URTeC: 2581

Maximizing Reliability — Well Integrity Statistics and Risk Reduction

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Strategies
Leandro Perelló, Adonis-Costin Ichim*, Alexandru Zestran, Carlos Blanc, Tenaris.
Copyright 2020, Unconventional Resources Technology Conference (URTeC) DOI 10.15530/urtec-2020-2581

This paper was prepared for presentation at the Unconventional Resources Technology Conference held in Austin, Texas, USA, 20-
22 July 2020.

The URTeC Technical Program Committee accepted this presentation on the basis of information contained in an abstract submitted
by the author(s). The contents of this paper have not been reviewed by URTeC and URTeC does not warrant the accuracy, reliability,
or timeliness of any information herein. All information is the responsibility of, and, is subject to corrections by the author(s). Any
person or entity that relies on any information obtained from this paper does so at their own risk. The information herein does not
necessarily reflect any position of URTeC. Any reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper by anyone other than the
author without the written consent of URTeC is prohibited.

Abstract

This paper presents typical multi-fractured horizontal well failures together with potential mitigation
strategies. The discussion is based on information compiled over the last decade from operations in the
United States, Argentina and Canada. The analysis focuses mainly on well integrity and well accessibility
events associated with production casing, production liner and tubing strings.

A comprehensive failure database covering over 150 cases from operations in shale plays was created.
Failure here is defined as any event that led to either compromised well integrity or loss of well accessibility.
The database was populated with verified cases from various operators and product origins, as well as
various sizes and types. Causes were grouped in ten different categories, resulting in conclusions for the
following well stages: strings’ installation, stimulation, and production.

The analysis allows us to estimate the failure occurrence per stage and to infer the inherent failure risk for
the different phases of a well’s life cycle. Moreover, the obtained overall failures ranking shows which
categories require more stringent attention in order to avoid problems throughout the life of a well.

The database analysis also revealed distinctive failure patterns for the different stages. These deliver
important lessons on how to select tubular goods, design the installation, or even operate the well in order
to diminish the failure risk.

This work represents an important effort to quantify the metrics and impact of the different well failures
during the installation, stimulation and production stages throughout the past decade. The conclusions were
obtained by using information from different operators, regions and product types, which means lessons
learned can be considered as a valuable reference regardless of the particular contexts.

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Introduction

Multi Fractured Horizontal Wells (MFHWs) exhibit unique challenges for tubulars and connections. Loads
and demands and, therefore, requested performance may change radically among different well life stages
(i.e. well construction - casing installation, stimulation and production).

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In what follows, we describe the typical challenges encountered by tubulars in these stages that may lead
to loss of well integrity or well accessibility and group them in broader categories. We then show statistics
on events recorded between 2008 and 2020 and present potential risk reduction strategies.

Well integrity is defined as “the application of technical, operational and organizational solutions to reduce
the risk of uncontrolled release of formation fluids throughout the entire life cycle of the well and of course
safety aspects” (NORSOK 2013). Loss of well integrity may lead to Health, Safety, and Environmental
consequences, whereas loss of well accessibility may lead to operational delays, non-productive time
(NPT), additional remediation and/or completion costs, lower production rates, but without HSE
consequences (Casero and Rylance 2020).

Understanding these challenges and how to effectively tackle them is key to ensure asset integrity, reduce
associated risks, and maximize return on investment.

Casing Installation Challenges

Well trajectory. Wells in unconventional plays have long horizontal sections built from vertical with
generally steep inclination (i.e. High Dog Leg Severity, DLS, as shown in Figure 1). Actual trajectories can
deviate from planned ones due to existing unintended tortuosity (Mills et al. 2016). These two effects can
generate relevant bending stresses for the tubular, and if the string is rotated under demanding conditions
during installation, fatigue damage may be a concern. Moreover, the uncertainty associated with the
surveying method (Hartley and Ledroz 2019, Leonard and Seitassanov 2017) might pose an additional risk
when calculating stresses and fatigue across the string, as traditional survey spacing might understate the
true DLS value.

