3/30/2022

Hussein Y. Ali
Basrah University for Oil and Gas

Burst Forces

LECTURE
FOUR Design & Safety Factors

Casing Selection- Burst and Collapse

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PART TWO
C O L L A P S E , B U R S T A N D T E N S I ON .
F OR CE S

2. B URST FORCES

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BURST PRESSURE

• In oil well casings, burst occurs when the burst pressure

exceeds the casing burst strength.
Pi Pe

• Burst Pressure, B is given by:

B = internal pressure – external pressure

INTERNAL PRESSURE

• Burst pressures occur when formation fluids enter the casing

while drilling or producing next hole.

• For the burst criterion, two cases can be designed for:

1. Unlimited kick
2. Limited kick

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INTERNAL PRESSURE

Limited kick
• The main problem with this method is knowing what realistic values for kick size to use
for each hole size and how to distinguish between exploration and development wells.
• The calculations involved in this method (Kick Tolerance)
• To apply this method, assume a realistic kick size and calculate the internal pressures
at surface and at shoe assuming the kick is being circulated out of hole using the
driller’s method of well control.
• The method can be easily programmed into an Excel sheet.

INTERNAL PRESSURE

Unlimited kick
• The use of unlimited kick (usually gas to surface) used to be the main design criterion in
burst calculations.
• The kick is assumed to enter the well, displace the entire mud and then the well is shut-
in the moment the last mud drop leaves the well
• However, there is one practical situation when this criterion is actually valid.
• In gas wells, the production tubing is in fact subjected to controlled unlimited kick all
the time.
• Because production occurs under controlled conditions, the flow of gas poses no
problems to the surrounding casing. If however, gas leaked from tubing to casing, then
the casing will see the full impact of gas during production.

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INTERNAL PRESSURE

Unlimited kick
• Assuming a gas kick of pressure Pf from next TD, and the gas
fills the entire well then, the internal pressures at surface
and casing shoe are given by:

Internal pressure at surface = Pf - G x TD

Internal pressure at shoe = Pf - G x (TD - CSD)
where G is the gradient of gas (typically 0.1 psi/ft)

EXTERNAL PRESSURE

• The external pressure (or back-up load) is one of the most confusing variables to
determine.
• It is largely determined by the type of casing being designed, mud type and cement
density, height of cement column and formation pressures in the vicinity of the casing.

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

• At the top of the hole, the external pressure is zero and the internal pressure must be
supported entirely by the casing body.

• Therefore, burst pressure is highest at the top and lowest at the casing shoe where
internal pressures are resisted by the external pressure originating from fluids outside
the casing.

• There is no burst design for conductors.

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

Surface and Intermediate Casings

• For gas to surface (unlimited kick size), calculate burst
pressures as follows:
• Calculate the internal pressures (Pi) using the maximum
formation pressure at next hole TD, assuming the hole is full
of gas, (see Figure).
• Burst at surface (B1) = Internal pressure (Pi) – external
pressure
B1 = Pf - G x TD
(note external pressure at surface is zero)

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

Surface and Intermediate Casings

• Burst pressure at casing shoe (B2) = internal pressure-
backup load

B2 = Pf - G x (TD - CSD) - 0.465 x CSD

The back-up load is assumed to be provided by mud which has

degrade to salt-saturated water with a gradient of 0.465 psi/ft.

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

Production Casing
• The worst case occurs when gas leaks
from the top of the production tubing to
the casing.

• The gas pressure will be transmitted

through the packer fluid from the surface
to the casing shoe

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

Production Casing
• Burst values are calculated as follows:
Burst pressure= Internal pressure -
External pressure
• Burst at surface (B1)
B1 =Pf - G x CSD
• Burst at shoe (B2)
B2= B1 + 0.052 ρp x CSD - CSD x 0.465

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BURST CALCULATIONS FOR INDIVIDUAL CASING STRINGS

Production Casing
where
G =gradient of gas, usually 0.1 psi/ft
Pf =formation pressure at production casing seat, psi
ρp =density of completion (or packer) fluid, ppg
0.465 =the density of backup fluid outside the casing to represent the worst case,
psi/ft.
• Note that if a production packer is set above the casing shoe depth, then the
packer depth should be used in the above calculation rather than CSD. The casing
below the packer will not be subjected to burst loading as it is perforated.

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3. DE SIG N & SAFETY FACTORS

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SAFETY FACTOR

• Safety factor uses a rating based on catastrophic failure of the casing.

Safety Factor = Failure Load / Actual Applied Load

• When the actual applied load equals the failure load, then the safety factor =1
and failure is about to happen.
• Failure will occur if the actual load is greater than the failure load and in this
case the safety factor < 1.0.
• For the above reasons, safety factors are always kept at values greater than 1.
• In casing design, neither the actual applied load or failure loads are known
exactly, hence design factors are used to evaluate the integrity of casing.

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DESIGN FACTOR

• Design Factor = Rating of the pipe / Maximum Expected Service Load

• A Design Factor is usually equal to or greater than 1.

• The burst design factor (DF-B) is given by:

DF-B = Burst Strength / Burst Pressure (B)

• Similarly, the collapse design factor is given by:

DF-C = Collapse Strength / Collapse Pressure (C)

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DESIGN FACTOR

• RECOMMENDED DESIGN FACTORS

o Collapse = 1. 0
o Burst = 1.1
o Tension = 1.6 –1. 8
o Compression = 1.0
o Triaxial Design = 1. 1
• Industry Range from various operators
o Collapse = 1.0 – 1. 1
o Burst = 1.1 – 1. 25
o Tension = 1.3 –1. 8
o Compression = 1.0
o Triaxial Design = 1. 1- 1.2

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EXAMPLE

• If the burst strength (Minimum Internal Yield Strength) of casing is 6300 psi.
What is the maximum burst pressure that this casing should be subjected to in
service?
Recommended DF = 1.1

Solution

Design burst strength = 6300 / 1.1 = 5727 psi

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4. CASING SE L E CTIO N - BURST AND COL L APSE

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CASING SELECTION

• The casing grades/weights should initially be selected on the basis of burst and
collapse pressures, then load cases should be applied.
• If only one grade or one weight of casing is available, then the task of selecting
casing is easy.
• The strength properties of the casings available are compared with the collapse
and burst pressures in the wellbore.
• If the design factors in collapse and burst are acceptable then all that remains is
to check the casing for tension.

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CASING SELECTION

• For deep wells or where more than one grade and weight are used, a graphical method
of selecting casing is used as follows:

1. Plot a graph of pressure against depth, as shown in Figure, starting the depth and
pressure scales at zero. Mark the CSD on this graph.
2. Collapse Line: Mark point C1 at zero depth and point C2 at CSD. Draw a straight line
through points C1 and C2.
3. For partial loss circulation, there will be three collapse points. Mark C1 at zero depth,
C2 at depth (CSD-L) and C3 at CSD. Draw two straight lines through these points.
4. Burst Line:Plot point B1 at zero depth and point B2 at CSD. Draw a straight line
through point B1 and B2 (see Figure). For production casing, the highest pressure will
be at casing shoe.

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CASING SELECTION

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CASING SELECTION

5. Plot the collapse and burst strength of the available casing, as shown in NEXT
Figure. In this figure, two grades, N80 and K55 are plotted to represent the
available casing.

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CASING SELECTION

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CASING SELECTION

• Select a casing string that satisfies both collapse and burst.

• Previous Figure provides the initial selection and in many cases this selection
differs very little from the final selection.
• Hence, great care must be used when producing the previous Figure

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THANK YOU

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