Prediction models of burst strength degradation for casing with considerations of both wear and corrosion

Casing wear and casing corrosion are serious problems affecting casing integrity failure in deep and ultra-deep wells.This paper aims to predict the casing burst strength with considerations of both wear and corrosion.Firstly,the crescent wear shape is simplified into three categories according to common mathematical models.Then,based on the mechano-electrochemical(M-E)interaction,the prediction model of corrosion depth is built with worn depth as the initial condition,and the prediction models of burst strength of the worn casing and corroded casing are obtained.Secondly,the accuracy of different prediction models is validated by numerical simulation,and the main influence factors on casing strength are obtained.At last,the theoretical models are applied to an ultra-deep well in Northwest China,and the dangerous well sections caused by wear and corrosion are predicted,and the corrosion rate threshold to ensure the safety of casing is obtained.The results show that the existence of wear defects results in a stress concentration and enhanced M-E interaction on corrosion depth growth.The accuracy of different mathematical models is different:the slot ring model is most accurate for predicting corrosion depth,and the eccentric model is most accurate for predicting the burst strength of corroded casing.The burst strength of the casing will be overestimated by more than one-third if the M-E interaction is neglected,so the coupling effect of wear and corrosion should be sufficiently considered in casing integrity evaluation.

Reshaping force for deformed casing repairing with hydraulic rolling reshaper and its influencing factors

Hydraulic rolling reshaper is an advanced reshaping tool to solve the problem of casing deformation,which has been widely used in recent years.When it is used for well repair operation,the reshaping force provided by ground devices is generally determined by experience.However,too large reshaping force may destroy the deformed casing,and too small reshaping force may also prolong the construction period and affect the repairing effect.In this paper,based on Hertz contact theory and elastic-plastic theory,combined with the process parameters of shaping,and considering the structural characteristics of the deformed casing and reshaper,we propose a mathematical model for calculating the reshaping force required for repairing deformed casing by hydraulic rolling reshaper.Meanwhile,the finite element model and numerical method of hydraulic rolling reshaper repairing deformed casing are established by using the finite element method,and the reliability of the mathematical model is verified by several examples.On this basis,the control variable method is used to investigate the influence of each parameter on the reshaping force,and the influence degree of each parameter is explored by orthogonal simulation test and Pearson correlation analysis.The research results not only provide an important theoretical basis for the prediction of reshaping force in on-site construction,but also provide a reference for the subsequent improvement of the shaping process.

Research on casing deformation prevention technology based on cementing slurry system optimization

The casing deformation prevention technology based on the optimization of cement slurry is proposed to reduce the casing deformation of shale oil and gas wells during hydraulic fracturing. In this paper, the fracture mechanism of hollow particles in cement sheath was firstly analyzed by discrete element method, and the effect of hollow particles in cement on casing deformation was investigated by laboratory experiment method. Finally, field test was carried out to verify the improvement effect of the casing deformation based on cement slurry modification. The results show that the formation displacement can be absorbed effectively by hollow particles inside the cement transferring the excessive deformation away from casing. The particles in the uncemented state provide deformation space during formation slipping. The casing with diameter of 139.7 mm could be passed through by bridge plug with the diameter of 99 mm when the mass ratio of particle/cement reaches 1:4. According to the field test feedback, the method based on optimization of cement slurry can effectively reduce the risk of casing deformation, and the recommended range of hollow microbeads content in the cement slurry is between 15% and 25%.