Figure 1. Example of Dog Leg Severity of a well drilled in gas unconventional play.

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Buckling. One element many times dismissed is the presence of buckling, which may be initiated as
sinusoidal buckling by compressive forces during the casing installation, especially in longer laterals
(Mitchell 2008). Without mitigation, sinusoidal buckling evolves into helical buckling and potential lock-
up and plastic deformation of the tubular. String rotation while in a buckled state is known to increase
operational risks, see Figure 2.

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Figure 2. Typical Hook Load roadmap plot (left) and Effective Tension Plot when casing string is at TD (right). A decrease in hook load may be
an indicative of string buckling stemming from various reasons.

Torque. String rotation is a known method to reduce axial drag but may also impose high torque
requirement for the connections.

Dynamic effects. As string rotation is used to effectively reduce axial drag and allow further advancement
of the string, there may be cases when the rotation initiation point is past the buckling initiation point. This
leads to an erratic torque behavior at surface which can create dynamic effects across the string and cause
downhole connection make-up. Another scenario where this may happen is when the torque limit set at
surface does not allow for continuous rotation due to high downhole friction. In this case, a stalling off
behavior is observed, similar to stick-slip while rotary drilling (see Figure 3). This effect is amplified by
repeated pick up and slack off, which adds compressive and tensile loads to the string.

Figure 3. Example of stalling off behavior while lowering one joint of casing observed through surface data. Note Hook Load, RPM and Surface
Torque sudden variations with time.

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Connection runability. Another element with impact on operations is the connection running ability (many
times referred as runability). Robust connections that can be run with low risk in very demanding conditions
can help in avoiding cross threading, galling and ultimately strings disengaging, or parting (Abrahamsen,
2008).

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Stimulation Challenges

Differential pressure. The well stimulation phase has its own characteristic challenges and issues.
Hydraulic stimulation strategies used in unconventional oil and gas are generally demanding operations
that may involve differential pressures up to 14,000 psi, injection rates up to 80-150 bbl/min (which may
exert flow velocities of 30-65 ft/s or even higher) and the use of proppant. These injection conditions will
also impose cold temperature profiles to the casing string.

One of the requirements stemming from the injection conditions is burst capacity. During stimulation, the
maximum internal pressure is observed prior to formation breakdown, while pressures are lower during
fracture propagation. However, the worst burst load scenario is a fracture screenout (when proppant
prematurely bridges within the fracture and blocks flow), see Figure 4 – yellow curve. This can be sudden,
and leads to high downhole internal pressures, as the fluid is static (without frictional pressure losses), and
surface treatment pressures are high. Fractures screenout are infrequent, but represent the most severe burst
load condition for production casing, therefore typically driving the mechanical design (Haghshenas et al.
2017).

Figure 4. Fracture screen out load case (yellow curve) typically rules the injection design.

Axial loads. The fluids are typically injected at ambient temperature, which, depending on location and
season, can be very low (e.g. 35 - 50 °F). When pumping at high rates, the resulting cooling induces

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significant tension in the string. Typically, cold injection and fracture screenout are the most demanding
axial load scenarios for connections in unconventional plays.

Connection sealability. With operators pumping more than 60 stages per well, and each stage generally
lasting over one hour, connections’ sealability may be a challenge, as they have to remain liquid and/or gas

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tight. In this regard, the use of connections whose sealability relies entirely on the thread compound shall
be thoroughly analyzed. For example, after installation, a certain period will pass before stimulation (in
many cases months). During this time, thread compound may be exposed to temperatures as high as 350°F
(176°C), see Figure 5, suffering subsequent degradation which may affect its sealing capability.

Figure 5. Temperatures profiles example.

