Stability Analysis of Pipe With Connectors

in Horizontal Wells
Guohua Gao,* SPE, Qinfeng Di, Shanghai University; Stefan Miska, SPE, University of Tulsa; and
Wenchang Wang, Shanghai University

Summary sis and experiments have shown that a pipe may buckle and trans-
Except for coiled tubing, most tubular goods used for downhole form from its initial configuration to a sinusoidal-wave-like
operations (such as drillpipe and sucker rod) have connectors. configuration, or a helix.
Because a connector and the pipe body have different outer radii, Paslay and Bogy (1964) studied the stability and sinusoidal
the deformation and buckling behavior of a pipe with connectors buckling of tubing constrained in an inclined borehole with appli-
constrained in a wellbore is much more complicated. However, cation of energy method. Dawson and Paslay (1984) derived the
most buckling models were established by neglecting the exis- formula of critical axial force of sinusoidal buckling,
tence and effects of connectors. rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
In this paper, buckling equations of a pipe with connectors in EIwsina
Fcrs ¼ 2 ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð1Þ
horizontal wells were derived with application of elastic-beam r0
theory. The axis of an unbuckled pipe is a 2D curve in the vertical
plane and has three configurations—no contact, point contact, and where a is the inclination angle of the wellbore.
wrap contact. We derived the two critical distances between con- Instead of applying the energy method, Mitchell (1988)
nectors, Lc1 and Lc2, beyond which a pipe changes its configura- applied the equilibrium-analysis method and derived a fourth-
tion from one to another. The authors proposed an algorithm to order nonlinear ordinary-differential equation that describes the
determine the critical force (Fcrs) of buckling by numerically solv- post-buckling behavior of tubing in inclined wells:
ing the buckling equations using the fourth-order Ronge-Kuta  2 2  
method. d4 h dh d h d F dh wsina
Both the distance between two adjacent connectors (Lc) and the  6 þ þ sinh ¼ 0: . . . . ð2Þ
dx4 dx dx2 dx EI dx EIr0
radius difference between a connector and the pipe body (Drc)
have significant impact on the critical force, in addition to net Mitchell (1997, 1999, 2002) further analyzed the post-buckling
clearance between a pipe and wellbore (r0), bending stiffness (EI), behaviors.
and weight per unit length (w) of pipe. When Lc is small, radial It is obvious that h ¼ 0 is a trivial solution of Eq. 2. When
deflection is negligible. Fcrs increases as Drc increases. However, F  Fcrs , h ¼ 0 becomes unstable. For small h, Eq. 2 can be line-
when Lc is close to Lc1, effects of radial displacement become sig- arized as
nificant, and Fcrs decreases dramatically as Drc increases. Fcrs
 
decreases as Lc increases when Lc< Lc1, and it reaches its mini- d4 h d dh
mum at Lc¼Lc1. When Lc> Lc1, Fcrs fluctuates as Lc increases. þ 2 b þ h ¼ 0; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð3Þ
d14 d1 d1
Some curves of Lc1, Lc2, and Fcrs, all in dimensionless forms, were
calculated and presented in this paper for practical applications. rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi  
F r0 wsina 0:25
Our numerical results show that the critical force may reduce where b ¼ and 1 ¼ x are, respectively,
by 20 to 60% for commonly used drillpipes and sucker rods with 2 EI wsina EIr0
centralizers, which indicates that a pipe string designed without dimensionless axial force and dimensionless distance. Critical
considering the effects of connectors may be risky. The results load of sinusoidal buckling of a pipe constrained in a horizontal
presented in this paper may provide some practical guidance for well (a ¼ 0:5p) can be determined from the general solution of
optimal design of centralizers for sucker-rod strings, or may avoid Eq. 3 with respect to different boundary conditions (Gao et al.
some risks because of improper design of drillpipe strings. 1994; Gao 1996). The effects of boundary conditions can be
neglected for a long pipe, and the critical load of sinusoidal buck-
ling approaches bcrs ¼ 1, which is exactly the same as that pre-
Introduction dicted by Eq. 1. Gao (1996) presented a perturbation solution of
Buckling of pipe or tubing in wellbores may cause serious down- the buckling equation (Eq. 2) and showed that the sinusoidal post-
hole problems. For example, helically buckled drillpipe may be buckling configuration of a long pipe constrained in a horizontal
locked up and not be able to transfer required weight on bit well can be approximated by (Gao and Miska 2010),
(WOB) or torque to the bit. Many researchers (Lubinski 1950; pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
Lubinski et al. 1962; Paslay and Bogy 1964; Dawson and Paslay 4 b1
h ¼ pffiffiffiffiffi sin1: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð4Þ
1984; Mitchell 1988, 1999; Chen et al. 1990; Kyllingstad, 1995; 11
He et al. 1995; He and Kyllingstad 1995; Gao et al. 1994; Gao
1996; Suryanarayana and McCann, 1994, 1995; Deli et al. 1998; Eq. 4 indicates that the wave length of a sinusoidally buckled
Qiu et al. 1998; Qiu 1999; Duman et al. 2003; Mitchell and Miska pipe constrained in a horizontal wellbore is
2006; Gao and Miska 2009a, b; Menand et al. 2009) have made  
w 0:25
significant contributions to different aspects of pipe buckling in 1s ¼ xs ¼ 2p;
EIr0
various wellbores. Mitchell (2008) and Cunha (2004) presented a
detailed review of literature on this topic. Both theoretical analy- or
 
EIr0 0:25
* Now with Shell. xs ¼ 2p : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ð5Þ
Copyright V
C 2012 Society of Petroleum Engineers
w
This paper (SPE 146959) was accepted for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical The analytical solution of Eq. 5 is consistent with the results
Conference and Exhibition, Denver, Colorado, USA, 30 October2 November 2011, and
revised for publication. Original manuscript received for review 25 June 2011. Paper peer
derived by Dawson and Paslay (1984) with application of the
approved 10 November 2011. energy method.

