Experimental Investigation to Enhance Oil Well Cement Compressive Strength by Using Nano Silica and Synthetic Fiber

Abstract

The cementing process is one of the main and vital elements in the drilling and completion of oil and gas wells. Cement slurry design plays an essential role in cementing operations. Compressive strength, which represents a material's ability to sustain forceful conditions over time, is an essential property of oil well cement. This study provides an experimental investigation on the impact of coupled synthetic fiber and Nano Silica (nano-SiO2) on improving the compressive strength of Iraqi oil well cement class G. In addition, the results were compared to those of a previous study that utilized Nano Silica alone in conjunction with Iraqi oil well cement. The results indicated that the Iraqi oil well cement class G, after special additions, conforms to the specifications of the American Petroleum Institute (API). Results showed that adding synthetic fiber and Nano-Silica together significantly increased the compressive strength of Iraqi class G cement slurry cured at different conditions. Samples curing was done at 38°C and 60°C for 8 hours. The results indicated that the cement system with 1.5% by weight of cement (BWOC) of Nano-Silica and 1.5 gm of Synthetic Fiber increased the compressive strength by 50.38 and 39.92% at 38°C and 60°C, respectively. Through comparison with previous studies, it was found that the amounts of Nano Silica added to cement can be reduced by a large percentage when synthetic fibers are added with it, thus reducing the cost of using nanomaterials.