Erosion. Erosion during the stimulation stage may also be a concern. High injection rates combined with
the use of proppant (usually some type of sand) generates favorable conditions for erosion to occur. Erosion
may happen at locations with localized turbulent flow, such as internal diameter changes, connections J
area, liner slots, etc. (Farahani et al. 2011). Casing breaches or extensive wall loss at locations where plugs
were previously set were recently observed and reported (Robinson et al. 2020), as shown below. It is not
clear yet what initiates this type of degradation and what conditions favor such severe damage.

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Figure 6. Production casing breach at plug location as recorded by ultrasonic logging tool (Robinson et al. 2020).

Environmentally assisted cracking. This phenomenon typically relates to the production phase.
Nevertheless, large volumes of acid may be pumped down the casing string to condition the near-wellbore
area prior to hydraulic stimulation stages. If an unsuitable inhibitor is used, damage can occur, see Figure
7. Low pH environments and the presence of stresses in a susceptible material may lead to brittle cracking
(Craig et al. 2019). Field cases suggest that rotten fluids or acid producing bacteria may create a low pH
environment in the annulus of uncemented sections.

Figure 7. Typical stimulation stage cracking-related failures on API Couplings (Blanc et al. 2018).

Cement placement. Poor cement placement and cement quality may trigger several problems and even
failures during the stimulation stage. As mentioned, high DLS and tortuosity may impose additional stresses
to a connection during installation and subsequent stages. Depending on the cement quality, this condition
combined with a stimulation scenario (high burst and cooling induced axial loads), can have a significant
impact on the maximum allowable stimulation pressure to avoid installation damage (Sudgen et al. 2012).
Point or line loads can also be generated if the tube comes in contact with formation irregularities (e.g.
ledges) during stimulation. Furthermore, cement voids containing trapped fluids that can cool down during
stimulation lead to annular fluid contraction scenarios, where the void annular pressure decreases,
generating a higher differential pressure and a casing burst load.

Evidence of poor cement placement and its implications on fracture treatment and pressure communications
has been captured through fiber optic and/or pressure transducers deployed outside of the casing.

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Observations of some fluid communication to previous stages, which have already been stimulated and
plugged, is fairly common within fiber optic distributed acoustic and temperature sensing data (Zhang et
al. 2020, Kotov et al. 2017, Ugueto et al. 2018). This fluid communication can have many causes, such as
a slip of the plug, fluid channeling through the cement, or communication through the reservoir within the
near wellbore region, and is confirmed by acoustic and warmback data (Figure 8).

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Figure 8. DAS and DTS data confirming fluid communication between current and previous stimulation stage (Zhang et al. 2020).

DAS responses often indicate fluid communication between current treatment stages and those previously
stimulated, and bottomhole pressure gauges provide the ability to evaluate how far the current stage may
be propagating. Figure 9 shows the pressure response of the pressure gauge due to several approaching
stages (i.e. hydraulic connection).

Figure 9. Gauge pressure recordings showing hydraulic connection between stages (Zhang et al. 2020).

In the case of pressure communication in the annulus, the treatment pressure can bypass the area where the
bridge plug was set and unexpected collapse loads may be generated. For longer uncemented intervals,
excessive tension may also become a concern, as the tubular will try to contract due to the cold injection
fluid (see Figure 5), further reducing its collapse resistance.

Formation Movement. Loads generated by bedding plane slippage, fault movement, creeping formation or
other mechanisms related to rock properties and in-situ stress states lead to internal diameter restrictions,
tubular collapse or wellbore shear. Casero and Rylance (2020), provide a thorough analysis on the influence
of geomechanical factors on casing failures, with layer interface slippage and natural fault re-activation as

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dominant mechanisms for hydraulic fracture induced casing failures. A detailed description of such
mechanisms is beyond the scope of this work.

Production Challenges

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In contrast to the previously described stages, long-term degradation mechanisms gain relevance during the
production phase (e.g. mass loss corrosion, wear, etc.).