September 2012 SPE Journal 931

 All the preceding results were developed under the assumption
that a pipe continuously contacts the wall of a wellbore. However,
this assumption does not hold for the case of a pipe with connec-
tors. In fact, part of the pipe does not contact the wall of a well-
bore because the outer radius of a connector is larger than that of
the pipe body. Only a few papers considered the effect of connec-
tors on deformation, stability, and post-buckling behavior of a
pipe in different kinds of wellbores (Paslay and Cernocky 1991;
Mitchell 2000, 2003a, b; Duman et al. 2003; Mitchell and Miska
2006). Paslay and Cernocky (1991) investigated deformation and
stress of drillstring with connectors in curved wellbores with con-
stant curvature. Their results showed that an unbuckled pipe with
connectors in a curved wellbore may take three different configu-
rations (no contact, point contact, and wrap contact) when it is
subjected to axial compressive or tensile force. However, the
weight of pipe was ignored in their model and they did not inves-
tigate the stability problem. Mitchell investigated buckling of a
pipe with connectors to be constrained in vertical wells (Mitchell
2000), horizontal wells (Mitchell 2003a), and curved wells
(Mitchell 2003b). One assumption Mitchell used to derive the
critical load of sinusoidal buckling and post-buckling behavior
(Mitchell 2003a, b) is that the wave length of a sinusoidally
buckled pipe is twice the length between two adjacent connectors.
However, this assumption is not consistent with Eq. 5 when the
outer radius of a connector equals that of the pipe body. As shown
in Eq. 5, the wave length should also depend on bending stiffness
(EI), weight (w), and the clearance between a pipe and the well-
bore (r0 ), in addition to distance between two connectors (Lc ) and
the difference of outer radius (Drc ) between a connector and the
pipe body. Duman et al. (2003) conducted some experimental
studies on the effect of tool joints on contact force and axial-force
transfer in horizontal wellbores. The effect of connector or tool
joint on critical load of buckling and post-buckling behavior has
been neither well investigated nor well understood yet.
In this paper, we derived a buckling model for a pipe with connec-
tors to be constrained in horizontal wells with application of equilib-
rium equations of an elastic beam. The buckling model is composed
of two nonlinear differential equations with two basic unknowns—
angular displacement hðxÞ and radial displacement rðxÞ. The configu-
ration of a pipe’s axis is completely determined by the two basic
unknowns. The two unknowns can be solved from the two nonlinear
differential equations under proper boundary conditions.
When the axial compressive force (F) is smaller than the criti-
cal force of sinusoidal buckling (Fcrs ), the axis of a pipe is a 2D
curve in the vertical plane. The trivial solution of the buckling
equations, hðxÞ ¼ 0, represents the stable configuration of an
unbuckled pipe. In case of a pipe without connectors, rðxÞ ¼ r0 is
a constant and indicates a continuous contact between the pipe
and the wall of the wellbore. But the radial displacement rðxÞ of a
pipe with connectors is no longer a constant. rðxÞ can be solved
analytically from a linear differential equation that is simplified
from the buckling equations by setting hðxÞ ¼ 0. From the general
solution and boundary/contact conditions specified at each con-
nector or contact point, we showed that the axis of an unbuckled
pipe may take three different configurations—no contact, point
contact, and linear (or wrap) contact—which is similar to the
results obtained by Paslay and Cernocky (1991). We presented a
detailed analysis of these three different configurations, and
derived the two critical distances between two connectors, Lc;1
and Lc;2 . An unbuckled pipe will change its configuration from no
contact to point contact when Lc > Lc;1 or from point contact to
wrap contact when Lc > Lc;2 . Contact force acting at a connector
and contact force acting at a contact point were also derived.
When F > Fcrs , the pipe’s axis will change from a 2D curve to
a 3D snaking curve [i.e., hðxÞ 6¼ 0]. An important issue is how to
determine the critical force of a pipe with connectors. Although
the effect of friction on stability and post-buckling behavior of a
pipe constrained in a wellbore is significant (Gao and Miska
2009a, b; Suryanarayana and McCann 1994, 1995), we did not
consider the effect of friction in this paper for simplicity. As
shown by Eq. 4, hðxÞ becomes very small when F is close enough
932
to Fcrs , and thus, the buckling equations can be linearized by
neglecting higher terms of hðxÞ. The linearized buckling equation
with respect to radial displacement is the same as the equation for
an unbuckled pipe, and its solutions with three different configu-
rations can be applied directly to the other linearized buckling
equation with respect to angular displacement. For small hðxÞ, the
nonlinear buckling equation with respect to angular displacement
becomes a linear differential equation with coefficients being
determined by the radial displacement that has been solved from
the linear differential equation of an unbuckled pipe.
However, analytical solution for the linearized buckling equa-
tion of angular displacement is still not available. We proposed a
procedure to obtain the critical force by numerically solving the
linearized buckling equation with application of the fourth order
Ronge-Kuta method.
Buckling Equations
Basic Assumptions.
1. Radius of the wellbore is constant.
2. The clearance between the pipe and the wellbore is so small
that the deformation of pipe is elastic.
3. A connector is regarded as a rigid disk with zero length.
4. No torque and no friction.
Geometric Parameters, Material Properties, and External
Forces. An unbuckled pipe with connectors constrained in a hori-
zontal well may take three different equilibrium configurations:
no contact (Fig. 1a), point contact (Fig. 1b), and wrap contact
(Fig. 1c). The equilibrium configuration of a pipe’s axis depends
on the following geometric parameters, material properties, and
external forces acting on the pipe.
Geometric parameters include the inner radius of the wellbore
(rw ), the outer radius of a connector (rc ), the outer radius of the
pipe body (rpo ), the distance between two adjacent connectors
(Lc ), and total length of the pipe (L). r0 ¼ rw  rpo denotes the
clearance between the pipe and the wellbore, and Drc ¼ rc  rpo
denotes the difference of outer radius between a connector and
the pipe body. Material properties include the weight of the pipe
per unit length (w) and the bending stiffness of the pipe (EI).
An axial force FL is applied at the loading end (x ¼ L). In this
paper, FL > 0 means a compressive force. Because of the weight
of the pipe, all connectors contact the wall of the wellbore, and a
normal concentrated contact force Nc;i acts on the ith connector at
xi ¼ iLc ; here, we assume the first connector is located at the dead
end (x ¼ 0).
In case of point contact (as shown in Fig. 1b), the middle point
of a pipe between two adjacent connectors contacts the wall of the
wellbore, and a normal contact force Np;i acts on the pipe at the
middle point [xi;m ¼ ði þ 0:5ÞLc ] between xi and xiþ1 . In case of
wrap contact, in addition to normal contact force NðxÞ that is line-
arly distributed over the interval of (xi;n1 ,xi;n2 ), two concentrated
normal contact forces, Ni;n1 and Ni;n2 , act (respectively) at xi;n1 ¼
xi þ li;n1 and xi;n2 ¼ xiþ1  li;n2 . For an unbuckled pipe, we can
show Nc;i ¼ Nc , Np;i ¼ Np , Ni;n1 ¼ Ni;n2 ¼ Nn , and li;n1 ¼
li;n2 ¼ ln , where ln denotes the length of the part of pipe that does
not contact the wall of the wellbore (as shown in Fig. 1c) on either
side of a connector. However, these equalities do not hold for a
buckled pipe because of different angular displacement at differ-
ent locations.
Dimensionless Parameters and Dimensionless Variables. Let
 0:25
w
l ¼ EIr 0
, and we define dimensionless distances 1 ¼ lx,
1L ¼ lL, 1c ¼ lLc , and 1n ¼ lln . c ¼ rr0 denotes dimensionless ra-
r r
dial displacement, and Dcc ¼ c r0 po is dimensionless radius differ-
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
ence. Dimensionless axial force is defined as b ¼ F2L EIr0w.
Dimensionless concentrated normal contact forces are defined as
Nc N 2Nn
nc ¼ wL c
, np ¼ wLpc , and nn ¼ wLc
. n ¼ Nw represents dimensionless
linearly distributed normal contact force.
September 2012 SPE Journal
 Lc

rw

rc

xi−1 xi xi+1
Nc Nc Nc
(a)

Lc

rw

rc

xi−1 xi xi+1
Nc Np Nc Np Nc

(b)

Lc

ln ln

r0 rw

xi−1 xi xi+1
N N
Nc Nn Nn Nn Nn Nc
(c)

Fig. 1—Three types of equilibrium configurations of an unbuckled pipe with connectors in horizontal wells.

(  3 )
Static-Buckling Equations. A detailed analysis of elastic defor- d d3 h dh dh
mation of a pipe constrained in an inclined well is presented in c 2 þ2b þ sin h
Appendix A. Buckling equations are derived with application of d1 d13 d1 d1
( "  3 #)
static equilibrium equations in Appendix B. Using the dimension- d3 c dh 3 d2 c d2 h dc d3 h dh dh
less parameters and variables just defined, and assuming a ¼ 0:5p þ4 þ þ  þb ¼ 0:
(a horizontal well), the buckling equations (Eqs. B-16 and B-17) d13 d1 2 d12 d12 d1 d13 d1 d1
can be normalized as                    ð7Þ

" As shown by Eqs. 6 and 7, the radial displacement cð1Þ is nonli-

  2 2  2 #
dh 4 d h dh d3 h dh nearly coupled with the angular displacement hð1Þ. Theoretically,
n ¼ c 3 4  2b we can solve both hð1Þ and cð1Þ from Eqs. 6 and 7 under appropri-
d1 d12 d1 d13 d1
( ) ate boundary conditions. However, it is very difficult to obtain a
3  2
d d c dc dh dc general solution of the buckling equations. Some specific solutions
 6 þ2b þ cos h        ð6Þ may provide insights for further investigation. For example, the
d1 d13 d1 d1 d1
solutions of an unbuckled pipe with respect to hð1Þ ¼ 0 can

September 2012 SPE Journal 933

 1.1 3

Dimensionless Distance λ c
Dimensionless Radial Displacement 2 3 3.41 4 4.66 6 λ c,2
1 C
2
0.9 B λ c,1

0.8
1
A
0.7

0.6 0
0 1 2 3 4
η
0.5
0 1 2 3 4 5 6
Fig. 3—The first and second critical distances (kc;1 and kc;2 ).
Dimensionless Distance from Connector

