SPE/IADC 79912

Foam Cementing on the Eldfisk Field: A Case Study

K. Green, SPE, Phillips Petroleum Co., Norway; P.G. Johnson, SPE, Phillips Petroleum Co., Norway; and Rune
Hobberstad, SPE, Halliburton, Norway
Copyright 2003, SPE/IADC Drilling Conference
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference held in
Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 1921 February 2003.
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paper, as presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers or the
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Abstract
Data gathered from 15 (5 conventional, 10 foam) production
wells on the Eldfisk field in the North Sea indicate that foam
cement outperforms conventional cement for zonal isolation
and dynamic curing of losses.
Drilling in a highly fractured reservoir presents problems
related to losses and providing effective zonal isolation across
the producing interval. Nearly all recent wells drilled in the
Eldfisk Field have encountered losses in the magnitude of 250
to 300 bbl/hr.
Considering the downhole conditions, with pore pressures
ranging from 4 to 10 lb/gal in the different productive layers,
the importance of zonal isolation, establishing barriers in
water productive layers, and achieving overall cement
coverage is extremely important.
Because the reservoir section in the Eldfisk Field is mainly
chalk, permeability is generally low. If not stimulated, the
economics of drilling in this field would be marginal. The
overall success of the drilling effort is therefore dependent on
the stimulation results, which in turn depend largely on
effective zonal isolation/cement coverage across the
productive interval.
Foamed cement has been introduced and seems to have
fulfilled the requirements of cementing in this challenging
field. Since its introduction, the service companies have
performed ten jobs successfully. The criteria for success have
been measured using each of the following factors: operational
performance, fluid diversion during stimulation, and
CBL evaluation.
This paper provides details about the following:

Design review
Operational challenges related to strict environmental
rules
Handling foam cement returns at surface

Case review of the stimulation result

Possible conformance
Hydraulic fracturing
CBL results from one well

Introduction
The following case study demonstrates that the unique
properties of foamed cement can enable it to outperform
conventional and lightweight cement systems in highly
demanding reservoirs such as those in the Eldfisk Field.
General Field Description
The Eldfisk Field, discovered in 1970, is located in the
southern section of the Norwegian North Sea in Block 2/7.
This field is a high-porosity, low-permeability Ekofisk/Tor
chalk reservoir. The initial reservoir pressure of the field was
6,800 psia and the static bottomhole temperature (BHT) is
268F. The true vertical depth (TVD) of the main reservoir
section is from 9,800 ft to 12,000 ft. This field has produced
427 MMbbl of oil, 24 MMbbl of water, and 1,505 Bcfg. The
current average reservoir pressure is about 3,000 psi.
Waterflooding of this reservoir started in 2000. To help
optimize the recovery of the reservoir, most of the vertical
production and injection wells have been sidetracked and
drilled horizontally.
The reservoir depletion to less than seawater gradient has
greatly affected the drilling and completion practices.
Currently, an 8.6-lb/gal seawater mud system is used for
drilling the depleted reservoir section. This creates a high
potential for lost-circulation problems. When excessive lost
circulation occurs, a floating mud cap concept is used by
which the annulus is kept full while drilling continues.1 On
several wells, drilling has continued with losses of over
300 bbl/hr.
Cement Job Design
The Eldfisk field requires a cementing system that reduces the
risk of lost circulation, while simultaneously delivering
excellent annular displacement efficiency with the aim of
achieving 100% annular fill. When set, the cement must
exhibit complete zonal isolation for the life of the well
(stimulation, production, selective work over), while providing
lateral pipe support to combat compaction-induced failures.
Foamed cement seems to fulfill these requirements.
In addition to the normal requirements of a cemented
production liner, foamed cement is considered suitable for the

