Development of a High-Temperature Thixotropic Cement Slurry System

Cementing carbonate reservoirs is generally a difficult task.The so-called thixotropic cement slurry has gained considerable attention in this regard as it can help tofix some notable problems.More precisely,it can easilyfill the leakage layer;moreover,its gelling strength can grow rapidly when pumping stops,thereby increasing the resistance to gas channeling,effectively preventing this undesired phenomenon in many cases.High-temperature thixotropic cement slurry systems,however,are still in an early stage of development and additional research is needed to make them a viable option.In the present study,using a self-developed composite high-temperature thixotropic additive as a basis,it is shown that the compressive strength can be adjusted by tuning the proportion of silica sand,the high-temperature retarder,fluid loss additive and dispersant(compatible with the thixotropic additive).According to the tests,the developed high-temperature thixotropic cement slurry system has a 14 d compressive strength of 29.73 MPa at 150°C,and a thickening time of 330 min when the dosage of retarder is 2%.At the same time,the rheological property,water loss,permeability,water separation rate,and settlement stability of the cement slurry system meet the requirements of cementing construction.