Fig. 2—Configurations of an unbuckled pipe, Dcc 50:5 and where A1 and A2 are integral constants that can be determined by
b50:5. proper boundary conditions at 1iþ1 (in case of no contact), the con-
tact conditions at the middle point 1m ¼ 1i þ 0:51c (in case of point
provide an accurate enough approximation of the radial displace- contact), or at 1p ¼ 1i þ 1n (in case of wrap contact). Solutions of
ment for stability analysis. In the following sections, we will inves- Eqs. 11 and 12 indicate that the radial displacement for the part of
tigate the static equilibrium configurations of an unbuckled pipe pipe in the ith segment between the two adjacent connectors at 1i
with connectors. hð1Þ 6¼ 0 holds for a buckled pipe. When the axial and 1iþ1 is exactly the same as that in other segments. Without lost
force is close enough to the critical force of buckling, hð1Þ is very generality, we will discuss only the solutions in one segment.
small, and thus Eqs. 6 and 7 can be lineraized as Given Dcc , 1c , and b, we can determine the pipe’s configuration
using Eqs. 11 and 12 under appropriate boundary conditions. Plots
d4 c d2 c with different styles in Fig. 2 show some results of the solutions,
n¼1 4
 2b 2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð8Þ cð1Þ, with respect to different distances between two connectors
d1 d1
(1c ¼2, 3, 3.41, 4, 4.66, and 6) given Dcc ¼ 0:5 and b ¼ 0:5. In
  Fig. 2, the vertical coordinate represents the dimensionless radial
d4 h dc d3 h d2 c d2 h
c þ 4 þ 2 bc þ 3 displacement (c), whereas the horizontal coordinate is the dimen-
d14 d1 d13 d12 d12 sionless distance from the ith connector (1  1i ). From Fig. 2, we
: . . . . . . . . . . . . ð9Þ
d3 c dc dh see that the middle point between two adjacent connectors starts to
þ4 þ b þ h ¼ 0
d13 d1 d1 contact the wall of the wellbore when 1c ¼ 3:41 and wrap contact
occurs when 1c > 4:66, given Dcc ¼ 0:5 and b ¼ 0:5.
Eq. 8 is exactly the equilibrium equation of an unbuckled pipe
with hð1Þ ¼ 0. In case of wrap contact, the pipe contacts the wall No Contact. When 1c < 1c;1 , the body of pipe between two adja-
of a wellbore continuously over an interval in the center part cent connectors will not contact the wall of the wellbore. In this
between two connectors, where cð1Þ ¼ 1 and n ¼ 1 hold. How- case, Eq. 11 is used to determine the configuration of a pipe in the
ever, the part of the pipe near a connector does not contact the interval of ð1i ; 1iþ1 Þ, and integral constants A1 and A2 are
wellbore, and cð1Þ can be solved from Eq. 8 by setting n ¼ 0, or pffiffiffi
kc kc b1
from the following linear differential equation: A1 ¼ 2 ; A2 ¼ 2 cotð2kc Þ; where kc ¼ pffiffiffic : . . . . . ð13Þ
2b 2b 2 2
d4 c d2 c
þ 2b 2  1 ¼ 0: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð10Þ In case of no contact, it is easy to prove that cð1Þ, c0 ð1Þ, c00 ð1Þ,
d1 4 d1 and c000 ð1Þ are continuous and smooth within the interval of
ð1i ; 1iþ1 Þ. cð1Þ, c0 ð1Þ, and c00 ð1Þ are also continuous at a connector
In the next section, we will present detailed analysis of differ-
(1i or 1iþ1 ); however, c000 ð1Þ becomes discontinuous at 1i or 1iþ1
ent equilibrium configurations of an unbuckled pipe by solving
Eq. 10 under proper boundary conditions. because of the action of a concentrated normal contact force that
is applied at a connector (see Appendix C). From Eq. C-8, we can
determine the dimensionless concentrated normal contact force at
Equilibrium Configurations of an Unbuckled Pipe a connector,
With Connectors in Horizontal Wells
Nc
Analytical Solutions of an Unbuckled Pipe. A detailed discus- nc ¼ ¼ ½c000 i1;2 ð1i Þ  c000 i;1 ð1i Þ=1c ¼ 1; . . . . . . . . ð14Þ
sion of the solutions of Eq. 10 is presented in Appendix D. The wLc
following solutions satisfy the boundary conditions specified at or, equivalently, Nc ¼ wLc .
the ith connector (1 ¼ 1i ): cð1i Þ ¼ 1  Dcc , and c0 ð1i Þ ¼ 0, The radial displacement, cð1Þ, reaches its maximum at the
pffiffiffiffiffiffi pffiffiffiffiffiffi middle point between two connectors, 1i;m ¼ 1i þ 0:51c , and
ci;1 ð1Þ ¼ A1 fsin½ 2bð1  1i Þ  2bð1  1i Þg c00 ð1m Þ < 0. As shown by the thick solid black (1c ¼ 2) and thin
pffiffiffiffiffiffi 1 solid black (1c ¼ 3) curves in Fig. 2, radial displacement, cð1m Þ,
þA2 fcos½ 2bð1  1i Þ  1g þ ð1  1i Þ2 þ 1  Dcc
4b increases as 1c increases. Let 1c;1 denote the first critical distance
                   ð11Þ between two connectors beyond which the middle point will con-
tact the wall of the wellbore. 1c;1 can be solved from ci;1 ð1i þ
0:51c;1 Þ ¼ 1, or equivalently,
or at the (iþ1)th connector (1 ¼ 1iþ1 ): cð1iþ1 Þ ¼ 1  Dcc , and
c0 ð1iþ1 Þ ¼ 0, qffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
pffiffiffiffiffiffi pffiffiffiffiffiffi 0:5 2kc;1 ½tankc;1  kc;1  ¼ g; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð15Þ
ci;2 ð1Þ ¼ A1 fsin½ 2bð1iþ1  1Þ  2bð1iþ1  1Þg pffiffiffi rffiffiffiffiffiffi rffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi
pffiffiffiffiffiffi b1c;1 Lc;1 FL pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi FL rc  rpo
1 where kc;1 ¼ pffiffiffi ¼ and g ¼ b DcC ¼ .
þ A2 fcos½ 2bð1iþ1  1Þ  1g þ ð1iþ1  1Þ2 þ 1  Dcc ; 2 2 4 EI 2 EIw
4b
The solid black curve in Fig. 3 shows the plot of kc;1 ðgÞ solved
                   ð12Þ from Eq. 15.

934 September 2012 SPE Journal


Point Contact. When 1c  1c;1 , the middle point 1i;m ¼
1i þ 0:51c will contact the wall of the wellbore, as shown by the
thick dashed black (1c ¼ 3:41) and thin dashed black (1c ¼ 4)
curves in Fig. 2. In this case, Eqs. 11 and 12 are, respectively,
used for the interval of ð1i ; 1i þ 0:51c Þ and ð1iþ1  0:51c ; 1iþ1 Þ.
kc Dcc
Integral constants A1 and A2 are A1 ¼ 4b 2 þ 2tank 2k and A2 ¼
c c
kc cotkc Dcc
4b2
þ 2kc cotk c 2
.
In case of point contact, cð1Þ, c0 ð1Þ, and c00 ð1Þ are continuous
within the interval of ð1i ; 1iþ1 Þ, and they are also continuous at a
connector (1i or 1iþ1 ). However, c000 ð1Þ becomes discontinuous at
1i , 1iþ1 , and 1m ¼ 1i þ 0:51c because of the action of a concentrated
normal contact force applied at a connector or at the middle point
(1m ) (see Appendix C). From Eq. C-8, we can determine the dimen-
sionless concentrated normal contact force at the middle point,
 
