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 Diameter Example

{Gulf Coast and offshore 16”-60” 30”
only} 150’-300’ below mud-
line.

2. Conductor string. 100’ - 16”-48” 20”

1,600’ (BML)

3. Surface pipe. 2,000’ - 4,000’

8 5/8”-20” 13 3/8”
(BML)
 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)
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

IntermediateString 9 5/8
12 1/4

8 3/4 Production Liner 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

IntermediateString 9 5/8
12 1/4

8 3/4 Production Liner 7

Example Hole and String Sizes (in)

Structural casing Mudline

Conductor string
250’

1,000’

4,000’
Surface pipe
Intermediate String
Production Liner
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 1 16-25 ft

RANGE 2 25-34 ft

RANGE 3 > 34 ft.

 OUTSIDE DIAMETER (4.5 -20")

 Tolerance 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.
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.
API BCSG CONNECTOR

 Joint efficiency is 100% in most cases.

 It is tapered but longer thread run out ¾
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,
C-75, 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.
s
e
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., K-
55 casing with a nominal
wall thickness of 0.635
in. and a nominal weight
per foot of 133 lbf/ft.

Ften  s y ield * 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  s y ield * A s

d  20.00  2(0.635)  18.730in .

Tensile force balance on pipe body

Thus, the cross-sectional area of steel is


As  (20  18.73 )  38.63sq.in .
2 2

4
and a minimum pipe-body yield
is predicted by Eq. 7.1 at
an axial force of:
Ften  s y ield * 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  6.2762 )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)

FT
 2Yp t 
P  0.875   FP
 D 

where FP = DLP
FT = 2tLYP
P  internal yield pressure, psi
DLP = 2tLYP
Yp  minimum yield strength, psi
t  nominal wall thickness, in  2Yp t 
P 
D  O.D. of pipe, in  D 
Example

For 7”, 26 #/ft P-110 pipe

 2Yp t 
P  0.875  
 D 
(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 Weight Internal Drift Commonly

Size Per Foot Diameter Diameter Used
(O.D., in) (lbm/ft) (in.) (in.) Bit Sizes
(in.)
4 9.5 4.09 3.965 3 7/8
10.5 4.052 3.927 3¾
11.6 4.000 3.875
13.5 3.920 3.795
5 11.5 4.560 4.435 4¾
13.0 4.494 4.369 3 7/8
15.0 4.408 4.283
18.0 4.276 4.151
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

p Internal p
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.

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

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 (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

 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   2
(4)