ADIPEC2013TechnicalConferenceManuscript

Name:AbhinavKumar
Company:2HOffshore
Jobtitle:SeniorEngineer
Address:15990NorthBarkersLanding,Suite200,Houston,TX77079,USA
Phonenumber:2812582054
Email:abhinav.kumar@2hoffshoreinc.com

AbstractID:5
Title:ShallowWaterWellConductorLifeExtensionStrategy

Author(s):A.Kumar(2HOffshore),S.Abdalla,H.Rosli(2HOffshore)andH.Howells(2HOffshore)

ThismanuscriptwaspreparedforpresentationattheADIPEC2013TechnicalConference,AbuDhabi,UAE,1013November2013.
ThismanuscriptwasselectedforpresentationbytheADIPEC2013TechnicalCommitteeReviewandVotingPanelupononlinesubmissionofan
abstractbythenamedauthor(s).

Abstract:

Anumberofshallowwaterwellconductorsinstalledduringthe1970s1980sespeciallyintheMiddleEast(ArabianGulf)
regionareapproachingorhaveexceededtheirdesignlife.Consideringtheproductionratesandeconomicviabilityfor
alternativeoptions,thereisanincreasingneedforlifeextensionontheseageingstructures.

Thishoweverraisesthequestionofstructuralintegritygiventhelonginserviceusageoftheseconductors.Agerelated
issuesincludingexcessivewalllossandcrackingduetocorrosionandtheassociatedreductioninstrengthandfatigue
capacityshouldbeaddressed.

This paper discusses a strategy for fitnessforservice assessment and retrofit repair designs for various anomalies
observedonwellconductors.Asystemofmanagementisadoptedforagivengroupofageingconductors,thesystem
involvesaclassificationschemebasedontheconductorandwelldesignanddefecttype.Allconductorswithinagiven
classificationarepreassessedbasedontheextentofdegradationobtainedfromthemeasured,empiricallymodeledor
visually assessed inspection records. For every classification, an assessment for generalized strength and stability (in
accordancewithinstituteofpetroleumguidelines)orlocalizedFEAdependingontheanomalytypeiscarriedoutforthe
mostdegradedconductoridentifiedfrompreassessment.Thedetailedassessmentresultsareusedtodevelopageneric
conductorrepairorriskmitigationplanapplicabletoallconductorswithintheclassification.Reallifeexamplesofthe
defectsencounteredandassociatedrepairschemesaredescribed.


The above strategy is successfully implemented for various conductor defects on different well arrangements located
offshoreintheMiddleEast.Thispaperdescribestheevaluationcarriedoutfornormalandextremeweatherconditions
forwellsinproductionmode.Anassessmentisalsocarriedoutforpossibleworkoverorsidetrackingscenarioswhich
produceadditionalaxialandbendingloadsontheageingconductorsandposefurtherthreatstostructuralintegrity.The
strategydevelopedcanbeadaptedforusewithawiderangeofconductorarrays,onotherplatformsandindifferent
operatingconditions.

INTRODUCTION

Oil & gas production wells are complex systems that may exist onshore or offshore in varying water depths often
classified as shallow, deep or ultradeep water wells. Production wells consist of various concentric casings that
penetratethegroundlayerstodifferentdepths.Theoutermostcasingisreferredtoasthewellconductororconductor
pipe. Depending on the well construction, the conductor pipe may have a broad functionality, serving as an
environmentalbarrierforinternalcasingstosupportingpartorthemajorityoftopsideequipmentandcasingloads.

Inshallowwateroffshoreenvironments,thewellconductorextendsabovethewatersurfacetotheplatformproduction
deck. This makes it possible to inspect the conductor from the topside either visually or through conventional Non
DestructiveExamination(NDE)techniques.Whileinservice,theconductorpipeissubjecttoenvironmentalloadingdue
tooceanwavesandunderwatercurrents,operationalloadssuchasblowoutpreventer(BOP)weightduringworkover
scenarios and corrosive environments. Over time, it is not uncommon for well conductors to have structural defects
suchascracks,pittingandwalllossduetocorrosion.

Sinceconductorintegrityisanimportantaspectofthewellsystemintegrity,conductoranomaliesandtheirpotential
consequencesneedtobedealtwiththroughliaisonamongallconcernedparties.Theresponsibilityforwelldesignoften
lieswiththeoperatorsdrillingteam.However,theresponsibilityforwellsystemintegrityissplitamongdifferentparties
withintheoperatingcompany,eachresponsiblefordifferentaspectsofintegrity.

