Methods for completing subterranean wells

• Main Author: James Simon Gareth
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 21.02.2017
• Subjects: ADHESIVES; ALLOYS; ARTIFICIAL STONE; CEMENTS; CERAMICS; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF, e.g. MORTARS, CONCRETE OR LIKE BUILDINGMATERIALS; CONCRETE; DYES; EARTH DRILLING; EARTH DRILLING, e.g. DEEP DRILLING; FERROUS OR NON-FERROUS ALLOYS; FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS; LIME, MAGNESIA; MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FORELSEWHERE; METALLURGY; MINING; MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS; MISCELLANEOUS COMPOSITIONS; NATURAL RESINS; OBTAINING OIL, GAS, WATER, SOLUBLE OR MELTABLE MATERIALS OR ASLURRY OF MINERALS FROM WELLS; PAINTS; POLISHES; REFRACTORIES; SLAG; TREATMENT OF ALLOYS OR NON-FERROUS METALS; TREATMENT OF NATURAL STONE

Methods for cementing a subterranean well comprise installing a casing string into a borehole, wherein the casing string comprises a metal having a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) lower than about 6×10−6/° C. A cement sheath is then placed between the exterior surface of the casing string and the formation wall. The low-CTE metal may reduce casing shrinkage when the well temperature falls during stimulation treatments, cyclic steam injection or when the well temperature reaches equilibrium at the top of a long casing string.