CASING AND TUBING

1.

American Petroleum Institute (API) has developed

guides for the petroleum practices and equipment.
Casing and tubing are important in oil drilling and
production.

2.

APIs Specification 5A states that casing, liners and

tubing must be seamless or electric welded.

3.

Casing physical characteristics

Grade
Weight
Range
Diameter
Burst
Collapse
Yield point and pipe body
Biaxial effect

3.1 Grade

The pipe grade indicates the pipes yield strength

and certain special characteristics.

The grade usually consists of a letter and a 2 or 3digit number such as N-80.

Pipe N-80 has a minimum yield strength of 80,000

psi. The average yield strength is usually 10,000 psi
greater than the minimum yield or 90,000 psi for N80 pipe.

The minimum value is used in burst and collapse

resistance calculations, whereas the average is used
for biaxial evaluation.

Examples of API Grades:

H-40,
C-95,

J-55,
P-105,

K-55,
P110,

C-75,

N-80,

L-80,

V-150

C pipe is a controlled yield pipe used primarily in

environments such as H2S (corrosive environment).

L grade pipe has the same burst, collapse and yield

values as N pipe.
critical

value

The hardness of the pipe is a

due

to

potential

hydrogen

embrittlement in H2S environment.

L-80 pipe is more expensive than N-80 pipe.

There are also non-API grades of pipe available but

used API equations in determining the burst and
collapse. Such pipes like SOO-155 pipe manufactured
by Algoma mills.

3.2 Weight

The pipe usually defined in pounds per foot.

The

weight is defined by the API by the following

equation.

WL = (wpeL) + ew
where

WL

Calculated weight of a pipe of length

L, lb

Wpe

Plain-end pipe, lb/ft

Length of pipe including end finish, ft.

ew

Weight gain or loss due to end

finishing, lb; for plain-end pipe, ew
equals zero.

The cross-sectional area:

Ap = 0.29Wpe square inches

3.3

Range

Pipe range is a value for approximating the length of

a section of pipe.

The following table illustrates

some of the API standards with respect to range

definitions.

API Range Length

Range (feet)
1
2

Casing
Total range length, inclusive
16-25
25-34 34-48
Range length for 95% or more of carload:
Permissible variation, maximum
6
5
6
Permissible length, minimum
18
28
36
Tubing
Total range length, inclusive*
20-24 28-32
Range length for 95% or more of carload:
Permissible variation, maximum
2
2
Permissible length, minimum
20
28
Pup joints
Lengths 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 ft
Tolerance - 3 in.
* By agreement between purchaser and manufacturer, the total range
length for Range 1 tubing may be 20 28 ft.

3.4

Diameter

The drilling engineer must consider 3 types of

diameter data when planning the tubular program:
outer, inner and drift diameters.

For drilling considerations, the drift diameter is

usually considered as the bit size that can safely run
through the casing.

3.5

Burst

The burst rating of the casing is the amount of

internal pressure that the pipe can withstand prior
to failure.

The internal yield pressure for pipe is calculated

using the following equation.

PB = 0.875

2 YP t
OD

where
PB
YP
t
OD

The

=
=
=
=

Burst pressure rounded to the nearest 10 psi.

Specified minimum yield strength, psi.
Nominal wall thickness, in.
Outside diameter, in.

factor

0.875

accounts

for

minimum

wall

thickness.

Example 1

Calculate the internal yield (burst) pressure for

26.40 lb/ft, N-80 grade, 7.625 in. pipe. Assume it
has a wall thickness (t) of 0.328 in. Use the API
minimum wall thickness factor of 0.875. Recalculate
the results and 95% wall thickness.

Solution:
The internal yield (burst) is calculated using the
following equation.
PB 0.875
0.875

2 YP t
OD
2 (80,000 psi) (0.328 in.)
7.625 in.

= 6,022 psi

For 95% wall thickness

P 0.95

2(80,000 psi)(0.328 in.)

7.625 in

= 6538 psi
If the pipe is to be use in sour gas condition, a
thicker pipe is necessary.

Example 2

A drilling engineer must design a production casing

for sour gas service. The maximum anticipated
surface pressure for the 5.5 in. OD pipe is 20,800
psi. The engineers company philosophy dictates that
pipe used in sour service will not have a yield
strength greater than 90,000 psi.
After the
engineer reviewed the available, commonly used
weight and grades of casing, he realized that the
string must be specially rolled to meet his
requirements.
Determine the wall thickness requirements
for the pipe. Use a yield strength of 90,000 psi and
assume the API tolerance of 87.5% wall thickness.
Round up the wall thickness to the nearest 1/8 in.

Solution:
The API equation for internal yield resistance.
PB 0.875

2 YP t
OD

20,000 psi 0.875

2 (90,000 psi) t
5.5 in

t = 0.726 in.
Round up to the nearest one-eighth is:
or
3.6

t = 0.750 in.

".

Collapse

Collapse resistance depends on the D/t ratio. This

can be divided into four categories:
Yield strength collapse pressure
Plastic collapse
Transition collapse
Elastic collapse

API provides tables and recommended appropriated

equations for the four types of categories.
3.7 Pipe body yield strength
This is the axial load required to yield the pipe.
PY = 0.7854 (OD2 ID2)YP
Example
A section of 10.75 in., 55.00 lb/ft, N-80 casing is to
be run into a well. It has a wall thickness of 0.495
in. Determine the pipe body yield strength.

Solution:
The ID is computed as follows:

ID = OD 2t
= 10.75 2(0.495)
= 9.76 inci
The yield strength is:
PY = 0.7854 (OD2 ID2)YP
= 0.7854(10.752 9.762)(80,000)
= 1,275,797 lb 1,275,000 lb
3.8

Biaxial effects
Burst and collapse resistances of casing are
altered when the pipe is under a tension (or
compression) load.
The qualitative changes are:
Type of load
Tension
Compression

Results
Burst increase resistance
Collapse decrease resistance
Burst decrease resistance
Collapse Increase resistance

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