3/11/2022

Hussein Y. Ali
Basrah University for Oil and Gas

Casing Design Process

LECTURE Factors Influencing Casing Design

TWO
Required Data

Pore, Overburden and Fracture pressures

Casing Seat Selection

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INTRODUCTION

• The end product of well design and construction is a pressure vessel capable of
resisting the expected internal and external pressures and axial loading.
• There are two different jobs that casing must be designed for:
1. to allow you to safely drill the well and resist any forces or conditions that are
imposed on it during drilling, without sustaining significant damage.
2. to act throughout the life of the well to meet the well objectives without requiring a
workover.
• The design criteria for each string of casing are different during drilling and during
the remainder of the life of the well.
• It is your job to design the most economical casing that is fit for purpose for the full
design life of the well.

CASING DESIG N PROCESS

• The casing design process involves three distinct operations:

1. The selection of the casing sizes and setting depths
2. The definition of the operational scenarios which will result in burst, collapse and
axial loads being applied to the casing
3. The calculation of the magnitude of these loads and selection of an appropriate
weight and grade of casing

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CASING DESIG N PROCESS

• The steps in the casing design process are shown in Figure:

FACTORS INFLUENCING CASING DESIG N

• Casing design involves the determination of factors which influence the failure of
casing and the selection of the most suitable casing grades and weights for a specific
operation, both safely and economically
1. The loading conditions during drilling and production;
2. The strength properties of the casing seat (i.e. formation strength at casing shoe)
3. The degree of weakening to which the pipe will be subjected during the entire life of
the well;
4. Cost (since the cost of casing in a given well constitutes a high percentage of the
total cost of drilling and completion (in some cases up to 40%))
5. The availability of casing.

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T HE REQUIRED DA T A

Data Sources
Formation pressure, psi Offset wells ,well logs, log analyst
Casing setting depths, ft Offset wells, kick tolerance
calculations
Fracture gradient (psi/ft) or fracture Offset wells, well logs, calculation of
pressure (ppg or psi) at casing seat fracture gradient

Mud density, ppg As above

Mean sea water level, ft
Available casing grades and weights Stock status report

Strength properties (burst, collapse, API or manufacturer‘s catalogues

yield)
Geothermal temperatures Offset wells

PA RT ONE
CA SI NG SE A T SE LE CT I O N

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CASING SEAT SELECTION

• A casing seat is the point at which the

casing is set into an impermeable and
stable .
• Accurate knowledge of pore pressure
and fracture gradient plays a major role
in the selection of proper casing seats
that allow the drilling of each successive
hole section without fracturing.
• Pore pressure, mud weight and fracture
gradient are used together to select
casing seats.

FORMA TION (PORE) PRESSURE

• Pore pressure is the pressure exerted by pore fluids.

• Depending on the magnitude of pore pressure, it can be
described as:
1. Normal pore pressure = Normal hydrostatic pressure
2. Subnormal pore pressure < Normal hydrostatic pressure
3. Abnormal pore pressure > Normal hydrostatic pressure

• Normal pore pressure reflects the water density in the basin of

deposition
• Fluid density is a function of the concentration of dissolved
salts, varying salinity causes varying fluid density.

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FORMA TION (PORE) PRESSURE

• Pore Pressure is measured by:

1. Direct methods: DST, production tests and RFT
2. LWD data.
3. Mud Chlorides - show gross changes in pore water salinity.
4. Resistivity Logs - used to calculate Rw.
5. Rw Tables (Rw is the total resistivity of the water and assumes the presence of NaCl)
6. Offset Data

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FORMA TION (PORE) PRESSURE

• Pore Pressure is calculated from:

1. DC exponent data
2. Sonic log
3. Resistivity
4. Equivalent depth methods
5. Effective stress

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OVERBURDEN PRESSURE

• The overburden pressure is defined as the pressure exerted by the total weight of
overlying formations above the point of interest.
• The total weight is the combined weight of both the formation solids (rock matrix) and
formation fluids in the pore space.
• The density of the combined weight is referred to as the bulk density (ρb).

