CEMENT SLURRY MONITORING

Various disclosed cement slurry (125) monitoring methods include monitoring one or more parameter of the cement slurry (125) at various positions along the borehole (102) during the curing process and responsively identifying a span (124) over which the slurry extends and whether there are any gaps (126) or voids in that span (124). At least some system embodiments include a distributed sensing arrangement (114) to provide parameter measurements as a function of position and time during the curing process. A computer analyzes the measurements to determine the span (124) of the cement slurry (125) and whether any gaps (126) exist. Contemplated measurement parameters include temperature, pressure, strain, acoustic spectrum, acoustic coupling, and chemical concentration. Individually or in combination, these measurements can reveal in real time the state of the cement slurry (125) and can enable remedial actions to be taken during or after the curing process if needed to address deficiencies in the annular seal being provided by the cement.