Eldfisk wells because it can offer several other unique

advantages discussed in the following paragraphs.
Lower Hydrostatic Pressure. Circulation losses while
drilling and cementing in this field are common. Although the
vertical height between total depth (TD) and the liner top is
not great in general, a reduction of cement density from 15.9
to 11.5 lb/gal will reduce the hydrostatic pressure in the
horizontal section by an average of 350 psi.
Dynamic Control of Losses. The thixotropic and expansive
nature of foam, together with the structural features of the
bubble cells, helps reduce losses to vuggy or fractured
formations and helps reduce fluid loss to permeable
formations.
Strength-to-Density Ratio. Foamed cement slurries can
achieve considerably higher strengths than low-density slurries
extended using additional water.
Mechanical Properties of Set Cement. The high ductility
and bubble structure of foamed cements has been shown to be
beneficial when the cemented annulus is subjected to thermal
and mechanical loading. These features of foamed cements
can enable internal deformation without cracking. This
property also helped combat liner collapses that have occurred
on the Eldfisk Field as a result of subsidence.2-4
Hole Cleaning. The high apparent viscosity of foamed fluids
can enable them to exceed the shear stress required to mobilize
highly gelled muds and to exhibit superior solids-carrying
capability.5-7
Environmental Considerations
During the design phase and initial planning for the
introduction of foamed cement in the North Sea, one of the
major driving forces behind the choice of cement slurry was
consideration for the environment.
The ever increasing push from the Norwegian government
to use chemicals that pose little or no risk (PLONORapproved) and employ the zero-discharge philosophy led to
the development of a foam cement system containing mostly
PLONOR-approved chemicals and a system to safely contain
foam cement circulated out of the well.
In the Eldfisk foamed cement slurry, there was a
substantial reduction in the number of chemicals used,
compared to the nonfoamed cement slurries being pumped.
Only one chemical in the foamed cement slurry was not on the
PLONOR list vs. three for the conventional slurry design. The
major components in the slurry composition were all
PLONOR approved, and there was no need for the poorly
biodegradable polymers often used in conventional slurries.
Due to lower chemical requirements and the environmental
properties of the chemicals used, foamed cement is one
of the most environmentally friendly zonal isolation
systems available.

SPE/IADC 79912

Slurry Choice and Design

The base cement slurry was designed according to the
following criteria:8

No anti-foaming chemicals to prevent destabilizing

the foam cement
High ratio of reactive solids to water for higher
compresive strengths
Accelerators, retarders, or other chemical additives
should be non-dispersing to prevent further
destabilizing the foam cement
Silica is used to combat strength retrogression at
temperatures greater than 230F

In general, defoamers and dispersants tend to destabilize

foamed cement, while admixes that increase viscosity or add
thixotropy tend to stabilize.
Fluid-loss control agents are not always needed with
foamed cements due to the inherently low fluid-loss aspects of
foams. In addition, foamers and foam stabilizers are critical to
foam properties; tested and proven with respect to
compatibility, capability, and foam stability; and effective
through the wellbore temperature range.
Note that the foamer used was the non-PLONOR
chemical. Initial slurry lab test results are described in
Table 1.
Computer-Aided Job Design
Table 2 shows the main parameters for the dynamic
placement program used during the placement design phase.
Employing a computer program in a foamed cement job
design is recommended. The software can enable accurate
determination of the following parameters:

Annular volume from caliper log

Equivalent circulating density (ECD)
Surface pressure
Nitrogen concentration
Hydrostatic profile
Displacement efficiency (erodibility)

In addition, the dynamic placement program was used to

rerun previous jobs. The recorded data was loaded into the
simulator and the service companies acquired valuable
information regarding the job execution that was then taken
into consideration on the next job. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 show these
printouts.
Spacer Design
Types of Spacer Used. To help ensure high job performance,
it was essential that the design phase include a spacer system
that could enable proper mud removal and water wetting of the
casing and formation.

SPE/IADC 79912

For the jobs performed with water-based mud (WBM) in

the hole, water was recommended, for the following reasons:

To avoid free-fall (U-tubing) and resultant loss of job

control and foam overexpansion
To reduce hydrostatic and ECD towards end of
displacement
High density was not required for well control
Improved displacement efficiency resulting from
highly turbulent flow flush, followed by foam