Failure evaluation mechanism of cement sheath sealing integrity under casing eccentricity during multistage fracturing

A microannulus(MA) is the primary reason for sustained casing pressure in multi-stage fractured-shale gas wells. However, the effect of the casing eccentricity on the long horizontal section has not been considered. In this study, a full-scale integrity tester for cement sheaths is adopted to measure the cumulative plastic deformation. Numerical models are applied to evaluate the development of the cumulative plastic deformation and quantify the MA width considering casing centralization and eccentricity in the context of multiple loading and unloading cycles. Subsequently, the influences of the eccentricity distance and angle, cement-sheath mechanical variables, and different well depths on the cumulative sheath plastic deformation and sheath MA development are explored. The research results demonstrate that casing eccentricity significantly increases the cumulative sheath plastic deformation compared with that of the casing-centered condition. Consequently, the risk of sealing integrity failure increases. The accumulated plastic deformation increases when the eccentricity distance increases. In contrast, the initial plastic deformation increases as the eccentricity angle increases. However, the cumulative plastic deformation decreases after a specific loading and unloading cycle count. Affected by the coupled influence of the internal casing pressure and fracturing stages, the width of the MA in the horizontal section increased from the toe to the heel, and the casing eccentricity significantly increased the MA width at each stage, thus increasing the risk of gas channeling. Finally, an engineering case is considered to study the influence of casing eccentricity. The results show that cement slurries that form low and high elastic moduli can be applied to form a cement sheath when the fracturing stage is lower or higher than a specific value, respectively. The results of this study offer theoretical references and engineering support for the integrity control of cement sheath sealing.

Analysis of mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint considering geometric, material, and contact nonlinearities

To address the challenges associated with difficult casing running,limited annular space,and poor cementing quality in the completion of ultra-deep wells,the extreme line casing offers an effective solution over conventional casings.However,due to its smaller size,the joint strength of extreme line casing is reduced,which may cause failure when running in the hole.To address this issue,this study focuses on the CST-ZTΦ139.7 mm×7.72 mm extreme line casing and employs the elastic-plastic mechanics to establish a comprehensive analysis of the casing joint,taking into account the influence of geometric and material nonlinearities.A finite element model is developed to analyze the forces and deformations of the extreme line casing joint under axial tension and external collapse load.The model investigates the stress distribution of each thread tooth subjected to various tensile forces and external pressures.Additionally,the tensile strength and crushing strength of the extreme line casing joint are determined through both analytical and experimental approaches.The findings reveal that,under axial tensile load,the bearing surface of each thread tooth experiences uneven stress,with relatively high equivalent stress at the root of each thread tooth.The end thread teeth are valuable spots for failure.It is observed that the critical fracture axial load of thread decreases linearly with the increase of thread tooth sequence.Under external pressure,the circumferential stress is highest at the small end of the external thread,leading to yield deformation.The tensile strength of the joint obtained from the finite element model exhibits a relative error of less than 7%compared to the analytical and experimental values,proving the reliability of the finite element model.The tensile strength of the joint is 3091.9 k N.Moreover,in terms of anti-collapse capability,the joints demonstrate higher resistance to collapse compared to the casing body,which is consistent with the test results where the pipe body experiences collapse and failure while the joints remain intact during the experiment.The failure load of the casing body under external collapse pressure is 87.4 MPa.The present study provides a basic understanding of the mechanical strengths of extreme line casing joint.

Double casing warhead with sandwiched charge:The axial distribution of fragments velocities

The double casing warhead with sandwiched charge is a novel fragmentation warhead that can produce two groups of fragments with different velocity,and the previous work has presented a calculation formula to determine the maximum fragment velocity.The current work builds on the published formula to further develop a formula for calculating the axial distribution characteristics of the fragment velocity.For this type of warhead,the simulation of the dispersion characteristics of the detonation products at different positions shows that the detonation products at the ends have a much larger axial velocity than those in the middle,and the detonation products have a greater axial dispersion velocity when they are closer to the central axis.The loading process and the fragment velocity vary with the axial position for both casing layers,and the total velocity of the fragments is the vector sum of the radial velocity and the axial velocity.At the same axial position,the acceleration time of the inner casing is greater than that of the outer casing.For the same casing,the fragments generated at the ends have a longer acceleration time than the fragments from the middle.The proposed formula is validated with the X-ray radiography results of the four warheads previously tested experimentally and the 3D smoothedparticle hydrodynamics numerical simulation results of several series of new warheads with different configurations.The formula can accurately and reliably calculate the fragment velocity when the lengthto-diameter ratio of the charge is greater than 1.5 and the thickness of the casing is less than 20%its inner radius.This work thus provides a key reference for the theoretical analysis and the design of warheads with multiple casings.