This paper discusses how anomaly management, technical evaluation and implementation of appropriate repair and
mitigation procedures can lead to conductor life extension. The discussion is corroborated by case studies for
conductorsexistinginshallowwaterdepthsrangingfrom30mto60mandinoperationforover35years.

LITERATUREREVIEW

Thereislimitedliteratureavailablewithintheindustryoracademiccirclesaddressingconductoranomaliesandrepair.
Thereviewerneedstogobacktofirstprinciplesandtheindustrydesigncodesinordertogainanunderstandingofthe
conductordefects,anddesignandengineertheappropriaterepairormitigation.

The basics of offshore conductor design methodology currently used were defined by Stahl and Baur (1980) [1]. A
number of subsequent publications built on and improved the theories that are still used today for designing new
conductorsandassessingexistingones.Manley(1985)presentedadesignmethodologyforoffshoreplatformtieback
conductors[2].ImmandStahl(1988)discussedthedesignofconcentrictubularmemberswherethemainapplication


wasforwellconductorsandtheinternalcasings[3].LangandWood(1994)discussedtheaspectsofstructuraldesign,
fabrication,andinstallationofoffshoreconductorpipeandconcludedthatitispossibleandbeneficialtostandardizethe
designofconductorsforconventionaldepthsandapplications[4].

Rea,HuntandReed(2007)stressedonthevalueofadoptingaproactiveapproachforunderstandingandmanagingrisks
forwellsurfacecasingsandconductors[5].Abetterunderstandingofinternalcorrosiononconductorandothercasings
wassoughtbyMunnsandCrouzen(2007)throughdemonstrationsoftheuseofanultraslimPulsedEddyCurrents(PEC)
probetomeasurewallthickness[6].

ANOMALYMANAGEMENT

When faced with degradation issues over a number of conductors across the field(s), the operators first need is
implementingaquickandeffectiveanomalyprioritizationscheme.Forthisparticularcasestudy,allgeneralizedwallloss
instancesarepreassessedusingaConductorScreeningTool.Thescreeningtoolusesaspreadsheetbasedconductor
database with all the key well data such as well casing program, nominal wall thicknesses for conductor and casings,
shoedepths,cementandmudlevelsandtopsideequipmentweights.Wallultrasonicthickness(UT)measurementsfor
each inspected conductor are provided as an input to the screening tool. The Screening Tool provides a preliminary
conductorassessmentintheformoftrafficlightindicators.Greenindicatesnofurtheractionrequiredwhileamberand
red indicators require the operator to carry out a detailed structural assessment in varying levels respectively. The
Screening Tool provides a condition assessment for each operating scenario such as production, work over or well
intervention. This information helps the operator prioritize detailed conductor assessments based on planned
operations.

Ininstanceswhenconductordefectsarelocalized,suchasopencracksorfailedconductorguides,theOperationsteam
may compare current defect conditions with previous inspection records to see how quickly a particular defect is
worsening.Degradationtrendsalongwithtechnicaljudgmentmaythenbeusedtoprioritizedetailedassessmentsand
repairsforlocaldefects.

Corrosionisamajorissuewithageingconductors.Commoninstancesmayincludegeneralizedinternalcorrosiondueto
airingressintheannularspacebetweenconductorandsurfacecasing,externalcorrosionnearthewatersurface,under
coating corrosion leading to external corrosion patches or pitting and local internal corrosion due to water ingress
through pits or cracks in the submerged conductor section. Other common shallow water conductor defects include
cracking which are often a result of fabrication flaws aggravated by long term loads and guide support failure due to
corrosionofsupportmembersorpunchingshearoftheconductorcasing.Theexamplesdiscussedbelowaretypicalof
conductorsoperatingpasttheiroriginaldesignlives.

A30inchconductorwithanopencrackvisiblebelowthewellheadisshowninFigure1.Thisparticularcrackmeasures
61inchesinlengthandextendstobelowthesubcellardeck.Externalpittingcorrosionandperforationsinaconductor
wallareshowninFigure2.Incaseswherecorrosionisprimarilyinternal,ultrasonicwallthicknessestimatessuchasthe
onepresentedinTable1canprovidewalllossestimates.Thepresentedultrasonicsurveyiscarriedoutfora30inch
conductorwitha1inchnominalwallthicknessatthetimeofinstallation.Measurementsaretakenatvariouselevations
alongtheunsubmergedconductorlengthandreportedatthefourprincipalglobaldirectionsateachelevation.

