When developing and designing cement pastes for oil well applications, proper attention should be given to the careful evaluation of the environment in which the prospection operations will take place. The work in hand presents an experimental investigation on the interaction between halite and cement pastes, meeting the continuous demand for research concerning the Brazilian pre-salt region. For this purpose, mechanical and chemical tests were carried out. Being a feature of major importance in pre salt activities, temperature effects were adressed through two different curing temperatures: 23 degrees Celsius and 60 degrees Celsius. Also, many authors use artificial salt as an alternative to halite when simulating the effects of salt rock dissolution. Therefore, both materials are used throughout the experimental program for comparison purposes. A similar unidirectional compressive behavior is noted for both materials. Gains in strength are noted at 23 degrees Celsius for both salts, to concentrations up to 10 percent by weight of water. On the other hand, higher concentrations or a higher curing temperature yield strength losses. Furthermore, hydration and microstructure changes are studied through x-ray diffraction and thermogravimetric analysis. Through these tests it is possible to detect the formation of Friedel s salt, as a result of the interaction between chloride ions and the aluminate and/or aluminoferrite phases of clinker. Finally, the influence of these additions on the rheology of the cement paste is discussed, as differences on the rheological behavior of these cement pastes are noted.