Elimination of cracks in stainless steel casings via 3D printed sand molds with an internal topology structure

The important supporting component in a gas turbine is the casing,which has the characteristics of large size,complex structure,and thin wall.In the context of existing 3DP sand casting processes,casting crack defects are prone to occur.This leads to an increase in the scrap rate of casings,causing significant resource wastage.Additionally,the presence of cracks poses a significant safety hazard after the casings are put into service.The generation of different types of crack defects in stainless steel casings is closely related to casting stress and the high-temperature concession of the sand mold.Therefore,the types and causes of cracks in stainless steel casing products,based on their structural characteristics,were systematically analyzed.Various sand molds with different internal topology designs were printed using the 3DP technology to investigate the impact of sand mold structures on high-temperature concession.The optimal sand mold structure was used to cast casings,and the crack suppression effect was verified by analyzing its eddy current testing results.The experimental results indicate that the skeleton structure has an excellent effect on suppressing cracks in the casing.This research holds important theoretical and engineering significance in improving the quality of casing castings and reducing production costs.

Prediction of casing wear in extended-reach drilling

Intermediate casings in the build sections are subject to severe wear in extended-reach drilling. This paper presents a new method for predicting the depth of a wear groove on the intermediate casing. According to energy principle and dynamic accumulation of casing wear by tool joints, a model is established to calculate the wear area on the inner wall of the casing. The relationship functions between the wear groove depth and area are obtained based on the geometry relationship between the drillstring and the wear section and the assumption that the casing wear groove is crescent-shaped. The change of casing wear groove depth versus drilling footage under different-sized drillstrings is also discussed. A mechanical model is proposed for predicting casing wear location, which is based on the well trajectory and drillstring movement. The casing wear groove depth of a planned well is predicted with inversion of the casing wear factor from the drilled well and necessarily revised to improve the prediction accuracy for differences between the drilled well and the planned well. The method for predicting casing wear in extended-reach drilling is verified through actual case study. The effect of drillstring size on casing wear should be taken into account in casing wear prediction.

Hydraulic fracturing induced casing shear deformation and a prediction model of casing deformation

To study the casing deformation(CD)in shale gas well fracturing caused by natural fracture slip,a fracture face stress model is built based on stress analysis,and a CD prediction model is established based on complex function to analyze factors affecting wellbore shear stress and CD.(1)The fracture and wellbore approach angles have significant impacts on the wellbore shear stress.In Weiyuan shale gas field,Sichuan Basin,under the common wellbore approach angle of nearly 90°,the wellbore is subjected to large shear stress and high risk of CD at the fracture approach angle range of 20° to 55° or its supplementary angle range.(2)When the fracture is partially opened,the wellbore shear stress is positively correlated with the fluid pressure,and negatively correlated with the fracture friction coefficient;when the fracture is fully opened,the wellbore shear stress is positively correlated with the natural fracture area.(3)The lower the elastic modulus and the longer the fracture length,the more serious the CD will be,and the Poisson’s ratio has a weak influence on the CD.The deformation first increases and then decreases with the increase of fracture approach angle,and reaches the maximum when the fracture approach angle is 45°.(4)At a given fracture approach angle,appropriately adjusting the wellbore approach angle can avoid high shear stress acting on wellbore,and reasonable control of the fluid pressure in the fracture can reduce the CD risk.The shear stress acting on casing is usually much greater than the shear strength of casing,so increasing casing strength or cementing quality have limited effect on reducing the risk of CD.Caliper logging data has verified that the CD prediction model is reliable,so the model can be used to establish risk analysis chart and calculate deformation value,to provide a reference for quick CD risk prediction in fracturing design.

