Systems and Methods for Detecting Microannulus Formation and Remediation

Abstract

Optical analysis systems may be useful in detecting microannulus formation in a wellbore casing and remediating a microannulus. In some instances, a system may include a cement sheath disposed about and in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of a casing; and at least one optical computing device arranged coupled to the casing, the at least one optical computing device having at least one integrated computational element configured to optically interact with a material of interest and thereby generate optically interacted light, and at least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the material of interest, the material of interest comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of the cement sheath, a displacement composition disposed between the cement sheath and the exterior surface of the casing, and any combination thereof.

The invention claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system comprising:
 a cement sheath disposed about and in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of a casing; and   at least one optical computing device arranged on the casing, the at least one optical computing device having at least one integrated computational element configured to optically interact with a material of interest and thereby generate optically interacted light, and at least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the material of interest, the material of interest comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of the cement sheath, a displacement composition disposed between the cement sheath and the exterior surface of the casing, and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a signal processor communicably coupled to the at least one detector for receiving the output signal, the signal processor being configured to determine the characteristic of the material of interest. 
 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one detector is a first detector and the system further comprises a second detector arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation from the electromagnetic radiation source and thereby generate a compensating signal indicative of electromagnetic radiating deviations. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is at least one selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, impurity content, pH, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt content, porosity, opacity, bacteria content, particle size distribution, color, temperature, hydration level, and an analyte oxidation state. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is a characteristic of a analytes of the material of interest, the analyte comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of water, salt, a mineral, wollastonite, metakaolin, pumice, a cement, Portland cement, gypsum cement, a calcium phosphate cement, a high alumina content cement, a silica cement, a high alkalinity cement, a filler, fly ash, fume silica, hydrated lime, pozzolanic material, sand, barite, calcium carbonate, ground marble, iron oxide, manganese oxide, glass bead, crushed glass, a crushed drill cutting, ground vehicle tire, crushed rock, ground asphalt, crushed concrete, crushed cement, ilmenite, hematite, silica flour, fume silica, fly ash, an elastomer, a polymer, diatomaceous earth, a highly swellable clay mineral, nitrogen, air, a fiber, natural rubber, acrylate butadiene rubber, polyacrylate rubber, isoprene rubber, chloroprene rubber, butyl rubber, brominated butyl rubber, chlorinated butyl rubber, chlorinated polyethylene, neoprene rubber, styrene butadiene copolymer rubber, sulphonated polyethylene, ethylene acrylate rubber, epichlorohydrin ethylene oxide copolymer, ethylene propylene rubber, ethylene propylene diene terpolymer rubber, ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, fluorosilicone rubber, silicone rubber, poly-2,2,1-bicycloheptene, alkylstyrene, crosslinked substituted vinyl acrylate copolymer, nitrile rubber, hydrogenated nitrile rubber, fluoro rubber, perfluoro rubber, tetrafluoroethylene/propylene, starch polyacrylate acid graft copolymer, polyvinyl alcohol cyclic acid anhydride graft copolymer, isobutylene maleic anhydride, acrylic acid type polymer, vinylacetate-acrylate copolymer, polyethylene oxide polymer, carboxymethyl cellulose polymer, starch-polyacrylonitrile graft copolymer, polymethacrylate, polyacrylamide, and non-soluble acrylic polymer), hydrocarbon, an acid, an acid-generating compound, a base, a base-generating compound, a biocide, a surfactant, a scale inhibitor, a corrosion inhibitor, a gelling agent, a crosslinking agent, an anti-sludging agent, a foaming agent, a defoaming agent, an antifoam agent, a emulsifying agent, a de-emulsifying agent, a iron control agent, a proppants or other particulate, a gravel, particulate diverter, a salt, a cement slurry loss control additive, a gas migration control additive, a gas, air, nitrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, argon, helium, a hydrocarbon gas, methane, ethane, butane, catalyst, a clay control agent, a chelating agent, a corrosion inhibitor, a dispersant, a flocculant, a scavenger, an H 2 S scavenger, a CO 2  scavenger, an O 2  scavenger, a lubricant, a breaker, a delayed release breaker, a friction reducer, a bridging agent, a viscosifier, a weighting agent, a solubilizer, a rheology control agent, a viscosity modifier, a pH control agent, a buffer, a hydrate inhibitor, a relative permeability modifier, a diverting agent, a consolidating agent, a fibrous material, a bactericide, a tracer, a probe, a nanoparticle, a paraffin wax, an asphaltene, a foam, sand, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is related to an indicator of microannulus formation. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the indicator of microannulus formation comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of presence of the displacement composition, porosity changes of the cement sheath, temperature changes of the material of interest, pH level of the material of interest, decreased output signal relating to the characteristic of the material of interest, changes to a chemical composition of the cement sheath, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . A system comprising:
 a cement sheath disposed about and in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of a casing; and   at least one integrated computational element configured to optically interact with a material of interest and thereby generate optically interacted light, and at least one detector arranged to receive the optically interacted light and generate an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the material of interest, the material of interest comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of the cement sheath, a displacement composition disposed between the cement sheath and the exterior surface of the casing, and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one integrated computational element is operably coupled to at least one selected from the group consisting of the casing, a centralizer operably coupled to the casing, a casing shoe operably coupled to the casing, and a collar operably coupled to the casing. 
     
     
         10 . A method comprising:
 optically interacting a material of interest and at least one integrated computational element, thereby generating an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the material of interest, the material of interest comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a cement sheath disposed about and in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of a casing, a displacement composition disposed between the cement sheath and the exterior surface of the casing, and any combination thereof.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is at least one selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, impurity content, pH, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt content, porosity, opacity, bacteria content, particle size distribution, color, temperature, hydration level, and an analyte oxidation state. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is related to an indicator of microannulus formation. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the indicator of microannulus formation comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of presence of the displacement composition, porosity changes of the cement sheath, temperature changes of the material of interest, pH level of the material of interest, decreased output signal relating to the characteristic of the material of interest, changes to a chemical composition of the cement sheath, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 performing a remedial operation to correct a microannulus. 
 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein optically interacting a material of interest and at least one integrated computational element occurs over a period of time and a plurality of output signals are produced each corresponding to both a time and the characteristic of the material of interest. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 optically interacting a material of interest and at least one integrated computational element, thereby generating an output signal corresponding to a characteristic of the material of interest, the material of interest comprising at least one selected from the group consisting of a cement sheath disposed about and in contact with at least a portion of an exterior surface of a casing, a displacement composition disposed between the cement sheath and the exterior surface of the casing, and any combination thereof;   analyzing for an indicator of microannulus formation; and   performing a remedial operation to correct a microannulus.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the characteristic of the material of interest is at least one selected from the group consisting of chemical composition, impurity content, pH, viscosity, density, ionic strength, total dissolved solids, salt content, porosity, opacity, bacteria content, particle size distribution, color, temperature, hydration level, and an analyte oxidation state. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein optically interacting a material of interest and at least one integrated computational element occurs over a period of time and a plurality of output signals are produced each corresponding to both a time and the characteristic of the material of interest. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one integrated computational element is coupled to at least one selected from the group consisting of the casing, a centralizer operably coupled to the casing, a casing shoe operably coupled to the casing, and a collar operably coupled to the casing.