Casing Design Example

The table below is a data set from a real land well. As a drilling engineer you are required to
calculate the burst and collapse loads that would be used to select an appropriate weight and
grade of casing for the Surface, Intermediate and Production strings in this land well:
Driven
100

26" 3000

17" 6000

12" 10000

8" 9500
- 120000

30"

20"

13"

9"

7" L

8.6

8.6/9.5

9.5/11.0

11.0/14.0

13.0@3000

16.0@6000

16.5@10000

9.0

11.00

14.00

15.00

TOC

seabed

4300

7500

9500

Lead slurry
(PPG)

13.5

13.5

13.5

15.88

Cementing
Tail slurry
data
(PPG)

15.88
500ft

15.88
500ft

15.88
500ft

15.88
500ft

Mix-Water
(PPG)

8.5

8.5

8.5

8.5

Unconsolidated
Caving
Sloughing

Possible
lost circ.

Unstable
shales

Overpressured
shales

Hole size depth(ft)

Casing size (in.)
Expected min/max. pore
pressure grad. (PPG)
Expected LOT pressure
grad. (PPG)
Mud-weight (PPG)

Potential hole problems

Assumptions:

Production test data:

Gas density
above 10000ft

: 0.1 psi/ft

Well test completion

fluid density

8.60 ppg.

Design factor
(Burst)

: 1.1

Test packer depth

11000 ft
TVD RKB

Design factor
(Collapse)

: 1.0

Test perforation depth

11250 ft
TVD RKB

Pressure at top of
perforation

14.0 ppg.

Well test shut-in fluid

gradient

10.15 psi/ft

Gas lift may be

required

Surface Casing (20" @ 3000 ft)

From the Drilling Program it can be seen that the following data is to be used for the design:
Casing size
Setting depth
Pore pressure above 3000
Mud Weight in which the casing is to be run

:
:
:
:

20"
3000
8.6
9.0

ppg.
ppg.

Depth of next 17" hole

Max. pore pressure at bottom of 17" hole

:
:

6000
9.5

ppg.

Frac. pressure gradient at the 20" shoe

Expected gas gradient

13
0.1

Burst

1.1

Collapse

1.0

ppg.
psi/

Design Factors:

Burst Design - Drilling

Internal Load: Assuming that an influx of gas has occurred and the well is full of gas to surface.

Pore pressure at bottom of 17" hole

=
=

Pressure at surface = Pressure at bottom of 17"

=
hole - pressure due to column of gas
=

9.5 x 6000
2964 psi
2964 - (0.1 x 6000)
2364

psi

Pressure at 20" casing shoe

=
=

2961 - (0.1 x 3000)

2664 psi

LOT pressure at 20" casing shoe

=
=

13 x 0.052 x 3000
2028 psi

The formation at the casing shoe will breakdown at 2028 psi and therefore it will breakdown if
the pressure of 2664 psi is applied to it. The maximum pressure inside the surface casing at the
shoe will therefore be 2028 psi.
The maximum pressure at surface will be equal to the pressure at the shoe minus a column of
gas to surface:
=
=

2028 - (0.1 x 3000)

1728 psi

External Load: Assuming that the pore pressure is acting at the casing shoe and zero pressure at
surface.
Pore pressure at the casing shoe

=
=

External pressure at surface

8.6 x 0.052 x 3000

1342 psi
0

psi

Line up against equals

Summary of burst loads
Depth

External
load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load
(Load x 1.1)

Surface

1728

1728

1901

1342

2028

686

755

Casing shoe(3000 ft)

Collapse Design - Drilling

Internal Load: Assuming that the casing is totally evacuated due to losses of drilling fluid.

Internal pressure at surface

psi

Internal pressure at shoe

psi

External Load: Assuming that the pore pressure is acting at the casing shoe and zero pressure at
surface.

Summary of collapse loads

Depth

External
load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load
(Load x 1.0)

Surface

1342

1342

1342

Casing shoe(3000 ft)

Intermediate Casing (13" @ 6000 ft)

From the Drilling Program it can be seen that the following data is to be used for the design:
Casing size
Setting depth
Minimum pore pressure above 6000
Maximum pore pressure above 6000
Mud Weight in which the casing is to be run

:
:
:
:
:

13"
6000
8.6
9.5
11.0

ppg.
ppg.
ppg.

