Grant: Alliance Grants

Well leakage is a major concern in Canada, both in terms of oil seepage and release of greenhouse gases (GHG). Leakage occurs because the wells are not effectively cemented. The difficulty in improving this process is threefold. (i) Very little can be measured during the cementing process, concerning actual placement of fluids. (ii) For onshore wells it is not common to evaluate the cement quality directly, after placement. Logging methods for this are also not precise. (iii) regulatory bodies and producers currently operate in a way that is reactive, i.e. to leakage. In this project the researchers will develop predictive models and simulations of the cementing process. They will do this in collaboration with leading Canadian service companies and with a broad steering committee of stakeholders, to ensure applicability. Having developed engineering tools that enable physical prediction and improved designs, the design tools will be distributed freely to Canadian stakeholders and structured in such a way that other research groups can contribute to future development as well as usage. This will establish a common baseline for understanding of cementing processes and allow communal advances in knowledge and design practices.