When oil-based mud (OBM) was present in the wellbore, a

conventional turbulent flow, weighted spacer was used with
density intermediate between the mud and cement slurry.
The first half of the spacer contained mud-thinning and
water-wetting surfactants, whereas no chemicals were added
to the second half to avoid the possibility of destabilizing
the foam.
Equipment Layout
Performing a foamed cementing job requires specialized
equipment and computer design programs. A foam generator
that creates an 800- to 1,000-psi pressure drop is needed to
provide the required shear energy to promote stable foam with
small discrete bubbles. An automated nitrogen unit slaved to
the base slurry rate can provide consistent surface and
downhole slurry densities. The foamed cement process fully
integrates the automation for all parts of the cementing job.
All equipment is linked together and operates according to the
rate of slurry production. Fig. 4 shows the required
instrumentation and overall layout of the operational rig up.
NORSOK (the competitive standing of the Norwegian
offshore sector) is the industry initiative to add value, reduce
cost and lead time, and eliminate unnecessary activities in
offshore field developments and operations. All of the
equipment used for the foamed cement operation complies
with these standards (NORSOK Z-015).
The complete NORSOK standard is comprehensive and
includes governing regulations for all aspects of the drilling
operation. For the mobile equipment (Z-015) used in the
foamed cement jobs, requirements included:

Sound insulation for diesel units

Automatic fire and gas detection
Electrical shutdown mechanism connected to the drilling
emergency shutdown system (ESD) system

Job Execution
Liner Running and Configuration. After setting a 9 5/8-in.
whipstock at 5,170 ft TVD, an 8 -in. 9 7/8-in. bicenter hole
was drilled to within +/- 10 ft TVD of the Ekofisk formation.
A 7 -in. liner was then set and cemented conventionally at
approximately 9,500 ft TVD at an approximately 60 angle.
The 6 -in. hole was drilled horizontally through the Ekofisk
and Tor formations (Fig. 7). A 5-in. liner was then run through
this section and foam cemented, using a remote-operated
cementing head. This liner-hanger system was hydraulically
set with a mechanically set liner top packer. To increase the

chances of bumping the plug, all of the liner joints were

calipered to determine the exact ID, and a four-joint shoe track
was run. To increase the chances of rotating the liner during
the cement job, the liner was filled with seawater containing a
graphite friction reducer that also acted as a loss-circulating
material.
Pumping Schedule. Measurement of surface foam density is
seldom attempted in the field. Therefore, careful monitoring of
pressures and temperatures and accurate control of mixing
ratios of nitrogen, base slurry, and surfactant are
recommended for a successful operation. To help enable
accurate placement and a consistent downhole density, jobcontrolling volume schedules are employed. The design of
these tables can enable accurate spot checks and volumetric
control of the fluids as they are being pumped.
Designing a foam cement job and executing the plan
accordingly requires accurate quality control during the
pumping sequence. Base slurry density should be controlled
using a recirculating mixer and radioactive densiometer
(RAD) upstream and downstream from the surfactant addition
point. Periodically, the density should be physically verified
using a pressurized balance. Base slurry flowrate should be
measured using a stroke counter and flowmeter (Fig. 8). The
nitrogen unit should be slaved to the base slurry rate so that
any changes in base slurry rate are compensated with a change
in nitrogen rate. Nitrogen flowrate from the flowmeter should
also be crosschecked against the pump stroke counter flowrate
and the pressure drop across the foam generator to help ensure
accuracy. The surfactant rate should be measured with a
flowmeter and verified with tank gauging.
With this information, the surface density can be
calculated using a computer simulation program. This should
be the design target. As illustrated in the graph in Fig. 9, the
job-control function was excellent. It should be noted that the
densities calculated using the nitrogen driveshaft counter were
considered erroneous for unknown reasons; this highlights the
need for close monitoring of all the flowrates using several
methods. Similar calculation techniques used to measure
surface density can be used to calculate the density of the
foam under downhole conditions (Fig. 10).
Job-Control Functions
The foamed cement process includes the use of fully
integrated automated systems to help ensure that the
cementing operation proceeds according to design for the best
possible results.
In addition to the fully automated system, in offshore
operations, we also employ real-time data transfer to the
onshore support staff. All of the vital job controls and data
acquisition are fully integrated in an onshore operations room.
Although no actual job control was given to the onshore
support team in this case, the entire foamed cement process
encourages and promotes real-time operations.
Through computer software that allows real-time
calculations of ECD and erodibility, placement dynamics can
be accurately determined and controlled. In late 2002,
ConocoPhillips will have a fully operational onshore drilling
center that will allow all the cement jobs (not just the foamed