Np 1 2g2
np ¼ ¼ 1 : . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð16Þ
wLc 2 kc ½tankc  kc 
Similarly, we obtain from Eq. C-8 that nc ¼ wL Nc
¼ 1  np (i.e.,
c
nc þ np ¼ 1, or equivalently, Nc þ NP ¼ wLc ). Note that the first
critical distance (1c;1 ) can be also determined by solving np ¼ 0
from Eq. 16, which results in Eq. 15, too.
We can show that c00 i;1 ð1i;m Þ increases as 1c increases and may
become positive for a larger 1c [i.e., c00 i;1 ð1i;m Þ > 0 when 1c >
1c;2 ]. However, cð1Þ should have only one peak at the middle point
(and only one contact point) for the case of point contact. Thus, the
second critical distance, 1c;2 , beyond which the middle part of the
pipe will continuously contact the wall of the wellbore instead of a
point contact, can be determined by solving c00 i;1 ð1i;m Þ ¼ 0, or
equivalently,
1  kc;2 cotkc;2 ¼ 1:5g; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð17Þ
pffiffi qffiffiffiffi
b1 L d1
where kc;2 ¼ pffiffic;2 ¼ 4c;2 FEIL .
2 2
The dashed black curve in Fig. 3 is the plot of the second criti-
cal distance, kc;2 ðgÞ, solved from Eq. 17. The two curves, kc;1 ðgÞ
and kc;2 ðgÞ, divided the 2D plane of (g; kc ) into 3 regions—
A(kc < kc;1 ), B (kc;1 < kc < kc;2 ), and C (kc > kc;2 ), which corre-
spond to the three different configurations of an unbuckled pipe:
no contact, point contact, and wrap contact, respectively. Given
physical properties (w and EI), geometrical parameters (rw ,rpo ,rc ,
and Lc ), and axial force (FL ), it is simple to calculate both kc and
g, and thus to decide the configuration of the pipe from the loca-
tion of the point (g; kc ) in Fig. 3.
Wrap Contact. When 1c > 1c;2 , part of the pipe in the middle
part between two adjacent connectors continuously contacts the
wall of the wellbore, as shown by the thick dotted (1c ¼ 4:66) and
thin dotted (1c ¼ 6) curves in Fig. 2. In this case, Eqs. 11 and 12
are, respectively, used for the interval of ð1i ; 1i þ 1n Þ and ð1iþ1 
1n ; 1iþ1 Þ. Integral constants A1 and A2 are
kn Dcc
A1 ¼ þ ;
4b2 2tankn  2kn
pffiffiffi
kn cotkn Dcc b1
A2 ¼ 2
þ ; k n ¼ pffiffiffi n :        ð18Þ
4b 2kn cotkn  2 2
The starting point of contact is at 1p ¼ 1i þ 1n . The value of 1n
is determined by the continuous condition of the secondary deriv-
d2 c
ative at 1n , d12i;1 j1¼1i þ1n ¼ 0. It is obvious that 1n ¼ 0:51c;2 is inde-
pendent of 1c . cð1Þ ¼ 1 holds for 1 2 ð1i þ 0:51c;2 ; 1iþ1  0:51c;2 Þ.
Similarly, cð1Þ, c0 ð1Þ, and c00 ð1Þ are continuous within the
interval of ð1i ; 1iþ1 Þ, and they are also continuous at a connector
(1i or 1iþ1 ). In addition to 1i and 1iþ1 , c000 ð1Þ is discontinuous at
1i þ 0:51c;2 and 1iþ1  0:51c;2 because of the action of concen-
trated normal contact forces applied at both points. From Eq. C-8,
we can determine the dimensionless concentrated normal contact
force at the two points:
September 2012 SPE Journal
 
kc;2 2g2
nn ¼ 1 : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð19Þ
2kc kc;2 ½tankc;2  kc;2 
Nc 1 n 1
Similarly, we obtain from Eq. C-8, nc ¼ wL c
¼ c;2 1c n c [i.e.,
ðnc þ nn Þ1c ¼ 1c;2 , or Nc þ 2Nn ¼ wln ]. The distributive normal
contact force in the interval of ð1i þ 0:51c;2 ; 1iþ1  0:51c;2 Þis n ¼
N
w ¼ 1 or N ¼ w. The preceding solutions clearly indicate that the
concentrated contact forces acting at a connector and at the two
endpoints of continuous contact (1i þ 0:51c and 1iþ1  0:51c ) bal-
ance the weight of the pipe segment that does not contact with the
wall of wellbore, whereas the weight of the pipe segment that
continuously contacts the wall of the wellbore is balanced by the
linearly distributive normal contact force, N ¼ w.
Stability Analysis of a Pipe With Connectors in
Horizontal Wells
Numerical Solution of the Buckling Equation Using the
Fourth-Order Ronge-Kuta Method. When the axial compres-
sive force is larger than the critical load of sinusoidal buckling
(b > bcrs ), the pipe’s axis becomes a 3D snaking-shaped curve
[i.e., hð1Þ 6¼ 0]. Determination of the critical force, bcrs , beyond
which the pipe will change its configuration from a 2D curve to a
3D snaking shape, is crucially important for practical applications.
The solution of Eq. 10, cð1Þ, represents the configuration of an
unbuckled pipe with connectors and has been solved in the pre-
ceding. As discussed above, cð1Þ is a periodic function, but c000 ð1Þ
is discontinuous at a series of points (at a connector or at a contact
point). Thus, it is difficult to obtain an analytical solution of the
linearized buckling equation with respect to the angular displace-
ment (Eq. 9), and we need to seek numerical approaches. In this
paper, we apply the fourth-order Ronge-Kuta method, RK4
(Butcher 2003), to solve the linear differential equation.
dy
Let y ¼ ðy1 ; y2 ; y3 ; y4 ÞT and Eq. 9 becomes ¼ f ð1; yÞ ¼
dh d2 h
ð f1 ; f2 ; f3 ; f4 ÞT , where y1 ¼ hð1Þ, f1 ¼ y2 ¼ , f2 ¼ y3 ¼ 2 , f3 ¼
d1 d1
d3 h
y4 ¼ 3 , and
d1
d4 h
f4 ¼
d14
    3  
1 dc d2 c d c dc
¼  4 y4 þ 2 bc þ 3 2 y3 þ 4 þ b y 2 þ y 1 :
c d1 d1 d13 d1
                   ð20Þ
Given yðnÞ ¼ yð1ðnÞ Þ and step size h ¼ 1ðnþ1Þ  1ðnÞ ¼ D1,
yðnþ1Þ ¼ yð1ðnþ1Þ Þ can be determined by
1
yðnþ1Þ ¼ yðnÞ þ hðk1 þ 2k2 þ 2k3 þ k4 Þ; . . . . . . . . . . ð21Þ
6
k1 ¼ f ð1ðnÞ ; yðnÞ Þ; k2 ¼ f ð1ðnÞ þ 0:5h; yðnÞ þ 0:5hk1 Þ;
k3 ¼ f ð1ðnÞ þ 0:5h; yðnÞ þ 0:5hk2 Þ;
k4 ¼ f ð1ðnÞ þ h; yðnÞ þ hk3 Þ:
The error per step of the RK4 method is on the order of h5 .
Determination of Critical Force for Sinusoidal Buckling. To
apply the RK4 method, boundary conditions yð0Þ ¼ ½hð0Þ; h0 ð0Þ;
h00 ð0Þ; h000 ð0ÞT have to be specified. However, only two of them
are known for a given type of end constraints. For example, for a
pinned end at 1 ¼ 0, hð0Þ ¼ 0 and h00 ð0Þ ¼ 0 are known but h0 ð0Þ
and h000 ð0Þ are unknown. The value of h0 ð0Þ and h000 ð0Þ have to be
chosen such that the boundary conditions at the other end 1 ¼ 1L
are also satisfied. If the pipe is also pinned at 1 ¼ 1L , then we
have to iteratively determine both h0 ð0Þ and h000 ð0Þ so that both
hð1L Þ ¼ 0 and h00 ð1L Þ ¼ 0 hold. For a pipe with two pinned ends,
h0 ð1L Þ ¼ 6h0 ð0Þ also holds because of symmetry. For a linear dif-
ferential equation, it is obvious that hð1Þ ¼ ch ð1Þ is also a
935
 10 1.E+01
1 1.E+00
1.E-01
0.1
1.E-02
F1

0.01 1.E-03

F1
0.001 Beta=0.9 1.E-04
Beta=0.7 1.E-05
0.0001
Beta=0.8 1.E-06
0.00001 1.E-07
–0.6 –0.55 –0.5 –0.45 1.E-08
θ"(0)
0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00
000 Dimensionless Axial Force
Fig. 4—Plots of the function F1 ðh ð0Þ; bÞ, given Dcc 50:5 and
1c 52:5.
Fig. 5—Plot of the function F1min ðbÞ, given Dcc 50:5 and 1c 52:5.

2.4
Dimensionless Critical Force

2.5

Dimensionless Critical Force

Numerical
2.2 0.5 1
Analytical 1.5 2
2 2 2.5 3
1.8 3.5 4
1.6 1.5
1.4
1
1.2
1
0.5
0 5 10 15 0 5 10 15 20
Dimensionless Length
Dimensionless Length
Fig. 6—Comparison between numerical and analytical solu-
Fig. 7—Critical force vs. length of pipe, Dcc 50:25.
tions, Dcc 50:0.