Optimization of Casing Design Parameters to Mitigate Casing Failure Caused by Formation Slippage

There has been lack of work efforts on how to optimize cementing and completing parameters in order to prevent casing failure induced by formation slippage in pertroleum industry scope.Once the weak plane fails,the formation will become easily undertaken slippage across a large area along its interface.The plenty of horizontal planes of weakness in reservoir formations,as reported for a number of oilfields,can easily undertaken slippage once it fails.To address the problem,three-dimensional finite element models were established by taking into considerations the elastoplastic mechanical characteristics of both the casing and the near-wellbore rock.Two types of casing impairment scenarios were considered:Casing collapse(that causes tubing stuck in the well)and complete casing shear-off.In this study,the critical slip displacement of casing shear damage under both cemented and un-cemented conditions was calculated,and the critical displacement of casing with various wall thicknesses and steel grades was compared.A new cementing practice for the Daqing oilfield was then proposed by optimizing casing parameters according to API standards,and a new research method was also put forward by proposing new casing materials to effectively mitigate casing failure caused by formation slippage for the future.Modeling results indicate that the stress and deformation associated with casing in the un-cemented condition is more diffused and the critical slippage displacement is larger than that in the cemented condition.Therefore,the un-cemented condition is more effective in preventing casing shear failure and easier for casing repair,for the case of casing damage caused by formation shear slippage.Casing elongation is the key parameter of casing shear failure in the un-cemented condition.Lower grade casing exhibits a larger critical slippage displacement because of its higher elongation capacity under stress.Casing with lower grade and smaller thickness provides more advantages in preventing casing damage in formations abundant with horizontal weak layers.If the elongation of casing can be largely improved,the critical displacement value can be increased by 21.40%.Higher grade and thicker casing is adapted for mitigate casing failure caused by formation slippage.

Thermal stresses analysis of casing string used in enhanced geothermal systems wells

In the enhanced geothermal systems wells, casing temperature variation produces casing thermal stresses, resulting in casing uplift or bucking. When the induced thermal stresses exceed casing material's yield strength, the casing deforms and collapses. The traditional casing design standard only considers the influence of temperature variation on casing material's yield strength. Actually, for commonly used grades of steel pipe, casing's material properties-such as yield strength, coefficient of thermal expansion, and modulus of elasticity change with temperature variation. In this paper, the modified thermal stress equation is given. Examples show that the allowable temperature of the material grade N80's casing is only 164 ℃, which is much lower than that of the traditional design standard. The effective method to improve the casing pipe's allowable temperature is pre-stressed cementing technology. Pre-stressed cementing includes pre-tension stress cementing and pre-pressure stress cementing. This paper focuses on the design method of full casing pre-tension stress cementing and the ground anchor full casing string pre-tension cementing construction process.

Blade-Loss-Caused Rubbing Dynamic Characteristics of Rotor-Bladed Disk-Casing System

Considering the elastic supports,the finite element model of rotor-bladed disk-casing system is established using commercial software ANSYS/LS-DYNA.Assuming that broken blade is released from the disk,the complicate rubbing responses of unbalanced rotor-bladed disk-casing system are studied under different operational speeds.In addition,influences of both plastic deformation of blade and casing failure are analyzed.The results show that there exist some multiple even fractional frequencies in the transient and steady vibration responses of unbalanced rotor.Besides,one nodal diameter vibration of bladed disk coupling with the lateral vibration of the shaft as well as the first order bending vibration of blade can be excited under low operational speed,while the first order bending vibration of blade coupling with the lateral vibration of disk-shaft is easily excited under high operational speed.During rubbing process,three distinct contact states can be observed:broken blade-casing contact,broken blade-blade component-casing contact and broken blade-casing contact/blade component-casing contact/blade selfcontact.It is worth noting that the third contact state is related to the operational speed.With the increase of operational speed,self-contact in the blade may occur.