cement jobs) to be performed with the help of real-time

operations and onshore support.
Handling Foam at Surface
Defoaming Manifold and Process. The major difference
between the foamed cementing operation and normal
cementing operations is the introduction of nitrogen into the
cement. Nitrogen is generally safe to work with because it is
nonflammable, nonpoisonous, and nonpolluting. Nevertheless,
general safety rules relating to nitrogen service should be
adhered to, such as chaining down energized lines, placing
drip pans beneath the nitrogen unit to prevent damage to the
platform, wearing personal protective gear, etc.
Environmentally, foam cementing results in significant
challenges in a zero-discharge environment if nitrified cement
must be brought back to surface. This situation could occur
after circulating from the liner top at the end of the cement
job. The expansion of the foam (1 bbl downhole = 70 bbl on
the surface9), can cause considerable uncertainty about how to
handle the large volumes of foam safely with the pit space
available on the platform. The conventional approach to
handling foamed cement circulated out above a liner top
packer on an offshore installation is to leave it in place, drill
the cement out in the 7 -in. casing in one trip, and on a
second trip, clean out the 5-in. liner.
To eliminate one trip, a defoaming process was developed
(Figs. 4 and 5) to help ensure zero discharge by breaking the
foam at surface and separating the liquid and gas phases. This
was done using a manifold system that allowed reverse
circulating the contents above the liner top packer through the
cement head where an OBM containing a cementing retarder
was injected to break the foam and retard the base slurry. The
mixture was then pumped across a choke for a shearing effect
and into the rigs poorboy degasser. The nitrogen was then
vented to the derrick and the retarded defoamed slurry was
pumped to the cuttings reinjection well for disposal. This
enabled the nitrogen to be vented in a safe and controlled
manner and reduced the pit volumes needed. Because of the
high ECD caused by reverse circulation, this process requires
bumping the liner wiper plug. If the plug is not bumped, there
is considerable risk of a wet shoe.
The overall operation of circulating out cement from the
top of the liner and reinjecting it complies with the zerodischarge philosophy and was vital in the overall success of
this project.
Computer-Based Control. A means for accurately predicting
the foam cement volumes being circulated out was essential to
the success of the operation. A series of computer simulations
correlated the volumetric expansion of the foam cement as the
pressure slowly decreased toward surface conditions. Tables
and graphical presentations from these simulation runs yielded
control functions for when to initiate the defoaming process,
how much defoaming fluid to pump, and what pressures to
expect. Examples of these charts can be found in Fig. 6.
Post-Job Review
The typical Eldfisk horizontal well is perforated over 15
intervals, spaced about 250 to 300 ft apart. Each interval is

SPE/IADC 79912

approximately 1 ft long, with a perforation density of 6 to 8

shots per ft. A typical stimulation attempts to acid-fracture
each interval with a single treatment, often divided into stages
consisting of gel, acid, diversion, and overflush. Thus, good
zonal isolation is needed to ensure that each interval
is stimulated.
With good zonal isolation, wellhead-treating pressures
throughout the stimulation job exhibited a characteristic
stairstep pattern. Such behavior is indicative of diversion balls
sealing off those zones taking the most stimulation fluids and
stimulation fluids moving to other open intervals but requiring
more pressure to overcome casing and liner friction pressure
losses. Without exception, the team produced the desired
stairstep pattern on the wells completed with foam cement
(Figs. 11 and 12). Conventional cements rarely show this
stairstep behavior. In fact, many jobs exhibit wellhead treating
pressures that go to vacuum due to lack of sealing behind
the pipe.
Cement Bond Evaluation. Methods to evaluate conventional
cements with logging data may not yield valid results in
foamed cements. These methods rely on the contrast of
acoustic properties of the materials in the annulus. When using
low-density foam cements, the acoustic properties are similar
to those of the wellbore fluid. Therefore, the resulting poor
CBL attenuation and minimal contrast in acoustic impedence
invalidate standard data processing techniques. Logging tools
commonly used in foam cement evaluation are the traditional
cement bond log (CBL) tools and the modern ultrasonic
scanning tools.10
CBL tools provide waveform images and acoustic
amplitudes that together help describe cement-to-pipe and
cement-to-formation bonding. Ultrasonic scanning tools
contribute circumferential images and detailed information
regarding the cement-to-pipe bond.
Although the average absolute value of acoustic
impedence of foam cement is typically similar to wellbore
fluids or gases, it is still possible to distinguish cement using
statistical variation techniques. This is because the solid
crystalline structure of cement exhibits a high degree of
impedence variation compared to a fluid. This statistical
interpretation method correlates the two datasets and can
enable accurate determination of cement quality.
The statistical variance method was applied to the
ultrasonic and acoustic data gathered from one of the Eldfisk
wells cemented with foam. The results were very good.
Although complete losses were experienced throughout the
entire liner running and cementing, results from the log
showed 81% coverage in the production interval.
Conclusion
The results gathered from the stimulation work, overall
operational execution, and cement bond evaluation indicate
that foamed cement fulfilled the initial requirements for
cementing in the Eldfisk field.
The operational aspect of performing foam cement jobs in
the North Sea has been overcome. Challenges related to strict
environmental regulations and equipment standards have been
met and overcome.

