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Casing Seat Selection –

How To Select Casing
Setting Depth
By DrillingFormulas.Com | June 2, 2014 - 5:24 am |

Casing Design

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From the previous article, you’ve learnt about overall of

casing design process and in this article we are going to
discuss about how to select casing setting depth. The
selection of casing string and setting depth is based on
formation pore pressure and fracture gradient of the well.

For the casing setting depth determination, pore pressure

and fracture gradient are normally described in PPG
(Figure 1).

Figure 1 – Pore Pressure and Fracture Pressure Plot

The solid lines in the chart are not accounted for safety
factor; therefore, for the first step of casing seat design,
safety margin must be applied. For this example, we will
add 0.3 ppg for safety for both pore pressure and fracture
gradient (Figure 2). You need to add the safety factor into
formation pressure and subtract it from the fracture
gradient. What’s more, the safety factor value may
depends on where you work and how much confident in
your data.

Figure 2 – Pore Pressure and Fracture Pressure Plot with

Safety Margin

The dashed lines are design range which will be used for
the design. There are two ways to determine casing setting
depths which are bottom-up and top-down method.

Bottom Up Casing Design

This design will start from the bottom of the well up to

surface and the setting depths are designed within the
safety factor limits (dotted lines). Starting at the bottom
(formation pressure dashed line – Point A), draw a vertical
line upward to fracture pressure dashed line – Point B
(Figure 3). Casing should be set from 4,500’ TVD to 12,000’
TVD because you can reach TD (12,000’ TVD) with highest
equivalent mud weight and you will not break the formation
at shallow depth (4,500 TVD). We will apply this same
concept to another string.

Figure 3 – Bottom Up Design Step#1

The next casing string is determined by drawing a

horizontal line from Point B to intersect the pore pressure
dashed line at Point C. Then draw a vertical line from Point
C to the fracture gradient dashed line at Point D (Figure 4).
The Casing must be set from 1,800’ TVD to 4,500’ TVD.

Figure 4 – Bottom Up Design Step#2

With the same idea, the next casing string is determined by

drawing a horizontal line from Point D to Point E and a
vertical line from Point E to Point F (Figure 5). The Casing
must be set from surface to 1,800’ TVD.

Figure 5 – Bottom Up Design Step#3

Based on the bottom up design concept, we will need to

have 3 strings of casing set at 1800’ TVD, 4500’ TVD and
12,000 TVD (Figure 6).

Figure 6 – Bottom Up Design Final

From the example, you can see how the bottom up casing
design process is done. If you have the different pore
pressure/fracture gradient, you can repeat the process for
other casing strings until you reach surface casing.

Top Down Casing Design

This design will start from the surface of the well down to
the bottom and the setting depths are designed within the
safety factor limits (dotted lines). We start by drawing the
vertical line from the facture gradient dashed line (point A)
down to pore pressure dashed line (point B). See Figure 7.
The first casing should be set from surface to 3,000’ TVD.

Figure 7 – Top Down Design Step#1

Next, draw the horizontal line from Point B to Point C

located in the fracture dashed line curve. Then draw the
vertical line from Point C to intersect the formation
pressure dashed line curve at Point D. This is the section
casing string which should be set from 3,000’ TVD to
6,000’ TVD (Figure 8).

Figure 8 – Top Down Design Step#2

Applying the same concept to the next string, draw the

horizontal line from Point D to intersect the fracture
gradient with safety factor chart at Point E and draw the
vertical line from Point E to the target depth at Point F. The
last casing string should be set from 6,000’ TVD to 12,000’
TVD (Figure 9).

Figure 9 – Top Down Design Step#3

Based on the tow down design concept, we will need to

have 3 strings of casing set at 3,000’ TVD, 6,000’ TVD and
12,000 TVD (Figure 10).

Figure 10 – Top Down Design Final

From the example, you can see how the top down casing
design process is done. You can repeat the same process
to determine the setting depth based on your fracture and
pressure plot.

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6 Responses to Casing Seat Selection

– How To Select Casing Setting Depth

Curd JUNE 3, 2014 AT 4:37 PM

any pros/cons for bottom up & top down?

Reply

Victor RUS JUNE 3, 2014 AT 5:37 PM

Gents, I completely agree with top down and

bottom up method except that you should
use Bottom UP when you have reservoirs, if
you don’t have reservoirs you should use top
down method and then choose the CSG
depth depending on lithology. This is
simplest thing in CSG design, then we need
to choose casing P110, L80, K55, etc. It
would be great if you show us biaxial
collapse, triaxial burst calculations etc and
kick tolerance as well.

Reply

DrillingFormulas.Com
JULY 14, 2014 AT 8:08 AM

Hi Victor,
We will have more article regarding casing
design which will focus on biaxial, burst,
collapse, etc.

Reply

Soran JUNE 4, 2014 AT 12:37 AM

well done, this is really excellent and well

explained casing setting depth selection
procedure. However, would it be possible to
demonstrate or provide us a real casing
design calculation scenario for surface and
intimidate section. please advise.

Reply

DrillingFormulas.Com
JULY 14, 2014 AT 8:07 AM

You may need to read this article.

http://www.drillingformulas.com/casing-
size-selection-how-to-select-casing-size-
to-match-the-drilling-and-completion-
goal/

Reply

AWAD AUGUST 15, 2018 AT 9:21 PM

well done.thanks a lot

Reply

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