Self-Recirculating Casing Treatment for a Radial Compressor

Casing treatment is a widely employed technique to increase the stall margins of turbomachineries. In the last several decades, many researches on casing treatment have been carded out. However, the mechanism of its expanding stall margins is still not very clear. Till now, most casing teatment schemes are designed for axial compressors, while the investigations on casing treatments in centrifugal compressors are rarely reported. Moreover, current investigation methods mainly focus on experiments, and perfect theoretic al analysis is not yet feasible. In order to study the effectiveness and further the mechanism of casing treatments in centrifugal compressors, in this paper, a computationally based investigation of the impact of the self-recireulating casing treatment on the performance of a radial compressor is carried out. The results indicate that, by casing bleed and injection, the casing treatment with inclined blades in the cavity expands the stall margin most. At low mass flows, the reversed flow through the cavity with inclined blades develops the counter swirl flow in front of the impeller inlet, which is considered to benefit increasing the pressure rise from the injection port to the bleed port and thereby augment the recirculating flow. At 120% design speed, the stall margin is larger than that at the design speed. However, the cost of extending the stall margin is the reduction of isentropic efficiency. A mended casing treatment by shifting the bleed port upstream is also studied. It is demonstrated that, relative to the original casing treatment, this mend can improve the efficiency evidently notwithstanding a little narrowing of the flow range.

Investigation of rock salt layer creep and its effects on casing collapse

Casing collapse is one of the costly incidents in the oil industry. In the oil fields of southwest Iran, most casing collapses have occurred in Gachsaran formation, and the halite rock salt layer in this formation may be the main cause for these incidents because of its peculiar creep behavior. In this research, triaxial creep experiments have been conducted on Gachsaran salt samples under various temperatures and differential stresses. The main purpose was to determine the creep characteristics of Gachsaran rock salt,and to examine the role of creep in several casing collapses that occurred in this formation. Results indicated that the halite rock salt of Gachsaran formation basically obeys the power law;however, its creep parameters are quite different from other halite rocks elsewhere. The time-dependent creep of Gachsaran rock salt exhibits strong sensitivity to temperature change;however, its sensitivity to variation of differential stress is rather low. The numerical simulation of the rock salt creep in a real oil well demonstrated the importance of creep and reservoir conditions on the safety factor of the tubing related to casing collapse.

Calculation analysis of sustained casing pressure in gas wells

Sustained casing pressure （SCP） in gas wells brings a serious threat to worker safety and environmental protection. According to geological conditions, wellbore structure and cement data of gas wells in the Sichuan-Chongqing region, China, the position, time, environmental condition and the value of SCP have been analyzed. On this basis, the shape of the pressure bleed-down plot and pressure buildup plot were diagnosed and the mechanism of SCP has been clarified. Based on generalized annular Darcy percolation theory and gas-liquid two-phase fluid dynamics theory, a coupled mathematical model of gas migration in a cemented annulus with a mud column above the cement has been developed. The volume of gas migrated in the annulus and the value of SCP changing with time in a gas well in Sichuan have been calculated by this model. Calculation results coincided well with the actual field data, which provide some reference for the following security evaluation and solution measures of SCP.

Multistring analysis of wellhead movement and uncemented casing strength in offshore oil and gas wells

This paper presents a theoretical method and a finite element method to describe wellhead movement and uncemented casing strength in offshore oil and gas wells.Parameters considered in the theoretical method include operating load during drilling and completion and the temperature field,pressure field and the end effect of pressure during gas production.The finite element method for multistring analysis is developed to simulate random contact between casings.The relevant finite element analysis scheme is also presented according to the actual procedures of drilling,completion and gas production.Finally,field cases are presented and analyzed using the proposed methods.These are four offshore wells in the South China Sea.The calculated wellhead growths during gas production are compared with measured values.The results show that the wellhead subsides during drilling and completion and grows up during gas production.The theoretical and finite element solutions for wellhead growth are in good agreement with measured values and the deviations of calculation are within 10％.The maximum von Mises stress on the uncemented intermediate casing occurs during the running of the oil tube.The maximum von Mises stress on the uncemented production casing,calculated with the theoretical method occurs at removing the blow-out-preventer （BOP） while that calculated with the finite element method occurs at gas production.Finite element solutions for von Mises stress are recommended and the uncemented casings of four wells satisfy strength requirements.

