PETE 203

DRILLING ENGINEERING

CASING DESIGN

Objectives
Understand primary functions of casing
Recognize the various types of casing strings
used.
Understand the procedures used in the design
of casing strings.

Types of Strings of Casing

1. Drive pipe or structural pile
{Gulf Coast and offshore
only} 150-300 below mud-

Diameter

Example

16-60

30

16-48

20

8 5/8-20

13 3/8

line.
2. Conductor string. 100 1,600 (BML)
3. Surface pipe. 2,000 - 4,000
(BML)

Types of Strings of Casing

Diameter
4. Intermediate String
5. Production String (Csg.)
6. Liner(s)
7. Tubing String(s)

7 5/8-13 3/8
4 1/2-9 5/8

Example
9 5/8
7

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

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

Example Hole and String Sizes (in)

Structural casing

Mudline

Conductor string

250
1,000

Surface pipe
Intermediate String
Production Liner

4,000

Example Casing Programs

CONDUCTOR (1 or 2) (40 300)

Prevent eroding surface sediments and rig

foundation by circulating the drilling fluid to the
shale shaker.
Protects subsequent casing strings from corrosion.
Install director system on it.

SURFACE (300' - 5000')

Control caving and washing out of poorly

consolidated surface beds.
Protect fresh water sands from possible
contamination by drilling fluid mud, oil or gas and or
salt water from lower zone.
Install BOP on it.

INTERMEDIATE CSG (1 or 2)
It depends on well depth and geology in specific area.

Primary Purpose: To seal off troublesome zones which:

Contaminate drilling fluid.

Jeopardize drilling progress with possible pipe sticking,
excessive hole enlargement.
Contain abnormal pressure fluids, protect formation
below the surface casing from higher pressure
credited by mud.

PRODUCTION CSG
1.It is set through productive interval to;

2. Segregate pay zone.

3. Can be used to produce fluid instead of tubing.

DRILLING LINER
1. Lower in cost.
2. Functions like intermediate.

PRODUCTION LINER
1. Lower in cost
2. Functions like production.

6.2 Standardization of Casing

API:

American Petroleum Institute Standards.

Range of length
Outside diameter
Wt/ft.
Type of coupling
Steel grade

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. 47lb/ft)

Length of Casing Joints

RANGE

16-25 ft

RANGE

25-34 ft

RANGE

> 34 ft.

 OUTSIDE DIAMETER
Tolerance

(4.5 -20")

0.75%

Usually slightly oversized.

Minimum permissible
Wall thickness = 87.5% of nominal wall thickness.
Nominal = approximate average
Drift diameter : Check ID

Minimum mandrel diameter that must pass

Unobstructed through the pipe.
Insures a bit size less than drift diameter.

 WEIGHT PER FOOT

Nominal wt/ft :
is not true wt/ft but is useful
for
identification purposes as an
approximate
average (wt/ft)
Plain-end wt/ft: is the wt/ft of the pipe body
excluding
the threaded portion and coupling wt.
Average wt/ft:
total wt. of avg. joint of
threaded pipe
with a coupling attached power
tight of one of avg. joint.
For design calculation nominal wt/ft. is often used.

6.3 Type of Coupling

A coupling is a casing connector which is made
of casing material.
Most common types of casing. Joints are
externally threaded from each end.
API specification the coupling should be of the
same grade as the pipe body.

Casing Threads and Couplings

API round threads - short

{ CSG }

API round thread - long

{ LCSG }

Buttress

{ BCSG }

Extreme line

{ XCSG }

Other

 CSG & LCSG

These connectors have the same basic design:

Threads are round shaped and are spaced to give eight

threads/inch.
Sometimes they are called API 8-round threads.
Threads are cut with a taper of 3/4 in/ft.
These are commonly used connectors because of their
proven reliability, ease of manufacture and low cost.
Cut with a 60 angle, and has round peaks and roots.
Thread compound must be used to fill the voids and obtain a

seal.
Tensile strength of the joint

Joint Efficiency =

< 100%

Tensile strength of the pipe body

API BCSG CONNECTOR

Joint efficiency is 100% in most cases.
It is tapered but longer thread run out
inch/ft. for upto 75/8 inch.
Thread shape is square to reduce unzipping
tendency.
5 threads cut to the inch.
1 inch/ft for 16 inch csg.