Figure 1 Conductor Crack

Figure 2 - Pitting Corrosion and Perforation

Table1ConductorWallThicknessMeasurements
Identification of conductor defects allows them to be grouped into major anomaly types as described earlier. An
anomaly group such as conductor crack may be characterized by a combination of design limits such as operating
environments,wellcasinganddesign,conductordimensions,topsideloadingandseverityoftheanomaly.Thelimitsare
obtainedbyareviewofdesignandanomalydataofallconductorswithintheanomalygroup.Agenericrepairdesign
maythenbeengineeredtoappropriatedesignlimitsandisapplicabletotheentiregroupofconductors.Avariationin
conductordimensionsorextentofthedefectmaybeaccommodatedbyscalingtherepairoptionsuchasaboltedsleeve
designandadjustingtherepairsleeveboltpretensions.


CONCERNS

Therearefewmisconceptionsaboutthewellconstructionandtheroleofawellconductorwithintheindustry.Someof
thesemisconceptionscanleadtodesignofrepairsormitigationsthatmightnotbeappropriateorprovideonlyalimited
benefit.Oneofthemisunderstandingsaboutwellconductorsisthattheyonlyserveasenvironmentalbarriersandhave
nostructuralfunction.Whilethismightbetrueinsomecases,especiallyforwellsthatwereconstructedinthe1970'sor
before,the correct outlook is that the structural contribution of the various well casings including the well conductor
depends on the specific well design and whether there were any modifications to the original design. These
modificationsmayincludecementingoftheannularspacesbetweentheconcentriccasingsatalatertimeinthewells
life.Theweightofthewellheadalongwithallthecasingsiseventuallysupportedbythesoilbutmustpassthroughthe
conductororcasingstrings.Theaxialloaddistributionbetweenthevariousconductorandcasingstringsdependsonthe
cementdensityandcementheightbetweenthevariousannularspaces,amongotherfactorssuchascasingpretension
andindividualcasingaxialstiffness.

Themajorityofloadsharinghappensbetweentheconductorpipeandthefirstinternalcasingalsoknownasthesurface
casing,asallothercasingsareprimarilydesignedforpressurecontainmentandlackadequatestrengthagainstbuckling
loadswhenincompression.Forinstance,intheabsenceofanycementintheannulusbetweentheconductorandthe
surface casing, the wellhead is almost entirely supported by the surface casing. However, if the annulus between the
conductor and the surface casing is cemented, then the load would be shared between the two strings based on the
factorsdescribedabove.

Ingeneral,anassessmentforstrengthorstabilityonanywellcomponentrequiresanunderstandingoftheaxialloading
throughthecomponent.Suchanunderstandingcanbesoughtbycarryingoutadetailedaxialloadassessmentofthe
well construction which must be based on the updated well schematics and takes into account any modifications or
reworksduringthewellslifetime.

CONDUCTORLOADCONSIDERATIONS

Prior to carrying out any detailed engineering assessment, it is helpful to approach the issue with a fundamental
understandingoftheforcesactingontheconductorandtheirimplicationsonstrengthandstability.Thisapproachisas
summarizedbelow:

Localdefectssuchascracks,pittingandlocalcorrosion(internalorexternal)causeweakeningoftheconductor
crosssectionatagivenlocation.Thisreducesthecapacityoftheaffectedlocationtowithstandtheaxialand
bendingloads.Arepairforsuchdefectsmustthenbeabletorelievethedamagedportionofthemajorityofthe
axialandbendingloadsbyprovidingadequateloadsharingandstrengthcharacteristics;

Repairsforfailedguidesmustprovideenoughstrengthagainstconductorbearingloadsatthegivenlocation.

Generalized wall loss due to corrosion reduces the capacity of the conductor to withstand buckling loads.
Repairsandmitigationsmustthereforebeaimedtowardsimprovingoverallstabilityandreducingfuturewall
loss.


Further,itisimportanttounderstandnotonlythecurrentloadingconditionsbutallforeseeableconditionswhichmay
ariseovertheremainingservicelifeoftheconductor.Theseconditionsmayincludeenvironmentalloadsfromextreme
currentsandwaveloadingduringstormsandalsooperationalloadsfromBOPandHydraulicWorkOverUnit(HWOU)
during workover or well intervention operations. In addition, temperature changes from production or injection
operationscanresultinredistributionofloadingtogivehigherorloweraxialloadingontheconductor.

