Casing Design

➢ Why Run Casing?

➢ Types of Casing Strings
➢ Classification of Casing
➢ Wellheads
➢ Burst, Collapse and Tension
➢ Example
➢ Effect of Axial Tension on Collapse Strength
➢ Example
1
Casing Design
What is casing? Casing

Why run casing? Cement

1. To prevent the hole from caving in

2. Onshore - to prevent contamination of
fresh water sands
3. To prevent water migration to
producing formation
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 Casing Design
4. To confine production to the wellbore
5. To control pressures during drilling
6. To provide an acceptable environment for
subsurface equipment in producing wells
7. To enhance the probability of drilling to total
depth (TD)
e.g., you need 14 ppg mud to control a lower zone,
but an upper zone will fracture at 12 lb/gal.
What do you do?
3
 Types of Strings of Casing

Diameter Example
1. Drive pipe or structural pile
{Gulf Coast and offshore only}
16”-60” 30”
150’-300’ below mudline.

2. Conductor string. 100’ - 1,600’ 16”-48” 20”

(BML)

3. Surface pipe. 2,000’ - 4,000’ 8 5/8”-20” 13 3/8”

(BML)

4
 Types of Strings of Casing

Diameter Example

4. Intermediate String 7 5/8”-13 3/8” 9 5/8”

5. Production String (Csg.) 4 1/2”-9 5/8” 7”

6. Liner(s)

7. Tubing String(s)

5
 Example Hole and String Sizes (in)

Hole Size Pipe Size

36” Structural casing 30”
26” Conductor string 20”

17 1/2 Surface pipe 13 3/8

12 1/4 IntermediateString 9 5/8

8 3/4 Production Liner 7

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Example Hole and String Sizes (in)

Structural casing Mudline

Conductor string
250’

1,000’

4,000’
Surface pipe
IntermediateString
Production Liner
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 Classification of CSG.

1. Outside diameter of pipe (e.g. 9 5/8”)

2. Wall thickness (e.g. 1/2”)

3. Grade of material (e.g. N-80)

4. Type to threads and couplings (e.g. API LCSG)

5. Length of each joint (RANGE) (e.g. Range 3)

6. Nominal weight (Avg. wt/ft incl. Wt. Coupling)
(e.g. 47 lb/ft)
8
s
e 9
 Length of Casing Joints

RANGE 1 16-25 ft

RANGE 2 25-34 ft

RANGE 3 > 34 ft.

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 Casing Threads and Couplings

API round threads - short { CSG }

API round thread - long { LCSG }
Buttress { BCSG }
Extreme line { XCSG }
Other …

See Halliburton Book...

11
 API Design Factors (typical)

Required Design

10,000 psi Collapse 1.125 11,250 psi

100,000 lbf Tension 1.8 180,000 lbf

10,000 psi Burst 1.1 11,000 psi

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Abnormal

Normal Pore Pressure Abnormal Pore Pressure

0.433 - 0.465 psi/ft gp > normal
13
Design from bottom 14
Press. Gauge
Wing Valve X-mas Tree
Choke Box

Master
Valves
Wellhead
• Hang Csg. Strings
• Provide Seals
• Control Production
from Well

15
Wellhead

16
Wellhead

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 Casing Design

Tension Tension
Depth
Burst

Collapse

Collapse
STRESS
Burst:
Burst Assume full reservoir pressure all along the wellbore.
Collapse: Hydrostatic pressure increases with depth
Tension: Tensile stress due to weight of string is highest at top
18
 Casing Design - Collapse

Collapse pressure is affected by axial stress 19

Casing Design - Tension

20
 Casing Design - Burst
(from internal pressure)

 Internal Yield Pressure for pipe

 Internal Yield Pressure for couplings
 Internal pressure leak resistance

p Internal p
Pressure

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 Casing Design - Burst

Example 1

Design a 7” Csg. String to 10,000 ft.

Pore pressure gradient = 0.5 psi/ft

Design factor, Ni=1.1

Design for burst only.

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 Burst Example

1. Calculate probable reservoir pressure.

psi
pres = 0.5 * 10,000 ft = 5,000 psi
ft

2. Calculate required pipe internal yield

pressure rating
pi = pres * Ni = 5,000 * 1.1 = 5,500 psi

Ni = API Design Factor for BURST = 1.1

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 Example

3. Select the appropriate csg. grade and wt.

from the Halliburton Cementing tables:
Burst Pressure required = 5,500 psi
7”, J-55, 26 lb/ft has BURST Rating of 4,980 psi
7”, N-80, 23 lb/ft has BURST Rating of 6,340 psi
7”, N-80, 26 lb/ft has BURST Rating of 7,249 psi

Use N-80 Csg., 23 lb/ft

24
25
23 lb/ft
26 lb/ft

N-80 26
 Collapse Pressure

The following factors are important:

 The collapse pressure resistance of a pipe

depends on the axial stress

 The API Design Factor

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 Casing Design

Collapse pressure - with axial stress

 2

1/ 2

1.   SA   S A 
YPA = YP 1 − 0.75    − 0.5  
  YP    YP 


YPA = yield strength of axial stress

equivalent grade, psi
YP = minimum yield strength of pipe, psi
SA = Axial stress, psi (tension is positive)
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 Example 3
Determine the collapse strength for a 5 1/2” O.D.,
14.00 #/ft, J-55 casing under axial load of 100,000 lbf

The axial tension will reduce the collapse pressure

as follows:
 2 
  SA   SA 
YPA = 1 − 0.75   − 0. 5   YP
 Y  Y 
  p   p 

FA 100,000
SA = = = 24,820 psi
Area  (5.52 − 5.012 2 )
4
29
   
2
  
=  1 − 0.75 A  − 0.5 A  YP
S S
Example 3 cont’d YPA
 Y   Y 
  p   p 

The axial tension will reduce the collapse

pressure rating to:
 2
24,820 
 24,820  
YPA =  1 − 0.75   − 0 .5  55,000
  55,000   55,000 
 

= 38,216 psi

Here the axial load decreased the J-55

rating to an equivalent “J-38.2” rating
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 Example 3 - cont’d

The Halliburton Cementing Tables list the

collapse resistance of 5 ½ -in, 14.00 lb/ft J-55
casing at 3,120 psi.

The axial tension in this case would derate the

collapse strength to about 2,550 psi.

We shall be using API Tables to correct for the

effect of axial tension on collapse strength of
casing.
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32
33
 Casing Design Example

➢ Example Problem
➢ API Design Factors
➢ “Worst Possible Conditions”
➢ Effect of Axial Tension on Collapse Strength
➢ Iteration and Interpolation
➢ Design for Burst, Collapse and Tension

34
 Casing Design Example

Design a 9 5/8-in., 8,000-ft combination

casing string for a well where the mud wt.
will be 12.5 ppg and the formation pore
pressure is expected to be 6,000 psi.

Only the grades and weights shown are

available (N-80, all weights). Use API
design factors.

Design for “worst possible conditions.”

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 Casing Design - Solution

Before solving this problem is it necessary to

understand what we mean by “Design Factors”
and “worst possible conditions”.

API Design Factors

Design factors are essentially “safety factors”
that allow us to design safe, reliable casing
strings. Each operator may have his own set
of design factors, based on his experience,
and the condition of the pipe.
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 Casing Design

In PETE 661, we’ll use the design factors

recommended by the API unless otherwise
specified.

These are the API design Factors:

Tension and Joint Strength: NT = 1.8

Collapse (from external pressure): Nc= 1.125
Burst (from internal pressure): Ni = 1.1
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 Casing Design

What this means is that, for example, if we

need to design a string where the maximum
tensile force is expected to be 100,000 lbf,
we select pipe that can handle 100,000 * 1.8
= 180,000 lbf in tension.

Note that the Halliburton Cementing Tables

list actual pipe strengths, without safety
factors built in.
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 Casing Design

Unless otherwise specified in a particular

problem, we shall also assume the following:

Worst Possible Conditions

1. For Collapse design, assume that the
casing is empty on the inside (p = 0 psig)

2. For Burst design, assume no “backup”

fluid on the outside of the casing (p = 0 psig)
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 Casing Design

Worst Possible Conditions, cont’d

3. For Tension design,
assume no buoyancy effect
4. For Collapse design,
assume no buoyancy effect

The casing string must be designed to stand up to the

expected conditions in burst, collapse and tension.
Above conditions are quite conservative. They are also
simplified for easier understanding of the basic concepts.
40
 Casing Design - Solution

Burst Requirements (based on the expected pore

pressure)
PB = pore pressure * Design Factor

Depth
= 6,000 psi *1.1
PB = 6,600 psi Pressure
The whole casing string must be capable of
withstanding this internal pressure without failing in
burst.
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 Casing Design - Solution

Collapse Requirements
For collapse design, we start at the bottom of
the string and work our way up.

Our design criteria will be based on

hydrostatic pressure resulting from the 12.5
ppg mud that will be in the hole when the
casing string is run, prior to cementing.

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 Depth
Casing Design

Collapse Requirements, cont’d Pressure

Pc = 0.052 * mud weight * depth * design factor

= 0.052 * 12.5 * 8,000 * 1.125
Pc = 5,850 psi  req' d at the bottom.

Further up the hole the collapse requiremen ts

are less severe
43
 Casing Design
Req’d: Burst: 6,600 psi Collapse: 5,850 psi

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 Casing Design

Note that two of the weights of N-80 casing

meet the burst requirements, but only the
53.5 #/ft pipe can handle the collapse
requirement at the bottom of the hole (5,850
psi).

