Advanced Casing Design

The course emphasizes the practical application of casing design principles and theory from a basic level through to advance. It can be tailored for either level. It examines the nomenclature of casing design, the manufacturing processes, materials and properties, the theory of burst, collapse and axial loadings, design policies and procedures, API specifications with review of the theory behind these and their limitations, connections and special cases such as HP/HT and sour service. The course examines the non-API principles of tri-axial design and how this improves upon the limitations of API.

Kick tolerance and its impact on casing seat selection is considered in detail along with the processes of documentation and audit. Substantial emphasis is placed on worked examples beginning with basic practical problems and culminating in a full casing design for a typical well. This is approached from first principles and demands extensive use of mathematics.

Course Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, the delegates will be able to:

• Participants  will  review  the  theories  of  both  uniaxial  and  triaxial  pipe  strength  as  per  API Bulletin 5C3 and ISO/TR 10400, the implications of manufacturing standards and tolerances as per API Specification 5CT and the impact of downhole environmental conditions.
• Participants  will  learn  how  to  optimize  preliminary  casing  design;  performing  casing  seat selection  to  satisfy  a  range  of  well  performance  parameters  and  barrier  standards,   select suitable casing sizes to meet well completion objectives and produce a workable casing scheme utilizing casing strings, liners and expandable tubulars. The impact  on casing scheme and cementing program on well abandonment
• Participants  will  master  the  process  of  detailed  casing  design,  identifying  relevant  load conditions  for  the  lifetime  of  the  well  and  producing  an  optimized  casing scheme  that  can withstand triaxial burst and biaxial collapse loading under downhole conditions.
• Service Load design challenges such buckling and trapped annular pressures will be addressed as well as managing the impact of corrosion and casing wear
• Participants will develop an understanding of the how connections are tested using ISO 13679 and how to select suitably pre-qualified connections for use in a well.
• The use and limitations of spreadsheets for routine design will be reviewed. The capabilities and limitations of casing design software for advanced casing design will be addressed

Who Should Attend?

This course is intended for drilling and completion engineers and service company personnel with a basic knowledge of well design principles through to experienced drilling engineers who desire a more theoretical, detailed knowledge of the subject.

Course Outline

Day 1
Introduction

• Functions of Casing
• Well Construction Standards
• The Casing Design Process
• Casing Design Data requirements

Preliminary Casing Design

• Pore Pressures and Formation strengths
• Kick Tolerance and Casing Seat Selection
• Casing  setting  depth  and  sizing  for  Well  Construction  (Seat Selection)
• Barriers
• Well Abandonment Considerations

Day 2
Oil Field Tubulars

• Industry Standards, Specifications and Documentation
• The Manufacturing Process
• API 5CT
  • Steel: Grades, Chemistry, Yield Stress
  • Tolerances, Sizes and Lengths
  • Inspection
  • Supplementary Requirements
• Mechanical properties and Temperature Effects
• Application of ISO 15156 – Materials for us in Sour Service

Casing Performance Properties

• Conventional Casing Strength limits as per API Bulletin 5C3
  • Uniaxial Tensile Yield
  • Uniaxial (Barlow) Burst
  • Uniaxial Collapse, influence of Temperature and Tension
• Alternative Limits proposed in ISO/TR 10400
  • Burst Strength based on von Mises Initial Yield
  • Burst Strength based on Full Yield
  • Alternative Collapse Strength, Effect of Wear on Collapse
  • Resistance
  • Burst  Strength,  Effect  of  Wear  on  Burst  Strength  and  Effect  of Temperature
  • on Burst Strength
• Modes of Failure, Burst, Collapse, Axial, Tri-axial and Joint Integrity
• Buckling – Resistance and Effective Tension
• Design and Safety Factors

Day 3
Casing Connections

• Introduction to Casing Connections
• ISO 13679 Connection Testing
• Selection of Pre-Qualified connections

Casing Loads

• Overview of Design Loads
• Fluid Gradients and Applied Pressures
• Critical Internal and External Pressure Scenarios
• Load Case Selection
• Production Casing Loads
• Intermediate Casing Loads
• Surface Casing Loads

Manual Design Process

• Uniaxial Pipe Selection
• Installation Loads
• As Cemented Loads

Day 4
Service Loads

• Load Identification, Production Thermal Profiles
• Thermal Effects on fluids, pipe strength and tension
• Trapped Annular Pressures
• Impact of Cement on Buckling
• Biaxial Collapse Assessment
• Triaxial Burst Assessment
• Pressure Testing

Special Design Considerations

• Accounting for Casing Wear and Corrosion
• Deterministic vs Probabilistic Casing Design
• Casing Design for Thermal wells
• Casing Design for HPHT wells
• Casing Design for Deepwater wells
• Annular Pressure Buildup – Prediction, Management and Mitigation

Day 5
Casing Design Software

• Capabilities and Limitations

Course Methodology

A variety of methodologies will be used during the course that includes:

• (30%) Based on Case Studies
• (30%) Techniques
• (30%) Role Play
• (10%) Concepts
• Pre-test and Post-test
• Variety of Learning Methods
• Lectures
• Case Studies and Self Questionaires
• Group Work
• Discussion
• Presentation

Course Fees

This rate includes participant’s manual, Hand-Outs, buffet lunch, coffee/tea on arrival, morning & afternoon of each day.

Course Timings

Daily Course Timings
08:00 - 08:20       Morning Coffee / Tea
08:20 - 10:00       First Session
10:00 - 10:20       Coffee / Tea / Snacks
10:20 - 12:20       Second Session
12:20 - 13:30       Lunch Break & Prayer Break
13:30 - 15:00       Last Session