CONDUCTORASSESSMENTANDREPAIRS

Theaxialcompressiveforcesontheconductorarelargelystaticinnature.Theydependonsurfaceequipmentweight
suchasthewellheadandBOPandalsotheloadcontributionsfrominternalcasingsgeneratedduringwellconstruction.
The conductor bending loads on the other hand are predominantly dynamic derived from environmental conditions
suchaswaveandcurrent.

Bendingloadsalongtheconductorareobtainedbymodelingtheconductorpipeinaglobalfiniteelement(FE)analysis
softwareunderexpectedenvironmentalloads.Acompositemodelwhichusesasingleequivalentpipetorepresentall
concentric casing can be used instead of an otherwise complex multi string model. The axial, bending and torsional
stiffness for all conductor and casing strings are respectively added to give equivalent pipe properties. Likewise,
conductorandcasingweightsalongwithcontributionsfrommudandcementareaccountedfortoobtaintheequivalent
pipeweight.Incaseswhereaccuratesoildataisunavailable,theeffectofsoilstiffnessonglobalconductorresponseis
approximatedbymovingthepointofbottomfixitybelowthemudline.AglobalcompositeconductorFEmodelalong
withguidesupportsanddecklocationsisshowninFigure3.

WhileanequivalentpipeapproachisidealforglobalFEanalysisasexplainedabove,axialloadingontheconductoris
obtained by adding axial load contributions from individual casing strings and surface equipment. This is done by
analyzing the conductor load step history from a well construction perspective. The load distribution across the
conductorandvariouscasingstringsisestimatedbyaccountingforthecementandmuddensitiesandtheirrespective
columnheights.Theaxialloaddistributionisfurtherafunctionofindividualstringstiffness.Asampleaxialloadhistory
onagivenconductorduringwellconstructionispresentedinFigure4.Itshouldbenotedthatthecompressiveloads
actingontheconductorduringproductionandworkoverarecalculated.


53.05 m (Cellar Deck
Guide)

45.03 m (3rd Guide)

Marine 42.14 m (Mean Sea Level)

Growth
(2.6
Thickness)
30 m

23.77 m (Mudline/ 2nd

Marine Guide)
Growth
(0.6
Thickness)

0 m (Mudline/ 1st Guide)

-6.5 m (Point of fixity)

Figure3GlobalConductorFEModel

Axial Load on the Conductor during Well Construction

450
Land and cement 13-3/8 inch casing
Land and cement 20 inch surface

400

350

300
Land and cement 9-5/8 inch casing
Axial Force (kips)

Land BOP

250
Land and anchor 7 inch tubing
casing

200

150
Pull 7" Tubing
Remove BOP

Remove tree

Land HWOU
Land tree

100

50

Figure4AxialLoadsonConductorduringWellConstruction


Once the global axial and bending loads are calculated, they are applied to a local FE model and combined stress
distribution about local conductor defects such as cracks or localized corrosion is calculated. A local FE model for a
cracked conductor with combined stress contours produced under the application of global loads for extreme
environmentalconditionsisshowninFigure5.Localstressconcentrationsorstresshotspotswheredesignstressesare
exceededareidentified.Identificationofcriticalregionsisimportantinunderstandinghowthedefectmayprogressand
todevelopappropriatemitigationsorrepairswhichmaypreventfurtherworseningofthedefect.

Figure5StressContoursaroundaConductorCrack

Forsingleisolateddefects,wherelocalstressesexceeddesignstressesunderextremeloads,sleeverepairsareeffective
insharingtheloadacrosstheaffectedconductorregionandtherebyrelievinghighstressesduringextremeevents.A
bolted split sleeve design is shown in Figure 6. When the split sleeve bolts are preloaded to appropriate values, the
sleeverepairalterstheaxialandbendingloadpaththroughthedamagedconductorsectionandcarriesthemajorityof
the extreme loads. By isolating the conductor from the extreme dynamic and transient operational loads, further
worseningofthedefectisprevented.Thereducedstressesacrosstheconductorunderextremeenvironmentalloading
wheretheboltedsleeverepairisinstalledareshowninFigure7.