The 53.5 #/ft pipe could probably run all the

way to the surface (would still have to check
tension), but there may be a lower cost
alternative.
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 Casing Design

Depth
To what depth might we
be able to run N-80, 47
#/ft? The maximum Pressure
annular pressure that this
pipe may be exposed to,
is:
Collapse pressure of pipe 4,760
Pc = = = 4,231 psi
design factor 1.125

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 Casing Design

First Iteration
At what depth do we see this pressure (4,231
psig) in a column of 12.5 #/gal mud?

Pc = 0.052 *12.5 * h1

Pc 4,231
 h1 = = = 6,509 ft
0.052 *12.5 0.052 *12.5
47
 Casing Design
This is the depth to which the pipe
could be run if there were 6,509’
no axial stress in the pipe… 8,000’

But at 6,509’ we have (8,000 - 6,509) =

1,491’ of 53.5 #/ft pipe below us.

The weight of this pipe will reduce the

collapse resistance of the 47.0 #/ft pipe!
48
 Casing Design

Weight, W 1 = 53.5 #/ft * 1,491 ft

= 79,769 lbf
This weight results in an axial
stress in the 47 #/ft pipe

weight 79,769 lbf

of S1 = = 2
= 5,877 psi
end area 13.572 in

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 Casing Design

The API tables show that the above stress

will reduce the collapse resistance from
4,760 to somewhere between

4,680 psi (with 5,000 psi stress)

and 4,600 psi (with 10,000 psi stress)

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 Casing Design
Interpolation between these values shows
that the collapse resistance at 5,877 psi
axial stress is:
 S − S1 
Pc1 = P1 −   (P1 − P2 )
 S 2 − S1 

(5,877 − 5,000)
Pc1 = 4,680 − * (4,680 − 4,600) = 4,666 psi
(10,000 − 5,000)

4,666
With the design factor, Pcc1 = = 4,148 psi
1.125
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 Casing Design

This (4,148 psig) is the pressure at a

depth
4,148
h2 = = 6,382 ft
0.052 * 12.5

Which differs considerably from the

initial depth of 6,509 ft, so a second
iteration is required.
52
53
54
 Casing Design

Second Iteration
Now consider running the 47 #/ft
pipe to the new depth of 6,382 ft.

W2 = (8,000 − 6,382) * 53.5 = 86,563 lbf

86,563 lbf
S2 = 2
= 6,378 psi
13.572 in
55
 Casing Design
Interpolating again,
1   S − S1  
Pc1 =  P1 −   (P1 − P2 )
D.F.   S 2 − S1  


1   6,378 − 5000 
pcc 2 = 4,680 −  * (4,680 − 4,600)  = 4,140 psi
1.125   5000 

This is the pressure at a depth of

4,140
h3 = = 6,369 ft
0.052 *12.5
56
 Casing Design
This is within 13 ft of the assumed value. If
more accuracy is desired (generally not
needed), proceed with the:
Third Iteration
h3 = 6,369'
W3 = (8,000 − 6,369) * 53.5 = 87,259 lbf
87,259
S3 = = 6,429 psi
13.572
Pcc3 = ?
57
 Casing Design

Third Iteration, cont’d

1  6,429 − 5,000 
thus Pcc 3 = 4,680 − * (4,680 − 4,600)
1.125  5,000 

= 4,140 psi = Pcc 2

58
 Casing Design

Third Iteration, cont’d

This is the answer we are looking for, i.e.,
we can run 47 #/ft N-80 pipe to a depth of
6,369 ft, and 53.5 #/ft pipe between 6,369
and 8,000 ft.
Perhaps this string will run all the way to the
surface (check tension), or perhaps an even
more economical string would include some
43.5 #/ft pipe?
59
 Casing Design

At some depth the 43.5 #/ft pipe would be

able to handle the collapse requirements,
but we have already determined that it will
not meet burst requirements.

 NO!
60
 N-80
43.5 #/ft?
Depth = 5,057?
5,066?
5,210?
N-80
47.0 #/ft

Depth = 6,369
6,369
N-80 6,382
53.5 #/ft 6,509

8,000
61
 Tension Check

The weight on the top joint of casing

would be
(6,369 ft * 47.0# / ft ) + (1,631 ft * 53.5# / ft )

= 386,602 lbs actual weight

With a design factor of 1.8 for tension, a
pipe strength of
1.8 * 386,602 = 695,080 lbf is required
62
 Tension Check

The Halliburton cementing tables give a

yield strength of 1,086,000 lbf for the pipe
body and a joint strength of 905,000 lbf for
LT & C.

47.0 # / ft is OK to surface

63