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FRA CT URE PRESSURE

• Fracture pressure is the pressure required to break a formation physically, allowing

entry of drilling fluids into the formation.
• At any particular point below the earth‘s surface, there are three independently acting
stresses which are perpendicular to each other . As shown in the next slide Figure,
three normal stresses: vertical stress (σv) and two horizontal stresses (σH and σh).
• In most oilwell applications, the rock under consideration is subjected to normal
stresses which have no associated shear stresses are described as Principal Stresses
and are mutually perpendicular to each other:
• The maximum principal stress (σ1)
• The intermediate principal stress (σ2)
• The minimum principal stress (σ3)

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FRA CT URE PRESSURE

• In most cases the maximum principal stress will be vertical due to the pressure of the
overlying rock. This is defined as the overburden pressure.
• In a tectonically stable basin, the maximum principal stress will be vertical and the
horizontal stresses will be equal
• In areas of high tectonic activities such as mountain belts, the maximum principal
stress may be horizontal and the minimum principal stress is vertical

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FRA CT URE PRESSURE

• Fracture of the formation results when the pressure in the wellbore is equal to, or
greater, than the minimum principal stress (assuming the tensile strength of rock is
negligible). The fracture will propagate along the path of least resistance which is
perpendicular to the direction of the minimum principal stress. Thus fractures will be
vertical in areas where the minimum principal stress is horizontal, and horizontal
where the minimum principal stress is vertical,

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CA LCULA T ION OF PRESSURES

• For the purposes of interpretation, all wellbore pressures, such as formation pressure,
fracture pressure, fluid density and overburden pressure, are measured in terms of
hydrostatic pressure.
• So, pore pressure (PP) equal to:

𝑷𝑷 𝒑𝒔𝒊 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟐 ∗ 𝑴𝑾 𝒑𝒑𝒈 ∗ 𝑻𝑽𝑫 (𝒇𝒕)

• Pore pressure gradient (PG) is given by:

𝑷𝑮 𝒑𝒔𝒊/𝒇𝒕 = 𝑷𝑷/𝑻𝑽𝑫

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CA LCULA T ION OF PRESSURES

• The gradient for different fluids:

Pressure Gradient
Fluid Density (ppg)
(psi/ft)
Fresh water 8.33 0.433
Sea water 8.55 0.444
Salt water (100000 ppm) 8.95 0.465
Saturated salt water (10
10.0 0.520
ppg)

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CA LCULA T ION OF PRESSURES

• Also, overburden pressure ( 𝝈𝒐𝝂 ) can therefore be expressed as the hydrostatic

pressure exerted by all materials overlying the depth of interest (using formation bulk
density 𝜌𝒃):

𝝈𝒐𝝂 𝒑𝒔𝒊 = 𝟎. 𝟎𝟓𝟐 ∗ 𝜌𝒃 𝒑𝒑𝒈 ∗ 𝑻𝑽𝑫 (𝒇𝒕)

• And similarly the gradient (𝝈𝒐𝝂𝒈 ) is given by:

𝝈𝒐𝝂𝒈 𝒑𝒔𝒊/𝒇𝒕 = 𝝈𝒐𝝂 /𝑻𝑽𝑫

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CA LCULA T ION OF PRESSURES

• A useful equation for calculating the overburden gradient under field conditions of
varying lithological (matrix density 𝜌𝒎𝒂 (𝒈𝒑𝒄𝒄) ) and pore fluid density (𝜌𝒇(𝒈𝒑𝒄𝒄) )is
given by:
𝝈𝒐𝝂𝒈 𝒑𝒔𝒊/𝒇𝒕 = 𝟎. 𝟒𝟑𝟑 ∗ [ 𝟏 − 𝝓 𝜌𝒎𝒂 + 𝝓 ∗ 𝜌𝒇 ]

Substance Density (gm/cc)

Sandstone 2.65
Limestone 2.71
Dolomite 2.87
Fresh water 1.0
Sea water 1.03-1.06
Oil 0.6-0.7
Gas 0.15