SPE/IADC 79912

The improved stimulation results have led to discussions

regarding extended treatments in the future, including
hydraulic fracturing and potential conformance treatments.
Zonal isolation is a critical factor to properly stimulate the
well and perform water shutoff. In wells that are proppantfractured, good zonal isolation is necessary. Proper placement
of proppant and the expense of such treatments dictate that
zonal isolation be fundamental to success. Many of the new
Eldfisk wells (both production and injection) are horizontal,
with lengths ranging from 2,000 to 5,000 ft. Because the
flooding pattern is rather complicated and sometimes
unpredictable, water shutoff must be possible. Foamed
cements can enable the operator to consider and implement
many conformance technologies because each producing
interval is isolated from the others.
The Eldfisk case study reflects the excellent performance
of foamed cement. The cements properties give the cements
superior placement qualities and excellent long-term zonal
isolation features.
Acknowledgments
The authors wish to thank the following groups and
individuals for their contributions to this paper:

ConocoPhillips and Halliburton management

Co-ventures: TotalFinaElf, Norsk AGIP, Statoil,
Norsk Hydro, and Petoro
Operational team
Operational management
Onshore support staff
Ian McPherson

References
1. Anvik, H.K. and Gibson, W.R.: Drilling and Workover

2.

3.
4.
5.

6.

7.

8.
9.
10.

Experiences in the Greater Ekofisk Area, paper IADC/SPE

1650 presented at the 1987 SPE/IADC Drilling Conference,
New Orleans, Louisiana, 15-18 March.
White, J., Moore, S., Miller, M., and Faul, R.: Foaming Cement
as a Deterrent to Compaction Damage in Deepwater
Production, paper SPE 59136 presented at the 2000 IADC/SPE
Drilling Conference, New Orleans, 23-25 February.
Goodwin, K.J. and Crook, R.J.: Cement Sheath Stress Failure,
SPEDE (December 1992) 291 (SPE 20453).
Thiercelin, M.J., Dargaud, B., Baret, J.F., and Rodriguez, W.J.:
Cement Design Based on Cement Mechanical Response,
SPEDE (December 1998) 266-273 (SPE 38598).
Ravi, K.M, Beirute, R.M., and Covington, R.L: Erodibility of
Partially Dehydrated Gelled Drilling Fluid and Filter Cake,
paper SPE 24571 presented at the 1992 Annual SPE Technical
Conference and Exhibition, Washington, D.C., 4-7 October.
Griffith, J.E. and Osisanya, S.: Thickness Optimization of
Drilling Fluid Filter Cakes for Cement Slurry Filtrate Control
and Long-Term Zonal Isolation, paper SPE 29473 presented at
the 1995 SPE Production Operations Symposium, Oklahoma
City, Oklahoma, 2-4 April.
Smith, T.R. and Ravi, K.M.: Investigation of Drilling Fluid
Properties to Maximize Cement Displacement Efficiency,
paper SPE 22775 presented at the 1991 Annual SPE Technical
Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, Texas, 6-9 October.
RP 10B, Recommended Practice for Testing Well Cements, 22nd
edition, API, Dallas (December 1997).
Foam Application Manual, Nitrogen Data for Oil Well
Servicing, (Halliburton P/N 252.11115, 1992).
Frisch, G.J., Graham, W.L., and Griffith, J.: Assessment of
Foamed CementCement Slurries Using Conventional Cement
Evaluation Logs and Improved Interpretation Methods, paper
SPE 55649 presented at the 1999 Rocky Mountain Regional
Meeting, Gillette, Wyoming, 15-18 May.