solution for any arbitrary constant c 6¼ 0 if h ð1Þ is a solution of
the equation. Changing the value of h0 ð0Þ is equivalent to chang-
ing the value of the constant c. Our purpose is to find a nontrivial
solution that satisfies the boundary conditions. Thus, we can fix
h0 ð0Þ to any nonzero value—for example, h0 ð0Þ ¼ 0:1—in our
implementation. Now our problem becomes finding a h000 ð0Þ such
that both hð1L Þ ¼ 0 and h00 ð1L Þ ¼ 0 hold. Let us define an objec-
tive function
2 F2 ð½h000 ð0Þ; b ¼ h2 ð1L Þ þ ½h0 ð1L Þ2 ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð23Þ
F1 ðh000 ð0Þ; bÞ ¼ h2 ð1L Þ þ ½h00 ð1L Þ2 þ f½h0 ð1L Þ2  ½h0 ð0Þ2 g :
                   ð22Þ
As shown in Fig. 4, F1 ðh000 ð0Þ; bÞ has a unique minimum,
F1min ðbÞ, when b is fixed. Given different values of b (0.7, 0.8,
and 0.9, as shown in Fig. 4), the minimum is different. The mini-
mum can be solved easily by applying a 1D line-search optimiza-
tion method. Fig. 5 illustrates the plot of F1min ðbÞ for a given
setting of parameters (Dcc ¼ 0:5 and 1c ¼ 2:5). We need to note
that F1min ðbÞ has zero solutions at a series of discrete values of b.
A nontrivial solution [hð1Þ 6¼ 0] that satisfies boundary conditions
on both ends exists when b equals these values. The smallest
value of such b for which F1min ðbÞ ¼ 0 holds is the critical force
of buckling.
Similarly, we can obtain both bcrs and h000 ð0Þ for a pipe with a
pinned end at 1 ¼ 0 and a fixed end at 1 ¼ 1L by minimizing the
objective function of
for fixed b and by solving F2min ðbÞ ¼ 0.
For a pipe with two fixed ends, the boundary conditions of
hð0Þ ¼ 0 and h0 ð0Þ ¼ 0 are given, and h00 ð1L Þ ¼ 6h00 ð0Þ also
holds because of symmetry. We fix h00 ð0Þ ¼ 0:1 and then deter-
mine both bcrs and h000 ð0Þ by minimizing the objective function of
2
F3 ½h000 ð0Þ; b ¼ h2 ð1L Þ þ ½h0 ð1L Þ2 þ f½h00 ð1L Þ2  ½h00 ð0Þ2 g ;
                   ð24Þ

for fixed b and by solving F3min ðbÞ ¼ 0.

10
Dimensionless Wave Length

Numerical Results and Discussion. Figs. 6 through 9 show

some numerical results obtained by applying the numerical
8
k=1 k=2 k=3 k=4 method just discussed. In these examples, a pipe is pinned at both
k=5 k=6 ends. In Figs. 6, 7, and 9, the vertical coordinate represents dimen-
6
sionless critical force. In Fig. 8, the vertical coordinate is dimen-
4 sionless wavelength. In Figs. 6, 7, and 8, the horizontal coordinate
0.5 1 1.5 is dimensionless length of a pipe. In Fig. 9, the horizontal coordi-
2 2 2.5 3 nate is dimensionless distance between two adjacent connectors.
3.5 4 Analytical Gao et al. (1994) derived analytical solutions for a pipe with-
0 out connectors (Dcc ¼ 0); also see Gao and Miska (2009a):
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 "  #
 
Dimensionless Length 1 2 1 1 kp 2  1L 2
bcrs ð1L ; 1c ; 0Þ ¼ p þ ¼ þ ;
2 crs p2crs 2 1L kp
Fig. 8—Dimensionless wave length of sinusoidal buckling,
given Dcc 50:25.                    ð25Þ

936 September 2012 SPE Journal

 1.9
0.1
Dimensionless Critical Force
1.7
0.3
1.5 0.5
1.3 0.7
1.1
0.9
0.7
0.5
0.3
0 1.5 5 10 15
Dimensionless Distance Between Two Connectors
Fig. 9—Dimensionless critical force for a long pipe.
where integer k  1 is the number of half-waves and is chosen
such that it minimizes bcrs ð1L ; 1c ; 0Þ. It is obvious that the critical
force is independent of 1c (the distance between two adjacent con-
21
nectors) when Dcc ¼ 0. The wavelength is 1w ¼ L . If 1L ¼ kp,
k
then 1w ¼ 2p, pcrs ¼ 1, and bcrs ðkp; 1c ; 0Þ ¼ 1 hold. For a long
pipe, as 1L ! 1, 1w ! 2p and bcrs ð1L ; 1c ; 0Þ ! bcrs;1 ð1c ; 0Þ ¼ 1.
The solid curve in Fig. 6 is the critical force calculated using the
analytical solution of Eq. 25.
The validity of the numerical method presented in this paper
can be examined by comparing numerical results with analytical
results for the case of a pipe without connector (Dcc ¼ 0). Open
circles in Fig. 6 are obtained with the numerical method. As
shown in Fig. 6, numerical results are identical to analytical solu-
tions. The fluctuation of critical force is caused by a change of
wave length for discrete values of k.
Our numerical results (Fig. 7) show that both the distance
between two adjacent connectors (1c ) and radius difference
between a connector and the pipe body (Dcc ) have significant
impact on the critical force. Results shown in Fig. 7 are obtained
by setting Dcc ¼ 0:25. Different symbols in Fig. 7 are numerical
results calculated with respect to different distances between two
adjacent connectors, 1c ¼ 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, and 4.
When the distance between two connectors is small (1c  1:5),
radial deflection is rather small and its effect on critical force is
negligible; thus, the radial displacement can be regarded as a con-
stant of cð1Þ ¼ 1  Dcc . It is equivalent to a pipe with no connec-
tor being constrained in a wellbore with a reduced clearance of
ð1  Dcc Þr0 . When 1c  1:5, the critical force and wavelength can
be approximated by
b ð1L ; 1c ; 0Þ
bcrs ð1L ; 1c ; Dcc Þ ¼ crs
pffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffiffi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð26Þ
1  Dcc
21L
1w ¼ ð1  Dcc Þ0:25 : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ð27Þ
k
The black solid curves in Figs. 7 and 8 are critical force and
wavelength calculated by Eqs. 26 and 27 given Dcc ¼ 0:25. Nu-
merical results of critical force and wavelength with respect to
1c ¼ 0.5 (open black triangles), 1 (black stars), and 1.5 (open black
circles) are almost identical to the solid black curve. The zigzag
shape of the solid curve in Fig. 8 represents the change of the
number of half-waves as the length of the pipe increases. For a short
pipe with 1L < 1wc ¼ 1:5pð1  Dcc Þ0:25 , (approximately 4.385 for
Dcc ¼ 0:25), only a half-wave is formed, as indicated by k ¼ 1 in
Fig. 8. When 1wc < 1L < 21wc , one complete wave (k ¼ 2) will be
formed. Thus, the wave length will be reduced from 21wc to 1wc at
1L ¼ 1wc . Numerical results shown in Figs. 7 and 8 clearly show
that the effect of boundary conditions is negligible, and thus critical
force and wavelength become independent of the pipe’s length for a
pipe that is long enough (1L > 5p).
However, as the distance between two adjacent connectors
increases, radial deflection becomes quite large (as shown in Fig.
2), and the effect of radial deflection on critical force and wave-
length becomes significant. The approximate analytical solutions
September 2012 SPE Journal
(Eqs. 26 and 27) no longer hold for 1c > 1:5, and we have to
apply the numerical method to determine the critical force and
wavelength. Radial displacement cð1Þ increases as 1c increases,
and thus critical force decreases, as shown by the dashed curve
with solid dots (1c ¼ 2), the dashed curve with solid triangles
(1c ¼ 2.5), and the dashed curve with open diamonds (1c ¼ 3) in
Fig. 7. The critical force reaches its minimum at 1c ¼ 1c;1 . When
1c > 1c;1 , the middle point between two connectors contacts the
wellbore, which provides a support or an extra constraint to the
pipe, and thus makes it more stable. Further increasing the dis-
tance between two connectors may increase the critical force, as
illustrated by the dashed black curve with open squares (1c ¼ 3.5)
and the dashed black curve with solid diamonds (1c ¼ 4) in Fig. 7.
You may notice that some solid squares (1c ¼ 2.5) and solid
dots (1c ¼ 3.5) are not on the zigzag black curve in Fig. 8. Our nu-
merical results show that the wavelength remains constant, 1w ¼
21L (i.e., a half-wave is formed within two adjacent connectors in
such cases). Within a certain range (0:2p < 1c  kp < 0:2p), the
dimensionless distance between two connectors is close enough to
kp, and k half-waves are formed within two connectors, no matter
how long the pipe is.
Let bcrs;1 ð1c ; Dcc Þ ¼ bcrs ð1; 1c ; Dcc Þ denote the dimension-
less critical force of a long pipe. bcrs;1 ð1c ; Dcc Þ depends on both
1c and Dcc . Plots in different styles in Fig. 9 are numerical results
of bcrs;1 ð1c ; Dcc Þ with respect to Dcc ¼0.1, 0.3, 0.5, and 0.7,
respectively. These results clearly show that both 1c and Dcc have
significant impact on the critical force. The dashed black horizon-
tal lines in Fig. 9 are analytical results predicted by Eq. 26. The
black solid vertical line in Fig. 9 represents 1c ¼ 1:5. When
1c  1:5, critical force increases as Dcc increases, and numerical
results are very close to analytical solutions predicted by Eq. 26
[using bcrs ð1; 1c ; 0Þ ¼ 1] with respect to different values of Dcc ,
which further supports the validity of the numerical algorithm
presented in this paper.
Because the effect of radial deflection of pipe becomes domi-
nant when 1c > 1:5, critical force decreases dramatically as the
distance between two connectors (1c ) increases and reaches its
minimum at 1c ¼ 1c;1 (the critical distance of point contact). The
larger the radius difference between a connector and pipe (Dcc ),
the more reduction of critical force is observed. Geometrical pa-
rameters and physical properties used to determine critical force
of some commonly used drillpipes and sucker rods are listed in
Table 1. For these commonly used pipes, the range of Dcc is from
0.4 to 0.8, the range of 1c is from 2.3 to 3.3, and critical forces of
sinusoidal buckling may reduce by 20 to 60%, as shown by black
open circles in Fig. 9.
Conclusions
1. A pipe with connectors in horizontal wells assumes a 2D curve
in the vertical plane [hð1Þ ¼ 0] when axial force is smaller
than the critical force of buckling (b < bcrs ), and it will change
its configuration from a 2D curve to a 3D snaking curve
[hð1Þ 6¼ 0] when the axial force exceeds the critical force.
2. An unbuckled pipe with connectors may take three different
configurations: no contact, point contact, and wrap contact.
Critical conditions of transformation from no contact to point
contact, or from point contact to wrap contact, depend on dis-
tance between two adjacent connectors (1c ), difference of outer
radius between pipe and connector (Dcc ), and axial force (b),
all in dimensionless form.
3. A numerical algorithm was proposed in this paper to determine
the critical force by solving the buckling equations numerically
using the RK4 method. The numerical algorithm is validated
by comparing numerical results with analytical results for the
specific case of a pipe with no connector.
4. Existence of a connector may increase or decrease the critical
force of buckling, depending on both distance between two ad-
jacent connectors (1c ) and difference of outer radius between
pipe and connector (Dcc ).
5. When the distance between two adjacent connectors is small
(1c <1.5), the effect of radial deflection on critical force is
937
 TABLE 1—CRITICAL FORCE FOR COMMONLY USED DRILLPIPES AND SUCKER RODS

