The basis for this project is to establish a best practice for evaluating cement plug seals for well abandonment, built on a comprehensive engineering study of the fundamentals governing cement plug seal performance. It will consist of laboratory and field investigations to assess the necessary attributes of the seal formed by a cement plug, and to determine the effects of wellbore geometry, cement properties, and placement methods on these attributes. Bond and seal effectiveness determined by current plug evaluation methods (pressure testing and weight testing) will be evaluated in light of potential leak pathways and failure mechanisms. Analysis of the information from the assessment of current verification methods, leak pathways, failure modes, cement properties, wellbore geometry, and placement methods will identify an optimum verification method for cement plug seal, as well as a correlation to relating well geometry, cement properties, and placement methods to potential for forming an effective seal.
This project has been completed. A final meeting was held in BSEE's offices in Herndon, VA on May 2, 2012.