Depth of next 12" hole

Max. pore pressure at bottom of 12" hole

:
:

10000
11.0

ppg.

Frac. pressure gradient at the 13" shoe

Expected gas gradient

16
0.1

Burst

1.1

Collapse

1.0

ppg.
psi/

Design Factors:

Burst Design - Drilling

Internal Load: Assuming that an influx of gas has occurred and the well is full of gas to surface.

Pore pressure at bottom of 12" hole

=
=

Pressure at surface = Pressure at bottom of 12"

=
hole - pressure due to column of gas
=

11 x 0.052 x 10000
5720 psi
5720 - (0.1 x 10000)
4720

psi

Pressure at 13" casing shoe

=
=

5720 - (0.1 x 4000)

5320 psi

LOT pressure at 13" casing shoe

=
=

16 x 0.052 x 6000
4992 psi

The formation at the casing shoe will therefore breakdown when the well is closed in after the
gas has flowed to surface. The maximum pressure inside the casing at the shoe will be 4992 psi.
The maximum pressure at surface will be equal to the pressure at the shoe minus a column of
gas to surface:
=
=

4992 - (0.1 x 6000)

4392 psi

External Load: Assuming that the minimum pore pressure is acting at the casing shoe and zero
pressure at surface.
Pore pressure at the casing shoe

=
=

External pressure at surface

8.6 x 0.052 x 6000

2684 psi
0

psi

Summary of burst load

Depth

External
load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load
(Load x 1.1)

Surface

4392

4392

4831

2684

4992

2308

2539

Casing shoe(6000 ft)

Collapse Design - Drilling

Internal Load: Assuming that the casing is totally evacuated due to losses of drilling fluid.

Internal pressure at surface

psi

Internal pressure at shoe

psi

External Load: Assuming that the maximum pore pressure is acting at the casing shoe and zero
pressure at surface.
Pore pressure at the casing shoe

=
=

External pressure at surface

9.5 x 0.052 x 6000

2964 psi
0

psi

Summary of collapse loads

Depth

External
load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load
(Load x 1.0)

Surface

2684

2694

2964

Casing shoe(6000 ft)

Production Casing (9" @ 10000 ft)

From the Drilling Program it can be seen that the following data is to be used for the design:
Casing size
Setting depth
Top of 7" liner
Test perforation depth
Pressure at top of perforation

:
:
:
:
:

9"
10000
9500
11250
14.0

ppg.

Minimum pore pressure above 10000

Maximum pore pressure above 10000
Mud Weight in which the casing is to be run

:
:
:

9.5
11.0
14.0

ppg.
ppg.
ppg.

Density of completion/packer fluid

Packer depth

:
:

8.6
11000

ppg.

Expected gas gradient

0.15

psi/

Design Factors:
Burst

1.1

Collapse

1.0

Burst Design - Production

Internal Load: Assuming that a leak occurs in the tubing at surface and that the Closed In
Tubing Head Pressure (CITHP) is acting on the inside of the top of the casing. This pressure
will then act on the column of packer fluid. The 9" casing is only exposed to these pressure
down to the Top Of Liner (TOL). The 7" liner protects the remainder of the casing.

Max. pore pressure at the top of the production

zone

CITHP (at surface) - Pressure at top of prefs pressure due to column of gas (0.15 psi/)

14 x 0.052 x 11250

8190

psi

8190 - 0.15 x 11250

6503

psi

External Load: Assuming that the minimum pore pressure is acting at the liner depth and zero
pressure at surface.
Pore pressure at the top of liner

=
=

External pressure at surface

9.5 x 0.052 x 9500

4693 psi
0

psi

Summary of burst loads

Depth

External load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load (Load x 1.1)

Surface

6503

6503

7153

4693

10751

6058

6664

TOL (9500 ft)

Collapse Design - Drilling

Internal Load: Assuming that the casing is totally evacuated due to gaslifting operations.

Internal pressure at surface

psi

Internal pressure at top of liner (TOL)

psi

External Load: Assuming that the maximum pore pressure is acting on the outside of the casing
at the TOL.
Pore pressure at the TOL
=
11 x 0.52 x 9500
=
5434 psi
Summary of collapse loads
Depth

External load

Internal load

Net Load

Design load (Load x 1.0)

Surface

5343

5434

5434

TOL (9500 ft)