rW rpo rpi rc Lc r0 w El
(mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) (m) (mm) (N/m) (KN.m2) Dcc 1c bcrs

3-1/200 DP, 6-1/4 00 H 79.375 44.45 35.103 63.5 9.5 34.925 194.1 387.822 0.5455 3.287 0.456
400 DP, 6-1/ 4 00 H 79.375 50.8 42.418 66.675 9.5 28.575 204.32 556.383 0.5556 3.199 0.482
4-1/200 DP, 6-3/4 00 H 85.725 57.15 48.59 79.375 9.5 28.575 242.26 828.039 0.7778 3.022 0.544
500 DP, 8-3/4 00 H 111.13 63.5 54.305 88.9 9.5 47.625 284.58 1229.43 0.5333 2.508 0.786
5-1/200 DP, 8-3/4 00 H 111.13 69.85 60.681 95.25 9.5 41.275 319.61 1665.89 0.6154 2.481 0.802
6-5/800 DP, 9-1/2 00 H 120.65 84.14 75.756 107.95 9.5 36.513 367.77 2792.92 0.6522 2.328 0.872
5/800 SR 300 TB 0.031 0.008 0 0.0159 8 0.023 8.3* 665.9171 0.3435 6.86 0.842
5/800 SR 300 TB &C 0.031 0.008 0 0.029 4** 0.023 8.3* 665.9171 0.91 3.43 0.424
7/800 SR 300 TB 0.031 0.011 0 0.0206 8 0.020 16.25* 2.3803103 0.4800 6.95 0.781
7/800 SR 300 TB&C 0.031 0.011 0 0.029 4** 0.020 16.25* 2.3803103 0.9 3.475 0.408
* Equivalent weight of sucker rod in an inclined well with inclination angle of p6.
** Distance between two centralizers in case of using centralizers.

negligible. Existence of a connector provides extra constraints rpo ¼outer radius of pipe, m
on the pipe and thus increases the critical force by a factor of rw ¼inner radius of wellbore, m
ð1  Dcc Þ0:5 . However, the effect of radial deflection becomes r ¼
~ position vector
more significant and the critical force decreases as the distance u¼ axial displacement, m
between two connectors increases, and it reaches its minimum w¼ weight per unit length of the pipe, N/m
when the distance approaches the critical distance of point con- b¼ dimensionless axial compressive load
tact. Depending on the magnitude of Dcc , the critical force c ¼ rr0 ¼
dimensionless radial displacement
may reduce by 20 to 60%. h¼ angular displacement
s¼
~ unit vector in the tangential direction
1¼ dimensionless distance variable
Nomenclature 1c ¼dimensionless distance between two adjacent
E ¼ Young’s elastic modulus, N/m2 connectors
EI ¼ bending stiffness of the pipe, Nm2 1L ¼ dimensionless length of the pipe
FL ¼ axial compressive force acting at the loading
end, N Subscripts
~ ¼ force vector, N
F
b ¼ caused by bending deformation
ln ¼ length of the part of pipe near a connector that
crs ¼ critical value for sinusoidal buckling
does not contact the wall of the wellbore, m
p ¼ pipe
L ¼ mLc ¼ total length of a pipe, m
r ¼ radial direction
Lc ¼ distance between two adjacent connectors, m
h ¼ component along the angular direction
m ¼ number of segments of pipe divided by
connectors
~ ¼ moment vector, mN
M
M ¼ magnitude of moment vector, mN References
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n ¼ unit vector in the normal direction
~ tions. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
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np ¼ wLpc ¼ dimensionless normal concentrated contact SPE-19176-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/19176-PA.
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nn ¼ wL c
¼ dimensionless normal concentrated contact (1): 13–19. SPE-87895-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/87895-PA.
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case of wrap contact J Pet Technol 36 (10): 1734–1738. SPE-11167-PA. http://dx.doi.org/
N ¼ distributive normal contact force per length of 10.2118/11167-PA.
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connector, N Drill & Compl 18 (3): 267–274. SPE-85775-PA. http://dx.doi.org/
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starting point of contact in case of wrap con- Deli, G., Liu, F., and Xu, B. 1998. An Analysis of Helical Buckling of
tact, N Long Tubulars in Horizontal Wells. Paper SPE 50931 presented at the
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middle point between two connectors in case Beijing, China, 2–6 November. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/50931-MS.
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938 September 2012 SPE Journal