Axial Loads. One of the typical mechanical loads a production string will face when production begins is
compression due to temperature profiles changes. As production fluids start flowing up, the complete string
will heat up from the geothermal to flowing temperatures. This change typically imposes compression
stresses in addition to existing ones. Compressive stresses may reach significant values and can represent a
challenge for the production casing string, particularly for connections.

Connection Sealability. Connection sealability is critical for well integrity. Connections must remain tight
after installation loads (e.g. high cycle fatigue), stimulation loads (e.g. high-pressure cycles, cooling
induced loads) and production loads (e.g. heating induced loads). This may represent a challenge for certain
connection types, particularly for those relying on dope as a sealing element. Thread compounds may
degrade after being exposed to downhole temperatures for a significant period of time (Teodoriu and
Badicioiu, 2009, Ernens et al. 2019) and degraded thread compound may exhibit lower sealing properties
than initial ones. Regarding sealability, some scenarios, such as Gas Shut-In, may rule the design as the
production string may have to withstand large static pressures.

Erosion. Erosion is also a concern during production, particularly during start-up when high flow velocities
and fines or sand may be present (flowback scenario). Problems tend to appear in the upper sections of the
well, where lower pressures translates into higher flow velocities. After reaching stable production regimes,
erosion problems generally represent a lower concern for Oil Country Tubular Goods (OCTG) in
unconventional wells. Problems have still been observed on wells producing gas at high rates, especially in
wells using Gas Lift with an improper system set up.

Corrosion. Corrosion due to production fluids is a concern in this phase, particularly in plays where highly
corrosive environments have been detected (e.g. Eagle Ford, Haynesville, and Permian). Typical corrosion
problems relate to Sweet Corrosion (i.e. Corrosion due to CO2). Corrosion problems may act in a synergistic
way with existing wear. Typically, the resultant corrosion rate when several mechanisms act together is not
the simple addition of the individual corrosion rates. Metal loss could also be a concern while injecting
acids without proper inhibition.

Sulfide Stress Cracking. Sulfide Stress Cracking (SSC) problems due to hydrogen sulfide (H2S) have also
been observed during production, particularly in high strength carbon or low alloy steels (generally Actual
Yield Strength above 130 ksi). Loss of well integrity due to H2S-induced SSC is a main HSE concern due
to the fast acting and toxic nature of hydrogen sulfide.

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Figure 10. ISO 15156 Part 2, SSC severity regions.

Cement Quality. Some issues in the production phase can be linked to previous stages of the well life cycle.
For example, poor cementing quality, as previously discussed, can also lead to gas migration events. Gas
migration occurs when formation gas finds its way through the cement sheaths, jeopardizing well integrity
and potentially triggering negative environmental impacts (Belvin et al. 2020). Poor cement quality also
plays an important role in production liners collapse after weeks from initial production, particularly in
formations with a high initial pressure produced at high flow rates. Buckling may be a concern for longer
uncemented intervals during the production of hot fluids.

Wear. After the production pressure decreases, different artificial lift methods are used, the common ones
being sucker rod pumping, gas lift, electric submersible pumps or progressive cavity pumps. The use of
rods may induce wear damage to the production string, particularly in highly tortuous wells. Gas lift has
also been related to production string leaks, particularly when this strategy is implemented in strings without
metal-to-metal seal.

It has been also detected that, during the Installation phase, wear damage to intermediate casing strings can
be imposed while drilling and installing casing in the production section. This can later limit connections
performance or even trigger failures or leaks in the intermediate string, particularly in high gas pressure
wells.

Data Gathering and Analysis

To get a true dimension of the impact of the challenges presented above, a comprehensive events database
was compiled based on past cases from the last twelve years. The information analyzed summarizes more
than 150 cases from unconventional plays located in the United States, Argentina, Canada and China. Cases
focus on production casing and liners. Events that led to subsequent well integrity or well accessibility
related issues were grouped in ten different categories, as shown in Table 1.

