Experimental Equipment for Cement Plug Leakage and Proppant Transport
Restricted (Penn State Only)
- Author:
- Findlay, Tristin
- Graduate Program:
- Energy and Mineral Engineering (MS)
- Degree:
- Master of Science
- Document Type:
- Master Thesis
- Date of Defense:
- January 05, 2024
- Committee Members:
- Arash Dahi Taleghani, Thesis Advisor/Co-Advisor
John Wang, Committee Member
Jeremy Gernand, Program Head/Chair
Derek Elsworth, Committee Member - Keywords:
- Experimental Equipment
Construction
Petroleum Engineering
Proppant Transport
Oil Well Cement
Cement Leakage
Low Carbon Cement Evaluation
Deviated Gravel Pack
Slot Flow Apparatus
Cement Sulfate Resistance - Abstract:
- This thesis presents the process, functionality, and experimental usage of equipment that was constructed for research use. The equipment constructed and presented within this thesis are the cement plug leakage apparatus and the proppant transport apparatus. The construction and assembly processes, along with a functionality test conducted for each, are outlined and explained in the first chapter of each section. Both of the apparatuses constructed, present novel testing opportunities for future research in their respective areas. The second chapter of each section presents an example of the novel use of the equipment constructed. The proppant transport equipment, otherwise known as the slot-flow apparatus, was applied to a deviated gravel pack scenario which produced results similar to those observed in literature for each experiment conducted. The cement leakage equipment was used in part to evaluate the sealing capabilities of a recently approved low-carbon cement for plugging operations for oil and gas wells. The final chapter of each section outlines the methods of use for the constructed equipment. These sections allow ease of future planning, testing, and maintenance in the form of laboratory manuals. The work completed expands the research capabilities of visualizing and testing particle transport through a cell and by testing the sealing ability of various cement samples created or developed in the future.