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at the SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, Dallas, a Pipe in an Inclined Well
22–25 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/30521-MS. Let x denote the distance of a point Pðx; 0; 0Þ on the axis of an
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10–15. SPE-25370-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/25370-PA. is pointing from O to P. ~j and k~ are unit vectors that are perpen-
Kyllingstad, A. 1995. Buckling of tubular strings in curved wells. J. Pet. dicular to ~
i. Let rðxÞ and hðxÞ denote the radial and angular dis-
Sci. Eng. 12 (3): 209–218. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0920-4105(94) placements at a point Qðx; y; zÞ on the axis of the pipe. The
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~ i þ rsinh~ ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-1Þ
j  rcoshk:
Lubinski, A., Althouse, W.S., and Logan, J.L. 1962. Helical Buckling of
Tubing Sealed in Packers. J Pet Technol 14 (6): 655–670. SPE-178- The tangential vector of the pipe’s axis is defined as
PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/178-PA.
Menand, S., Isambourg, P., Sellami, H., Simon, C., and Bouguecha, A. r C ~ dr
d~ dh
s¼
~ ¼iþ ~ pþr ~ q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-2Þ
2009. Axial Force Transfer of Buckled Drill Pipe in Deviated Wells. dx dx dx
Paper SPE 119861 presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference p dh
p ¼ sinh~
~ j  coshk;~ d~ ¼ ~ q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-3Þ
and Exhibition, Amsterdam, 17–19 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/ dx dx
119861-MS.
q
~ d~ dh
Mitchell, R.F. 1988. New Concepts for Helical Buckling. SPE Drill Eng q ¼ cosh~
~ j þ sinhk; ¼ ~ p : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-4Þ
3 (3): 303–310. SPE-15470-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/15470-PA. dx dx
Mitchell, R.F. 1997. Effects of Well Deviation on Helical Buckling. SPE The normal and binormal vectors of the pipe’s axis are,
Drill & Compl 12 (1): 63–70. SPE-29462-PA. http://dx.doi.org/ respectively,
10.2118/29462-PA.
Mitchell, R.F. 1999. Helical Buckling of Pipe With Connectors. Paper d~s
SPE 52847 presented at the SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amster-
k~
n¼ ¼ kr ~
p þ kh ~
q . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-5Þ
dx
dam, 9–11 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/52847-MS.  
dh dr ~
Mitchell, R.F. 2000. Helical Buckling of Pipe with Connectors in Vertical kb~ ¼ ~
s  ðk~n Þ ¼ k r r  kh i þ kh ~p  kr ~q . . . . ðA-6Þ
Wells. SPE Drill & Compl, 15 (3): 162–166. SPE-52847-PA. http:// dx dx
dx.doi.org/10.2118/52847-PA.  2
d2 r dh
Mitchell, R.F. 2002. Exact Analytical Solutions for Pipe Buckling in Ver- kr ¼ 2  r . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðA-7Þ
tical and Horizontal Wells. SPE J. 7 (4): 373–390. SPE-72079-PA.
dx dx
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/72079-PA. dr dh d2 h
Mitchell, R.F. 2003a. Lateral Buckling of Pipe With Connectors in Hori- kh ¼ 2 þ r 2 : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ðA-8Þ
dx dx dx
zontal Wells. SPE J. 8 (2): 124–137. SPE-84950-PA. http://dx.doi.org/
10.2118/84950-PA. The first term in Eq. A-6 is negligible because it is in the sec-
Mitchell, R.F. 2003b. Lateral Buckling of Pipe With Connectors in Curved ond order of r.
Wellbores. SPE Drill & Compl 18 (1): 22–32. SPE-67727-PA. http://
dx.doi.org/10.2118/81819-PA.
Mitchell, R.F. and Miska, S. 2006. Helical Buckling of Pipe With Connec- Appendix B—Derivation of Buckling Equations
tors and Torque. SPE Drill & Compl 21 (2): 108–115. SPE-87205-PA. With Application of Static Equilibrium Equations
http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/87205-PA. Now, let us consider all forces and moments acting on the differ-
Mitchell, R.F. 2008. Tubing Buckling—The State of the Art. SPE Drill & ential pipe element between the two normal planes at x and
Compl 23 (4): 361–370. SPE-104267-PA. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/ ~ and moment MðxÞ
x þ dx. Force FðxÞ ~ are acting on one end
104267-PA. ~ þ dxÞ and moment
(x) of the differential pipe element. Force Fðx
Paslay, P.R. and Bogy, D.B. 1964. The Stability of a Circular Rod ~ þ dxÞ are acting on the other end (x þ dx) of the differential
Mðx
Laterally Constrained to Be in Contact With an Inclined Circular Cyl- pipe element.
inder. J. Appl. Mech. 31 (4): 605–610. http://dx.doi.org/10.1115/ In case of the pipe element contacting the wall of the wellbore,
1.3629721. a normal contact force, N~ p dx, is applied to it. The distributive
Paslay, P.R. and Cernocky, E.P. 1991. Bending Stress Magnification in force per unit length of the pipe is
Constant Curvature Doglegs With Impact on Drillstring and Casing.
Paper SPE 22547 presented at the SPE Annual Technical Conference
~
f ¼ wcosa~ p  wsinak~ ¼ fx~
i  N~ p þ fq ~
i þ fp ~ q ; . . . . . ðB-1Þ
and Exhibition, Dallas, 6–9 October. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/22547-
MS. where a denotes the inclination angle of the wellbore, w denotes
Qiu, W., Miska, S., and Volk, L. 1998. Drill Pipe/Coiled Tubing Buckling the weight of pipe per unit length. Let fx, fp, and fq denote the dis-
Analysis in a Hole of Constant Curvature. Paper SPE 39795 presented tributive forces per unit length along ~ p ; and ~
i; ~ q , respectively:
at the SPE Permian Basin Oil and Gas Recovery Conference, Midland,
Texas, USA, 23–26 March. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/39795-MS. fx ¼ wcosa; fp ¼ N þ wsinacosh; fq ¼ wsinasinh:
Qiu, W. 1999. Force Transmission of Coiled Tubing in Horizontal Wells.                    ðB-2Þ
Paper SPE 54584 presented at the SPE Western Regional Meeting,
Anchorage, 26–27 May. http://dx.doi.org/10.2118/54584-MS. From elastic-beam theory, the following relationship holds:
Suryanarayana, P.V.R. and McCann, R.C. 1994. Experimental Study of
Buckling and Post-Buckling of Laterally Constrained Rods: Part 1— M ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-3Þ
~ ¼ EIkb:
Frictional Effects. Presentation given at the ASME Energy-Source
Technology Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, 23–27 January. Using Eq. A-6 in Eq. B-3 yields
Suryanarayana, P.V.R. and McCann, R.C. 1995. An Experimental Study
~ ¼ Mp~
M p þ Mq~
q ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-4Þ
of Buckling and Post-Buckling of Laterally Constrained Rods.

September 2012 SPE Journal 939

 " 4  2 2
where dh d h
  N ¼ EIr 3
dr dh d2 h dx dx2
Mp ¼ EIkh ¼ EI 2 þr 2 . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-5Þ   #
dx dx dx dh d3 h FL  wðL  xÞcosa dh 2
4 
and dx dx3 EI dx
(   )
"  2 # d d3 r dr dh 2 FL  wðL  xÞcosa dr
d2 r dh EI 6 þ
Mq ¼ EIkr ¼ EI r : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-6Þ dx dr 3 dx dx EI dx
dx2 dx
þwsinacosh                        ðB-16Þ
~ with respect to x is
The derivative of MðxÞ
(  3 )
    d d3 h dh FL  wðL  xÞcosa dh
~
dM dMp dh dMq dh EIr 2 þ þ wsinasinh
¼  Mq ~pþ þ Mp ~q : . . . . . ðB-7Þ dx dx3 dx EI dx
dx dx dx dx dx 3
d r dh 3 d2 r d2 h
þ4EI þ
The differential pipe element remains in its static equilibrium dx3 dx 2 dx2 dx2
"  3 #)
~
state under the combined actions of FðxÞ, ~
MðxÞ, ~ þ dxÞ,
Fðx dr d3 h dh FL  wðL  xÞcosa dh
~ ~ þ  þ ¼ 0:
Mðx þ dxÞ, and f ðxÞ. Thus, the following balance equations hold: dx dx3 dx 2EI dx

~                    ðB-17Þ
dF
¼ ~
f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-8Þ
dx
Appendix C—Action of Concentrated Normal
~
dM Contact Force
~ ~
¼F s: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-9Þ
dx Let us consider the situation of applying a concentrated force on a
pipe at a point xp . The concentrated force is
~ along the three orthogonal unit vec-
Decomposing vector F
tors of ~ p , and ~
i, ~ q, ~c ðxp Þ ¼ Fcx ðxp Þ~
F i þ Fcp ðxp Þ~
p þ Fcq ðxp Þ~
q : . . . . . . . . . . ðC-1Þ

~ ¼ Fx~
F p þ Fq~
i þ Fp ~ q ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-10Þ The differential pipe element at xp remains in static equilibrium
under combined action of Fðx ~  Þ, Fðx
~ þ Þ, Mðx
~  Þ, Mðx
~ þ Þ, and
p p p p
where Fx ðxÞ is the axial force. Fx ðxÞ > 0 means a tensile force, ~
F c ðxp Þ. Applying force-balance equations to the differential pipe
whereas Fx ðxÞ < 0 means a compressive force. element gives
The derivative of F~ with respect to x is
    ~  Þ ¼ Mðx
Mðx ~ þ Þ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðC-2Þ
p p
~ dFx
dF dFp dh dFq dh
¼ ~
iþ  Fq ~pþ þ Fp ~q:
dx dx dx dx dx dx Fx ðxþ 
p Þ ¼ Fx ðxp Þ  Fcx ðxp Þ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðC-3Þ
                   ðB-11Þ
Fp ðxþ 
p Þ ¼ Fp ðxp Þ  Fcp ðxp Þ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðC-4Þ

