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pressure at the surface. The OptiCem program can be used as a tool to
determine the gas flow potential of any primary cement job.

While BP used Halliburton’s OptiCem model, it did not focus on the gas
flow potential issues raised by the model. In addition, Halliburton’s best
practices document recommends that a cement evaluation log be run to evaluate
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the quality of the cement job. As discussed below, BP did not run a cement
evaluation log for the Macondo well.

2. BP Cement Evaluation Log Requirement

In anticipation of potential fluid losses during the production casing
cement job, the BP Macondo well team positioned a logging crew and evaluation
tools on the rig to run a cement evaluation log. A cement evaluation log is used
to enable a crew to evaluate the quality of a cement job and whether the cement
in the annular space set up successfully. If the log indicates problems with the
cement, the crew can pump additional cement to remediate the primary cement
job.

BP’s Mark Hafle prepared a decision tree to determine whether BP would
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run the cement evaluation log. According to the decision tree, rig personnel
were to determine whether the cement placement went as planned by checking
for lift pressure of approximately 100 psi (60 psi more than expected) and
evaluating whether there had been any apparent fluid losses. Rig personnel
observed these indicators and concluded that the cement job had gone as
planned. On the morning of April 20, the BP Macondo well team decided not to
run a cement evaluation log.
148

BP’s engineering technical practices require that personnel determine the
top of cement by a “proven cement evaluation technique” if the cement is not
149
1,000 feet above any distinct permeable zones. The acceptable proven
techniques identified in BP’s internal guidelines are cement evaluation logs,
cement column back pressure, and temperature logs. BP’s guidelines do not

146 Halliburton Deepwater Primary Cementing: Beyond the Shallow Water Flows, Chapter 7: Post Job
Procedures and Analysis (1997).
147 BP Production Casing and TA Forward Planning Decision Tree, April 14, 2010. (BP‐HZN‐
MBI00010575) (Appendix L).
148 Guide testimony, July 22 2010, at 43‐44.
,,
149 BP ETP GP 10‐60 Zonal Isolation Requirements During Drilling Operations and Well
Abandonment and Suspension (BP‐HZN‐MBI00193549).

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