Study of Casing Collapse Behavior under Non-Uniform Loads Using Finit- Element Method

Casing design is considered as one of the most important parts of construction of a well. Casing design plays an important role in the safety of the well during drilling and later on during producing hydrocarbon. In addition to providing well safety, choosing proper casing could reduce total cost. In this way, various methods have been presented for the best casing that should be chosen in every drilled section. All these methods are presented for hydrostatic loads, which mean loads are uniformly imposed to casing. As all casing specifications including casing collapse are measured and reported in uniform loads condition, this kind of designing is appropriate only for hydrostatic (uniform) loads. In some fields, despite using stronger casing, casing collapse has been frequently observed due to non-uniform loads. These loads can easily deform or collapse casings

Keywords:

Casing design , Non-uniform loads , Casing collapse , Ovalization , Finite elements