From Eqs. B-10 and A-2, we have and

   
~
F ~
dh
s ¼ Fp r  Fq
dr ~
i þ Fq  Fx r
dh
~
p Fq ðxþ 
p Þ ¼ Fq ðxp Þ  Fcq ðxp Þ: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðC-5Þ
dx dx dx
  Bending moment Mðx ~ p Þ is continuous at xp . However, the
dr
þ Fx  Fp ~ q : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðB-12Þ axial force and shear forces in both normal and binomial direc-
dx tions become discontinuous because of the action of the concen-
trated force.
Using Eqs. B-5, B-6, B-7, and B-12 in Eq. B-9 gives Because a pipe is elastic, the pipe’s axis is still a smooth
dr dh
"  #  2  function at xp , and thus r, h, , and are continuous at xp . From
dh dh 3 d3 h d r dh dr d2 h dx dx
Fq ¼ Fx r þ EIr  3  3EI 2 þ Eqs. A-7, A-8, B-5, and B-6 and the continuous nature of bending
dx dx dx dx dx dx dx2
d2 r d2 h
moments at xp , we can infer that both 2 and 2 are continuous
                   ðB-13Þ dx dx
at xp . Using Eqs. B-13 and C-3 in Eq. C-5 gives
"   #
dr d3 r dh d2 h dr dh 2  3   3 
Fp ¼ Fx  EI 3 þ 3EI r þ : d h d h Fcq ðxp Þ Fcx ðxp Þ dh
dx dx dx dx2 dx dx  ¼  : . . . . . ðC-6Þ
dx3 xþp dx3 x EIr EI dx
p
                   ðB-14Þ
dh dr Similarly, using Eqs. B-14 and C-3 in Eq. C-4 yields
The term Fp r  Fq in Eq. B-12 is negligible. Using Eqs.  3   3 
dx dx d r d r Fcp ðxp Þ Fcx ðxp Þ dr
B-1, B-2, B-11, B-13, and B-14 in Eq. B-8 gives  ¼  : . . . . . . ðC-7Þ
dx3 xþp dx3 xp EI EI dx
dFx Eqs. C-6 and C-7 indicate that the concentrated normal contact
¼ wcosa; Fx ðxÞ ¼ FL þ wðL  xÞcosa; . . . . ðB-15Þ
dx d3 h d3 r
force acting at a point makes both 3 and 3 discontinuous at
dx dx
where FL is the axial compressive force acting at the loading end the same point. In general, both axial and tangential components,
(x ¼ L). Fcx ðxp Þ and Fcq ðxp Þ, of a concentrated force acting at a point

940 September 2012 SPE Journal

contact (e.g., at a connector) result from friction and are negligi- dci;1
d3 h ci;1 ð1iþ1 Þ ¼ 1  Dcc ; j ¼ 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . ðD-6Þ
ble. Thus, Eq. C-6 indicates that it is reasonable to assume 3 is d1 1¼1iþ1
dx kc kc
continuous at a point where only normal contact force is applied. A1 ¼ ; A2 ¼ 2 cotð2kc Þ; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðD-7Þ
A concentrated normal contact force Nc applied on a connector 2b2 2b
pffiffi
(or other point contact on a pipe) is opposite to ~ p . Using b1
Fcp ðxp Þ ¼ Ncp and Fcx ðxp Þ ¼ 0 in Eq. C-7 yields where kc ¼ 2pffiffi2c .
 3   3  When the body of the pipe contacts the wall of the wellbore at
Ncp d r d r a point 1p ¼ 1i þ D1p , the integral constants can be solved from
¼  : . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðC-8Þ
EI dx3 xp dx3 xþp the contact conditions at 1p :
dci;1
ci;1 ð1p Þ ¼ 1; j ¼ 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðD-8Þ
Appendix D—Analytical Solutions of an d1 1¼1p
Unbuckled Pipe With Connectors in kp Dcc kp cotkp Dcc
Horizontal Wells A1 ¼ 2
þ ; A2 ¼ 2
þ
4b 2tankp  2kp 4b 2kp cotkp  2
When axial compressive force is smaller than the critical force of                    ðD-9Þ
sinusoidal buckling (b < bcrs ), the pipe’s axis will remain in a
vertical plane [i.e., hð1Þ 0 holds]. The equilibrium configuration In case of point contact, the contact point is at the middle
of an unbuckled pipe can be solved from the following equation between two adjacent connectors, D1p ¼ 0:51c and kp ¼ kc ¼
that is normalized and simplified from the buckling equation of pffiffiffi
b1
Eq. B-16 by assuming hð1Þ 0 and nð1Þ 0: pffiffiffic . Whereas the contact point is at 1p ¼ 1i þ 1n , D1p ¼ 1n and
2 2 pffiffiffi
d4 c d2 c b1
þ 2b  1 ¼ 0: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðD-1Þ kp ¼ kn ¼ pffiffiffi n in case of linear (or wrap) contact.
d14 d12 2
Similarly, we can also derive the solution of Eq. D-1 in the
As discussed in Appendix C, the shear force and the third de- interval of (1i þ D1p ; 1iþ1 ),ci;2 ð1Þ:
rivative c000 ð1Þ are discontinuous at a connector (1i ¼ i1c ) or at a pffiffiffiffiffiffi pffiffiffiffiffiffi
contact point (1p ¼ 1i þ D1p ) where a concentrated normal con- ci;2 ð1Þ ¼ A1 fsin½ 2bð1iþ1  1Þ  2bð1iþ1  1Þg
tact force is applied. The solution of Eq. D-1 should be repre- pffiffiffiffiffiffi
þA2 fcos½ 2bð1iþ1  1Þ  1g
sented by a piecewise continuous function. The general solutions
of Eq. D-1 in the interval of (1i ; 1i þ D1p ), ci;1 ð1Þ, can be repre- 1
þ ð1iþ1  1Þ2 þ 1  Dcc
sented as 4b
pffiffiffiffiffiffi pffiffiffiffiffiffi                    ðD-10Þ
ci;1 ð1Þ ¼ A1 sin½ 2bð1  1i Þ þ A2 cos½ 2bð1  1i Þ
1
þ ð1  1i Þ2 þ A3 ð1  1i Þ þ A4 ;        ðD-2Þ
4b
SI Metric Conversion Factors
where Aj ( j ¼ 1; 2; 3; 4) are integral constants that can be deter- ft  3.048* E01 ¼ m
mined from boundary conditions at 1i and 1p . Because the length in.  2.54* Eþ01 ¼ mm
of a connector is much shorter than the distance between two ad-
jacent connectors and the bending stiffness of a connector is much psi  6.894757 Eþ03 ¼ Mpa
greater than the bending stiffness of the pipe’s body, it is realistic lbf.ft  1.355820 E03 ¼ kN.m
to simplify the problem by assuming that a connector is a rigid *Conversion factor is exact.
disk with zero length. The boundary conditions at the ith connec-
tors are
dci;1 Guohua Gao works for Shell as a senior reservoir engineer. His
ci;1 ð1i Þ ¼ 1  Dcc ; j ¼ 0; . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ðD-3Þ research interests include production optimization, automatic
d1 1¼1i history matching, reservoir management, and mechanics of
rc  rpo tubulars. He holds BS and MS degrees in mechanical engineer-
where Dcc ¼ is the dimensionless difference between the ing and a PhD degree in petroleum engineering. He serves as
r0
outer radius of a connector and the outer radius of the pipe. an Associate Editor for SPE Journal and as a reviewer for differ-
Using Eq. D-2 in Eq. D-3 gives ent SPE journals.
pffiffiffiffiffiffi Qifeng Di is a professor at Shanghai University. His research
A4 ¼ 1  Dcc  A2 ; A3 ¼  2bA1 : . . . . . . . . . . . . .ðD-4Þ interests include mechanics of tubulars, wellbore stability,
directional drilling technology, EOR with nanomaterials, and
Eq. D-2 becomes engineering mechanics. He holds BS, MS, and PhD degrees in
pffiffiffiffiffiffi pffiffiffiffiffiffi petroleum engineering.
ci;1 ð1Þ ¼ A1 fsin½ 2bð1  1i Þ  2bð1  1i Þg Stefan Miska is the Jonathan Detwiler Endowed Chair Profes-
pffiffiffiffiffiffi
þA2 fcos½ 2bð1  1i Þ  1g : . . . . . ðD-5Þ sor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Tulsa. His cur-
1 rent research interests are in cutting transport, mechanics of
þ ð1  1i Þ2 þ 1  Dcc tubulars, wellbore hydraulics, managed-pressure drilling, and
4b
directional drilling.
When the distance between two adjacent connectors is small Wenchang Wang is a postdoctoral student at Shanghai Uni-
(1c < 1c;1 ), no contact exists between the body of the pipe and the versity. His research interests include tubular and engineering
wall of the wellbore except at connectors. The integral constants mechanics. He holds a BS degree in solid mechanics and MS
A1 and A2 can be solved from the boundary conditions at 1iþ1 : and PhD degrees in engineering mechanics.

September 2012 SPE Journal 941