Lesson 7 Casing Setting Depth Selection

EG 318_Well Completion- Lesson 7
Casing Setting Depth Selection
Prepared by Dr. N. P . Yekeen 1

Lesson Outlines
➢ Pore Pressure & Fracture Pressure

➢ Pressure and Fracture Gradient Determination
➢ Casing Seat Depth Selection Procedure
➢ Casing Seat Depth Selection Examples
➢ Mud density Line
➢ Casing Seat Depth Selection Graphs

Casing Seat
❖ The selection of the number of casing strings and their respective setting depths
or seat generally is based on a consideration of the pore pressure (pore
pressure gradients) and fracture pressure gradients of the formations to be
penetrated.
❖ The pore pressure and fracture pressure are generally expressed as an

equivalent mud density and are plotted vs. depth. pore pressure and fracture
gradient are normally described in PPG or lb/ft^3 (pcf) or psi
Pore Pressure & Fracture Pressure
The fracture gradient is defined as the bottom hole pressure required to keep
the fracture open divided by the reservoir depth.

Fracture Gradient Determination

Fracture Gradient Determination

Fracture gradient determination





Casing Seat Depth Selection Procedure
• Include only those types of casing which you know are available. In practice only
a few weights and grades will be kept in stock.
• Check that the final design meets all requirements and state clearly all design
assumptions.
• If several different designs are possible, choose the most economical scheme
that meets requirements.
• A commonly used trip margin is 0.5 lbm/gal or 4 pcf or one that will provide 200-
500 psi of excess (overbalance) mud hydrostatic bottom hole pressure over the
formation pore pressure.
• Similarly, a 4 pcf kick margin is subtracted from the true fracture gradient
line to obtain a design fracture gradient line.
•If no kick margin is provided, it is impossible to take a kick at the casing setting
depth without causing a fracture and a possible underground blowout.

Casing Seat Depth Selection Examples
Example 1
A well is to be drilled to a depth of 15,000’. Determine the number of casing

strings needed to reach this depth objective safely, and select the casing setting
depth of each string. Pore pressure and fracture gradient data are given in Table 1
below. Allow a 4pcf trip margin, and a 4 pcf kick margin when making the casing
seat setting depth selection. The minimum length of surface casing required to
protect the freshwater aquifers is 2,000 ft. Approximately 180 ft. of casing is
generally required to prevent washout on the outside of the conductor.

Example 1
A well is being planned for a location in Jefferson Parish, LA. The intended
well completion requires the use of 7’’ production casing set at 15,000 ft.
Determine the number of casing strings needed to reach this depth objective
safely, and select the casing setting depth of each string. Pore pressure and
fracture gradient, and lithology data from logs of nearby wells are given in
the next Figure. Allow a 0.5 lbm/gal trip margin, and a 0.5 lbm/gal kick
margin when making the casing seat selections. The minimum length of
surface casing required to protect the freshwater aquifers is 2000ft.
Approximately 180 ft of conductor casing generally is required to prevent
washout on the outside of the conductor.

Table 1
1 pound per gallon US (lb/gal) = 7.48 pounds per cubic foot (lb/ft3)
1 PSI to pound/square foot = 144 pound/square foot

Solution:
1- Calculate equivalent mud density for pore pressure gradient and fracture
pressure gradient @ Depth 1000
Calculate the equivalent mud density for the pore pressure gradient:
Equivalent mud density @ 1000’
= (Pore Pressure / Depth) x 144
= (457/1000) x 144 = 65.8 pcf.
Calculate equivalent mud density for fracture gradient:

Equivalent mud density for fracture gradient
= Fracture Gradient x 144
= 0.62 x 144 = 89.3 pcf.

Solution:
2- Calculate equivalent mud density for pore pressure gradient

and fracture pressure gradient @ equivalent depth
increments
Equivalent mud densities for the remaining depths are tabulated

below.
The planned mud density is found by adding 4 pcf to the pore
pressure equivalent mud density. Similarly, the design fracture
equivalent mud density is obtained by subtracting 4 pcf from
the fracture gradient equivalent mud density.

Solution:

3- Plot The graph with the above values

The pore-pressure equivalent mud density.
the planned mud density.
the fracture gradient equivalent density.
the fracture design equivalent mud density are plotted below.
4- Start Moving upward from A to B Then To C To D


From the graph, You will find the following:
1.To drill to a depth of 15,000 ft, a 128.3 pcf mud will be required (Point A).
2.This, in turn, requires intermediate casing to be set at 11,700 ft (Point B) to
prevent fracture of the formation above 11,700 ft.
3.Similarly, to drill safely to a depth of 11,700 ft to set intermediate casing, a
mud density of 110 pcf is required (Point C).
4.This requires surface casing to be set at 6,600 ft (Point D). Because the
formation at 6,600 ft is normally pressured, the usual conductor casing depth
of 180 ft is appropriate.
5.Surface casing is set at 2000 ft to protect the freshwater aquifers.