SPE/IADC 79912

Table 1Laboratory Test Results

94 lb/sk
1.38
4.5

Portland G Cement
Liquid Additives, gal/sec
Water, gal/sec

5.88
15.3
1.26

Total Mixing Fluid, gal/sec

Density, lb/gal
Yield, ft3/sk
Foamer, gps
Density with Foamer, lb/gal
Nitrogen Quality, %
Downhole Density, lb/gal
Thickening Time
Time to 30 Bc, hr:min
Time to 70 Bc, hr:min
Time to 100 Bc, hr:min
Bc Units at Test Temperature
Fann Data
Temperature, F
300 rev/min
200 rev/min
100 rev/min
60 rev/min
30 rev/min
6 rev/min
3 rev/min
Gel Strength, 10sec/10min
Plastic Viscosity (PV)
Yield Point (YP)
Foam Blender Time, sec
Foam Stability, lb/gal
50 psi Compressive Strength, hr:min
500 psi Compressive Strength, hr:min
24 hr Compressive Strength, psi

0.14
15.21
27
11.2 to 11.6
5:37
5:45
5:50
1-8
80
79
59
36
24
17
7
6
2
65
15

194
33
25
17
14
11
10
8
15
24
9
15

11.68

11.76
9:32
10:59
2,000

Table 2Computer Program Input Parameters

Design Open Hole Size
Foam Quality
Foam Design Method
Base Slurry
Back Pressure
Surface Pressure
Well Fluid
Base Slurry Pump Rate
Surface Iron
Flush/Spacer

8.98 in. (20% annular xs)

20 to 30%
Constant nitrogen
15.3 lb/gal Dyckerhoff G
Zero (atmospheric)
Preferrably > zero
8.7 lb/gal WBM
4 to 6 bbl/min
2-in. iron: 100-ft run, rising 30 ft
70 bbl, 8.34 lb/gal

SPE/IADC 79912

Table 3Job Control Sheet, Foam Cement

N2 Conc.

Base Slurry

15.3

Yield

1.26

(ft^/sk)

Water Ratio

5.88

(gal/sk)

Cement Rate

4.0

(bbl/min)
(increment bbl)

Mix H2O

286.0

N2 Choke

(scf/bbl)

12

(/64 in.)

Foamer Rate

2.58

(gal/min)

Foamer Rate

15.38

(gal/1,000 gal cement)

Foamer Conc.

0.140

(gal/sk)

Surf Depth

0.088

(cm/ltr)

Rates and Pressure

Volume

Cement

Surfactant

Nitrogen

Nitrogen

Surfactant

Volume

Volume

Cement

Mixing

Volume

Rate

Rate

Rate

Pressure

depth

Surfactant

Nitrogen

pumped

Water

Cement

(bbl/min)

(gal/min)

(SCF/min)

(psi)

(cm)

(gal)

(scf)

(bbl)

(bbl)

(sk)