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CA LCULA T ION OF PRESSURES

• Fracture gradient (psi/ft) is calculated using the Hubbert and Willis method in terms of
overburden gradient , Poisson’ ratio (𝝂) and formation pressure 𝑷𝒇 :

𝝂 𝝈𝝂 − 𝑷𝒇 𝑷𝒇
𝐅𝐆(𝒑𝒔𝒊Τ𝒇𝒕) = +
𝟏−𝝂 𝑻𝑽𝑫 𝑻𝑽𝑫

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H.W

1. Normal pore pressure gradient = 0.465 psi/ft at 5,500 ft. Pressure at 5,500’ = 2,950
psi. Is this pressure normal or abnormal?
2. Convert the following mud densities into pressure gradients: 10, 18.3, 13 and 12.3 ppg.
3. Calculate the hydrostatic pressure for the following wells:
a. mud weight = 9 ppg, hole depth = 10100 ft MD (measured depth), 9900 ft TVD (true
vertical depth)
b. mud gradient = 0.468 psi / ft, hole depth = 10100 ft MD (measured depth), 9900 ft TVD
(true vertical depth)
4. Calculate the overburden gradient for the following: Formation type: sandstone,
density = 2.65 gm/cc. Formation water: 1.03 gm/cc .For porosities 5%, 20% and 35%.

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H.W

5. Determine the overburden gradient at various depths for the following offshore well:
Water Depth= 500 ft, RKB/MSL= 65 ft, Specific gravity of sea water= 1.03 gm/cc, Rock
density= 1.9 gm/cc from seabed to 1000ft, and 2.1gm/cc from 1000-3000 ft.Calculate the
overburden gradient of the formations: At seabed, 200 ft, 500 ft, 1000 ft and at 3000 ft
below seabed.
6. Given that the formations pressure at 5000 ft is 2400 psi and the overburden stress is
1 psi/ft (determined from bulk density logs), estimate the formation fracture gradient
at 5000 ft.

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STEPS FOR CASING SEAT SELECTION

1. Calculate the pore pressure at each depth.

2. Calculate the required hydrostatic pressure of mud (mud pressure) which is taken as equal to pore
pressure + 200 psi, where 200 psi is the magnitude of overbalance. Any reasonable value of
overbalance may be used depending on company policy.
3. Calculate the pore pressure gradient.
4. Calculate the mud pressure gradient.
5. Calculate the fracture gradient.
6. Plot the gradient (3,4 and 5) on a graph paper
7. On the graph, always start at the highest mud weight (usually at TD where there is a casing shoe),
draw a vertical line through the mud gradient until it intersects the fracture gradient line where
above this depth, the current mud gradient will exceed the fracture gradient of the open hole
section and this section must therefore be cased off before raising the mud weight to the current
value.
8. Then drawing a horizontal line from the last point to the mud gradient line and move vertically until
the fracture gradient line is intersected, also for the same reason this section must be cased off.
9. The procedure is continued until reach the surface

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EXAMPLE

• Using the data in the table below Assume ν = 0.4 and the overburden gradient 1 psi/ft,
select the casing setting depths.
TVD (ft) Pore pressure (psi)
3000 1320
5000 2450
8300 4067
8500 4504
9000 5984
9500 6810
10000 7800
11000 10171

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EXAMPLE

• Using the data in the table below, select the casing setting depths.
Mud
Pore Fracture
Pore Mud pressure
pressure gradient
TVD (ft) pressure pressure gradient
gradient (psi/ft)
(psi) (psi) (psi/ft)
(psi/ft)

3000 1320 1520 0.44 0.51 0.81

5000 2450 2650 0.49 0.53 0.83
8300 4067 4267 0.49 0.51 0.83
8500 4504 4704 0.53 0.55 0.84
9000 5984 6184 0.66 0.69 0.89
9500 6810 7010 0.72 0.74 0.91
10000 7800 8000 0.78 0.80 0.93
11000 10171 10371 0.92 0.94 0.97

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EXAMPLE

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THANK YOU

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