 API XCSG CONNECTOR

It is integral joint.
Pipe thicker near the wall.
OD is less than other API couplings
Sealing mechanism is metal to metal seal
between the metal and the box.
Much more expensive.

API Connectors

 STRENGTH
Strength is designated by casing GRADE
Grade code : Letter and number H-40, J-55, C75, L-80
Letter is arbitrary.
Number designates the minimum yield strength of
steel in thousands of psi.
Yield strength :tensile stress required to produce a
total elongation per unit length of 0.005 on a
standard test specimen.
Minimum yield strength = 80% of average yield
strength observed.

Grades of Casing Recognized by the API

API Connectors

Tensile force balance on pipe body

Example 7.1:
Compute the body-yield
strength for 20-in., K55 casing with a nominal
wall thickness of 0.635
in. and a nominal weight
per foot of 133 lbf/ft.

Ften yield * A s

Tensile force balance on pipe body

K55
Solution:
This pipe has a minimum
yield strength of 55,000 psi
and an ID of:

Ften yield * A s

d 20.00 2(0.635) 18.730in.

Tensile force balance on pipe body

Thus, the cross-sectional area of steel is

2
2
A s ( 20 18.73 ) 38.63sq.in.
4

and a minimum pipe-body yield

is predicted by Eq. 7.1 at
an axial force of:

Ften yield * A s
Ften 55,000 (38.63 ) 2,125,000 lbf

Pipe Body Yield Strength

2 2
Py (D d )Yp
4
where

Py pipe body yield strength, lbf

Yp specified minimum yield strength, psi
D outside diameter of pipe, in
d inside diameter of pipe, in

Pipe Body Yield Strength

Example
What is yield strength of body of 7, 26 #/ft,
P-110 casing?
2
Py (D d2 )Yp
4

2
Py (7 6.276 2 )110,000 830,402 lbf
4

Py 830,000 lbf

(to the nearest 1,000 lbf).

agrees with Tables

Internal Yield Pressure for Pipe (Burst)

2Yp t
P 0.875

D
where

FT
FP

FP = DLP

P internal yield pressure, psi

Yp minimum yield strength, psi

DLP = 2tLYP

t nominal wall thickness, in

D O.D. of pipe, in

2Yp t
P

FT = 2tLYP

Example
For 7, 26 #/ft P-110 pipe
2Yp t
P 0.875

(7 - 6.276)
0.875 * 2 * 110,000 *
2*7
9,955

P 9,960 psi

(to the nearest 10 psi)

agrees with Tables.

TABLE 7.8 COMMONLY USED BIT SIZES THAT WILL PASS THROUGH API CASING

Casing
Size
(O.D., in)

Weight
Per Foot
(lbm/ft)

Internal
Diameter
(in.)

Drift
Diameter
(in.)

Commonly
Used
Bit Sizes
(in.)

9.5
10.5
11.6
13.5

4.09
4.052
4.000
3.920

3.965
3.927
3.875
3.795

3 7/8
3

11.5
13.0
15.0
18.0

4.560
4.494
4.408
4.276

4.435
4.369
4.283
4.151

4
3 7/8

Casing Design - Collapse

Casing Design - Tension

Casing Design - Burst

(from internal pressure)
Internal Yield Pressure for pipe
Internal Yield Pressure for couplings
Internal pressure leak resistance

Internal
Pressure

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.

Burst Example
1. Calculate probable reservoir pressure.

pres

psi
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

23 lb/ft
26 lb/ft

N-80

Example
3. Select the appropriate csg. grade and wt.
from the Casing 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

API Design Factors

Required

(typical)
Design

10,000 psi

Collapse

1.125

100,000 lbf

Tension

1.8

10,000 psi

Burst

1.1

11,250 psi
180,000 lbf
11,000 psi

Table 3

Grade

D/t Ratio

H40

16.44 and less

J & K55

14.8 and less

C75

13.67 and

N80

13.38 and less

C95

12.83 and less

P105

12.56 and less

P110

12.42 and less

c 2Ym D / t 1 / D / t

(4)