SPE Latin America/Caribbean Petroleum Engineering Conference · 1996 · 27 citations · 2 references
EngineeringPetroleum EngineeringThermal AnalysisWell IntegrityWell TestingCasing DesignCasing IntegritySteam InjectionWell CompletionCasing Failure AnalysisCasing Mechanical IntegrityWell Casing Integrity
Abstract Casing failures in steam injectors and cyclic steam wells have been encountered in old wells completed with low strength J55 casing as well as in new wells with higher grade N80 casing. Eighty five percent (85%) of the failures occurred at the coupling due to joint pullout or fracture caused by cyclical or rapid heating and cooling. Fifteen percent (15%) of the failures were due to buckling resulting from poorly cemented casing and low cement tops. Different techniques have been used to prevent casing failures: insulated tubing, packers and thermal cups. However, these were found to perform unreliably and did not achieve large scale implementation. There have been no failures in ten (10) wells completed with N80 buttress prestressed casing subjected to continuous and cyclic injection over the last five years.
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