Figure6BoltedSleeveRepair

Figure7ConductorStressesafterRepair

Asforglobalconductorissuessuchasgeneralizedwalllosscausedduetointernalcorrosion,localrepairsliketheones
described above may be ineffective. One of the key concerns for conductors with weakened walls is the subsequent
decreaseinresistancetobucklingloads.Allconductorpipesundercompressionhaveatendencytobuckleatthespans
between guide supports. As the wall thickness decreases over the service life, the capacity to withstand buckling
decreases.Thecommonfactorswhichcontributetobucklingareasfollows:

Surfaceequipmentweight;
Internalcasingweight;
Internalcasingeccentricityinducedbendingmoments;
Environmentalloadinducedbendingmoments.
9

ConductorstabilityisassessedunderthecalculatedbucklingloadsasperrecommendationsprovidedbyStahlandBaur
in their paper on Design Methodology for Offshore Platform Conductors [1]. Stability is assessed for two loading
scenarios,stormanddurability.Stabilitychecksunderstormloadingtakeinaccountbendingmomentsduetoextreme
waveandcurrentevents.Giventheshortdurationofextremeloading,ahigherallowablestresscriterionisused.The
durability check addresses long term stability concerns ignoring any extreme environmental loading but uses a more
stringentallowablestresscriterion.

Decreased stability between guide supports may be addressed by use of a midspan clamp repair which provides
additional support from an adjacent platform leg or conductor. The clamp repair decreases the overall span length
hencerestoringconductorstability.AguidesupportconceptforimprovingconductorstabilityisshowninFigure8.

Figure8ConductorGuideSupport

RISKMITIGATION

Regardlessofstabilityconcerns,generalizedwalllossindicatesacorrosionissuewhichneedstobeaddressedtoreduce
riskoffailure.Aneffectiveapproachtomanagingwalllossisconductingparametricanalysisfordifferentconductorwall
thicknesses.Thisleadstoaproactiveidentificationofconductorspanswhichforagivenwallthicknessaresusceptibleto
bucklinginthefuture.Thelimitingwallthicknessvaluesforwhichconductorbucklingisjustpreventedarefedintothe
conductor Screening Tool discussed earlier. The Screening Tool then performs a comparative assessment of the
measuredwallthicknessdataagainstidentifiedlimits.Detailedanalysisandcorrectivestepsmaythenbetakenbased
ontheScreeningTooltrafficlightindicators.

10


Structuralintegrityistypicallymanagedbyimplementationofanintegritymanagementplan.Planactivitiesmayinclude
regular visual inspections to check for local structural issues such as cracks, perforations and buckling. Additionally,
regularUTmeasurementsaretakentoidentifywalllosstrends.Furtherworseningoftheconductorcanbemanagedby
introducingcorrosioninhibitorintheannularspacebetweentheconductorandsurfacecasingorpossiblycementingthe
annulus to ensure load sharing. External corrosion can be mitigated by buffing and polishing the corroded areas and
reapplicationofthecorrosioncoatingorpaint.

CONCLUSIONS

Asmoreshallowwaterfieldscontinuetoproducebeyondtheoriginaldesignlife,thereisanincreasingneedtomanage
wellintegrity.Conductors arecriticalwellcomponentsoftensupporting the majorityofthewellloadsand protecting
theinner casingsfromenvironmentalloading.Sincethe number ofageingwellsonagivenfield(s)may belarge,itis
important to have an anomaly management strategy which can be used to prioritize defects without the need of
complexanalysis.Prioritizedanomaliescanthenbegroupedtogetherunderaholisticrepairscheme.

A detailed understanding of the various conductor loads and their implications on conductor strength and stability is
importantinengineeringappropriaterepairs.Thisunderstanding,togetherwithregularvisualandNDEinspectionsand
corrosionmanagementisthekeytoensuringsuccessfulconductorlifeextension.

REFERENCES

[1] StahlandBaurDesignMethodologyforOffshorePlatformConductors,PublishedbySocietyofPetroleum
Engineers(SPE),PaperOTC3903,PublishedatOTC1980.

[2] Manley, R.B. Design Methodology for Offshore Platform Tieback Conductors, Published by Society of
PetroleumEngineers(SPE),PaperOTC5049,OffshoreTechnologyConference1985.

[3] ImmandStahlDesignofConcentricTubularMembers,PublishedbySocietyofPetroleumEngineers(SPE),
OTCPaper5836,OffshoreTechnologyConference1988.

[4] LangJr.,G.R.andWood,B.J."StructuralDesign,FabricationandInstallationofOffshoreConductorPipe"OTC
Paper7453,OffshoreTechnologyConference1994.

[5] Rea, T., Hunt, R. and Reid, D. Understanding and Managing the Risk for Offshore Platforms Well Surface
Casings&Conductors,SPEAppliedTechnologyWorkshopWellIntegrity2007.

[6] Munns,I.andCrouzen,P.InspectionofOffshorePlatformsWellSurfaceCasings&Conductors,SPEApplied
TechnologyWorkshopWellIntegrity2007.

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