1.5

0.97

429

1,023

0.7

2.0

917

14

1.6

1.03

458

1,093

2.3

7.0

3,209

11

50

1.7

1.10

486

1,162

4.0

12.0

5,501

19

12

86

1.8

1.16

515

1,231

5.7

17.0

7,793

27

17

121

1.9

1.23

543

1,300

7.3

22.0

10,085

35

22

157

2.0

1.29

572

1,369

9.0

27.0

12,378

43

27

193

2.1

1.35

601

1,439

10.7

32.0

14,670

51

32

229

2.2

1.42

629

1,508

12.3

37.0

16,962

59

37

264

2.3

1.48

658

1,577

14.0

42.0

19,254

67

42

300

2.4

1.55

686

1,646

15.7

47.0

21,546

75

47

336

2.5

1.61

715

1,715

17.3

52.0

23,838

83

52

371

2.6

1.68

744

1,785

19.0

57.0

26,130

91

57

407

2.7

1.74

772

1,854

20.7

62.0

28,423

99

62

443

2.8

1.81

801

1,923

22.3

67.0

30,715

107

67

479

2.9

1.87

829

1,992

24.0

72.0

33,007

115

72

514

1.94

858

2,061

25.6

77.0

35,299

123

77

550

3.1

2.00

887

2,131

27.3

82.0

37,591

131

82

586

3.2

2.06

915

2,200

29.0

87.0

39,883

139

87

621

3.3

2.13

944

2,269

30.6

92.0

42,176

147

92

657

3.4

2.19

972

2,338

32.3

97.0

44,468

155

97

693

3.5

2.26

1,001

2,407

34.0

102.0

46,760

163

102

729

3.6

2.32

1,030

2,477

35.6

107.0

49,052

172

107

764

3.7

2.39

1,058

2,546

37.3

112.0

51,344

180

112

800

3.8

2.45

1,087

2,615

39.0

117.0

53,636

188

117

836

3.9

2.52

1,115

2,684

40.6

122.0

55,928

196

122

871

4.0

2.58

1,144

2,753

42.3

127.0

58,221

204

127

907

4.1

2.64

1,173

2,823

44.0

132.0

60,513

212

132

943

4.2

2.71

1,201

2,892

45.6

137.0

62,805

220

137

979

4.3

2.77

1,230

2,961

47.3

142.0

65,097

228

142

1,014

4.4

2.84

1,258

3,030

49.0

147.0

67,389

236

147

1,050

4.5

2.90

1,287

3,099

50.6

152.0

69,681

244

152

1,086

4.6

2.97

1,316

3,169

52.3

157.0

71,973

252

157

1,121

4.7

3.03

1,344

3,238

54.0

162.0

74,266

260

162

1,157

4.8

3.10

1,373

3,307

55.6

167.0

76,558

268

167

1,193

4.9

3.16

1,401

3,376

57.3

172.0

78,850

276

172

1,229

5.0

3.23

1,430

3,445

59.0

177.0

81,142

284

177

1,264

5.1

3.29

1,459

3,515

60.6

182.0

83,434

292

182

1,300

5.2

3.35

1,487

3,584

62.3

187.0

85,726

300

187

1,336

5.3

3.42

1,516

3,653

64.0

192.0

88,018

308

192

1,371

5.4

3.48

1,544

3,722

65.6

197.0

90,311

316

197

1,407

5.5

3.55

1,573

3,791

67.3

202.0

92,603

324

202

1,443

5.6

3.61

1,602

3,861

69.0

207.0

94,895

332

207

1,479

5.7

3.68

1,630

3,930

70.6

212.0

97,187

340

212

1,514

5.8

3.74

1,659

3,999

72.3

217.0

99,479

348

217

1,550

5.9

3.81

1,687

4,068

74.0

222.0

101,771

356

222

1,586

6.0

3.87

1,716

4,137

75.6

227.0

104,063

364

227

1,621

6.1

3.93

1,745

4,207

77.3

232.0

106,356

372

232

1,657

6.2

4.00

1,773

4,276

78.9

237.0

108,648

380

237

1,693

Fig. 1ECD plot.

Fig. 2Surface pressure.

SPE/IADC 79912

SPE/IADC 79912

Fig. 3Displacement efficiency (erodibility) plot.

Fig. 4Operational rig up.

10

Fig. 5Eldfisk defoaming manifold.

Fig. 6Defoaming control plot.

SPE/IADC 79912

SPE/IADC 79912

Fig. 7Eldfisk well schematic.

11

12

Fig. 8Nitrogen, base slurry, and foamer flow data.

Fig. 9Density of base slurry and foamed cement.

SPE/IADC 79912

SPE/IADC 79912

Fig. 10Downhole foam density.

Fig. 11Eldfisk stimulation curves, normal jobs.

13

14

Fig. 12Eldfisk stimulation curves, foam jobs.

SPE/IADC 79912