Casing Failures in Cyclic Steam Injection Wells

Abstract

AbstractCasing failure rate is high in steam injection wells and especially in cyclic steam injection wells. The high casing failure rate in such wells is related to the high casing temperature elevation from steam injection. Casing failures varies from casing ID restriction (including buckling and/or collapse) to casing parted (including leak and/or hole). This paper presents a modeling and analysis on casing temperature elevation, casing thermal stress/strain, and casing failure mechanisms in steam injection wells, with comparing with previous casing failure field-data from a Chevron steam injection project. It shows that high thermal axial compressive stress/strain can cause casing hot-yield and is attributed to casing ID restriction (including buckling and/or collapse), and high thermal axial compressive-tensile stress/strain alternation in cyclic steam injection can cause casing fatigue and is attributed to casing parted (including leak and/or hole).Casing strain-based design seems needed for steam injection wells to take into consideration of casing hot- yield due to high thermal axial compressive stress/strain and casing thermal axial compressive-tensile stress/strain alternation on cyclic steam injection operation. Casing hot-yield and fatigue analysis approach presented in this paper may be used on casing strain-base design for steam injection wells to reduce casing failures, with selecting proper casing grade and weight to reduce casing hot-yield and casing fatigue.