Example 2
Using the data in columns 1 and 2 of Table 2, calculate the pore pressure gradient,
mud pressure gradient and fracture gradient in Psi/ft at the various depths for the
following land well using The ben Eaton Method for fracture gradient calculations
Table 2

Solution 2
❖ Determine well depth, pore pressure and expected fracture pressure
❖ Determine mud pressure by allowing ~200 psi overbalance

❖ Construct pressure gradient curve
❖ From bottom of the mud gradient curve, start drawing the vertical line until it
touch fracture gradient line
❖ Move the line horizontal until it touch the mud weight gradient line again
❖ Repeat process until the line touch the surface

Solution 2
❖ The required hydrostatic pressure of mud 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.
❖ Calculate the pore pressure and mud pressure gradients by simply dividing
pore pressure and mud pressure by depth to obtain the gradient in psi/ft.

Solution 2
1) Given data of reservoir pressure, calculate the mud pressure with 200 psi overbalance
2) Calculate the pore pressure and mud pressure gradients by simply dividing pore pressure and
mud pressure by depth to obtain the gradient in psi/ft.
e.g at 8300 ft: - pore pressure gradient = 4067 / 8300 = 0.49 psi/ft
- Mud pressure gradient = 4267 / 8300 = 0.51psi/ft

1) On the same graph paper, plot the pore pressure gradient, the mud pressure gradient
and the fracture gradient against depth as shown in Figure 2.
2) Always start at the highest mud weight; in this example the highest mud weight is used
at TD.
3) Starting at hole TD (11 000 ft), draw a vertical line (line 1) through the mud gradient
until it intersects the fracture gradient line. In our example the mud gradient at TD is
0.94 psi/ft and a vertical line through it (line 1 in Figure 2) intersects the fracture gradient
line at 10 500 ft (point A in Figure 2). Above 10,500 ft, the mud gradient,
0.94 psi/ft, will exceed the fracture gradient of the open hole section and this section
must therefore be cased off before raising the mud weight to 0.94 psi/ft to drill the
bottom section. Between 10 500 ft and 11 000 ft the open hole should be cased with
either a production liner or a production casing.

4) Above 10 500 ft the hole must be drilled with a mud weight less than 0.94 psi/ft. The
new mud gradient is obtained by drawing a horizontal line from point A to the mud
gradient line. Point B in Figure 2 gives the new mud gradient as 0.88 psi/ft. Move
vertically from point B (line 2) until the fracture gradient line is intersected at 8850 ft at
point C. Point C establishes the maximum depth that can be drilled before changing to
the new mud gradient of 0.88 psi/ft. Hence, between points B and C, an intermediate
casing can be set at point B. Another protective casing should also be set at point D,
8850 ft.
5) From point C move horizontally to the mud gradient line to point D, where the mud
gradient is 0.68 psi/ft. A vertical line from point D (line 3) shows that a hole can be
drilled with a mud gradient of 0.68 psi/ft to surface without fracturing the formation.

29
Source: Hussain Rabia
Point a: to prevent the formation fluid into the well and to reach the
desired depth.
Point b: to prevent the fracture of formation --> intermediate casing

need to run at this depth.
Point c: Fluid density is reduced until it reaches to margin of the curve
Point d: casing shoe of the surface casing

May use the following equation:

EMW = (Total depth/surface depth) (0.5) + Original mud weight
where
EMW = Equivalent mud weight at any depth, ppg Total depth =
Depth of deepest interval, ft Surface depth = depth of interest, ft
(0.5) = Incremental mud weight increase, ppg Original mud
weight = Mud weight in use.

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EG 318_Well Completion- Lesson 7

Casing Setting Depth Selection

Prepared by Dr. N. P . Yekeen 1

➢ Pore Pressure & Fracture Pressure

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❖ The pore pressure and fracture pressure are generally expressed as an

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A well is to be drilled to a depth of 15,000’. Determine the number of casing

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1 PSI to pound/square foot = 144 pound/square foot

Calculate equivalent mud density for fracture gradient:

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2- Calculate equivalent mud density for pore pressure gradient

Equivalent mud densities for the remaining depths are tabulated

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3- Plot The graph with the above values

4- Start Moving upward from A to B Then To C To D

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From the graph, You will find the following:

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❖ Determine well depth, pore pressure and expected fracture pressure

❖ Determine mud pressure by allowing ~200 psi overbalance

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❖ The required hydrostatic pressure of mud is taken as equal to pore

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Point b: to prevent the fracture of formation --> intermediate casing

Point c: Fluid density is reduced until it reaches to margin of the curve

Point d: casing shoe of the surface casing

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May use the following equation:

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