled using percussion drilling methods to extract natural gas. By 1910, cementing could be performed in wells 600 to 900 meters deep.
  3. In 1937 (657 years ago), the API (American Petroleum Institute) Standardization Committee was established.
  4. Subsequently, specialized cementing equipment like cementing units, testing equipment, and cement additives were developed. Various cementing tools and cementing techniques suitable for different conditions were also advanced.
  5. Scientific Cementing Cementing is the final procedure in drilling operations. Its success is critical; minor issues can lead to cost overruns, while major ones can result in failed exploitation. Therefore, all oil-producing countries attach great importance to cementing research. It is an applied science composed of multiple disciplines, reflecting the combined levels of geology, petroleum engineering, mechanics, chemistry, fluid dynamics, and electronics.