The fragmentation of D-shaped casing filled with explosive under eccentric initiation

With the technical development of new warhead designs and improvised explosive device protection,irregular casing filled with explosive has been paid more attention recently. In this paper, we studied the fragmentation of a type of D-shaped casing, which is a common asymmetric casing in the field of warhead design. Based on the radiograph technique, static explosive experiments were conducted with D-shaped casings under four different eccentric initiation ratios to explore their fragmentation. A numerical model was then established to simulate the dynamic response of D-shaped casing filled with explosive. The results of numerical simulation were found to agree well with the experimental data.According to the results of numerical simulation and experimental data, the dynamic responses of Dshaped casing were analyzed. The results of the current work pave way for the innovative design of new warhead and for further studying the dynamic response of asymmetric casing.

Experimental study ofcasing wear under impact-sliding conditions

Theoretical analysis and field monitoring show that lateral vibration has very important effect on casing wear in deep & ultra-deep well drilling. The wear mechanism of casing under impact-sliding work conditions has been investigated and many experiments have been completed with a newly developed full-scale casing wear test machine. Test results present that adhesion wear, contact fatigue, and grinding abrasion are the main wear mechanisms under impact-sliding test conditions. The friction coefficient and linear wear rate of the casing rise obviously with an increase in impact load. And the larger the impact load, the rougher the worn surface of the casing. The linear wear rate decreased slightly but the average friction coefficient increased slightly with an increase in impact frequency under an impact load of 2,500 N. Both the linear wear rate of the casing and the average friction coefficient increased substantially with an increase in impact frequency under an impact load of 4,000 N. Under lower impact load conditions, grinding abrasion and contact fatigue are the main mechanisms of casing wear; under higher impact load conditions, adhesion wear and contact fatigue are the main mechanisms of casing wear.

Analysis on Collapse Strength of Casing Wear

Carrying capacity of the casing will reduce after the casing is worn, which seriously affects the subsequent well drilling, well completion, oil extraction and well repair. A lot of researches on calculation of casing wear collapse strength have been done, but few of them focus on collapsing failure mechanism, and influencing factors and law of collapse strength. So, significant difference between estimated value and actual value of collapse strength comes into being. By theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and actual test, the collapsing failure mechanism of casing wear as well as the influencing factors and laws of collapse strength are investigated, and the investigation results show that collapse of crescent casing wear belongs to 'three hinged' instability. The severely-worn position on the casing is yielded into the plastic zone first then deformed greatly, which causes the plastic instability of the whole structure. The casing wear collapse strength presents changes of exponent, power function and linear trend with the residual casing wall thickness, wear radius and axial load, respectively. When the flexibility is less than 10°/30 m, the borehole bending has less impact on casing collapse strength. Thus, the computation model for the casing wear collapsing strength is established by introducing wear radius coefficient and casing equivalent yield strength, at the same time, the model is tested. The test results show that the relative error for the computation model is less than 5%. The research results provide a basis for design of the casing string strength and evaluation of down-hole safety.

Use of casing and its effect on pressure cells

Although pressure cells have been produced and installed successfully for decades,the accuracy of measured pressure is often inadequate.Due to large differences between the stiffness of pressure cells and the surrounding media,there is a considerable difference between applied pressure and that measured from pressure cells.It is often difficult and expensive to make a pressure cell with stiffness（modulus of elasticity） similar to the surrounding material in which it will be embedded.In order to improve this situation,a casing material with proportional dimensions is recommended as a means to obtain reliable results.In our study,the effect of using casing in the installation of pressure cells is investigated,providing the characteristics of casing.Some practical recommendations are presented to improve the accuracy of the results using casing.