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Table 1. OCTG issues and description (alphabetically).

Category Event Description

Corrosion Phenomena related to mass loss corrosion (e.g. uniform corrosion, localized
corrosion, microbiological induced corrosion, etc.).
Cracking Environmental cracking (e.g. H2S related cracking, cracking induced by acid

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injection, etc.).
Ductile Overload Loads above the material’s Yield Strength (e.g. axial loads, burst loads, etc.).
Formation Movement Loads from formation (e.g. ID restriction, Collapse, Pipe Shear, etc.)
Manufacturing Product quality issues (e.g. dimensions, material properties, metallurgy, etc.).
Others Events excluded from previous categories.
Poor Cement Links to cementing problems (e.g. bending stress magnification, gas migration,
line loads, point loads, etc.).
Running Events linked to product running or installation issues (e.g. handling issues,
thread make-up issues, installation operational issues, etc.).
Torque & Drag and Linked to Torque, Drag or Fatigue issues (e.g. high cycle fatigue on rotating
Fatigue strings, overtorque, dynamic loading etc.).
Wear Casing wear events

It is important to mention that the industry’s fast approach to understanding and solving issues during the
development phase of the large shale plays creates a dynamic landscape of the issues observed in our
analysis. For example, cracked couplings were a rather common occurrence in unconventional plays (Burns
and Buehler 2010, Koneti and Gokhale 2015, Blanc et al. 2018). When the root cause of these problems
was identified, OCTG manufacturers and operating companies have implemented learnings in new
products, leading to fast adoption of mitigation strategies. As the limits of the wells drilled in shale plays
are tested (longer laterals, higher number of stimulation stages), we encounter new challenges with
increased complexity (e.g. dynamic connection loading while installing casing, issues generated by cement
voids). The root cause of such issues is sometimes hard to identify, so that these categories may be
underrepresented in available data.

In an overall view, around 60% of the events occur in connections, and 40% in the pipe body (Figure 12).
Some of the above categories lead to more frequent challenges for the connections (e.g. Torque & Drag and
Fatigue, Running, and Cracking). Other types are characteristic to the pipe body, like Poor Cement, or
Formation Movement.

On categories side, see Figure 12, nearly 31% of the cases tracked can be associated to environmental
cracking. This classification includes not only H2S related cracking but also the ones triggered by low pH
environments generated after acid injection treatments. Data also shows that, overall, 74% of these failures
occur in connections and the rest in the pipe body. This higher frequency may be associated to high stresses
many times present at connections. Also, according to the cracking cases in which the connection type was
reported, approximately 88% of the events occur in API connections. The information also shows that the
vast majority of cracking events occur in materials with high mechanical resistance and improper
metallurgical practices.

The second source of failures is manufacturing. It was detected that around 19% of the events relate to
products out of specification as incorrect mechanical properties, dimensions, microstructure or even
inappropriate welding process. This group may be associated to products manufactured by suppliers lacking
a robust manufacturing process with QA/QC procedures in place.

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The third category, with 14% of the occurrence, is running-related problems. Most of these are linked to
improper connection make-up, causing events like connections disengaging or cross-threading, see Figure
14. According to the compiled data, these events are almost exclusive to API connections.

In the fourth place, with around 10%, we find Ductile Overload. This category is generally related to

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unexpected loads or improper design. Most of the ductile overload reviewed happened in axial tension
scenarios.

Almost 8% of the reported events fall in the Torque & Drag and Fatigue category. Most of the cases
described here relate to high cycle fatigue on connections at rotating strings, over-torque problematics, or
dynamic downhole effects.

With a lower incidence, we find categories like Corrosion, Poor Cement and Wear. Corrosion typically
develops with time and therefore is more frequent in the production stage. Sweet corrosion problems have
been detected in plays like Eagle Ford, Haynesville, or Permian, where recorded CO2 levels can be as high
as 3–5 mol %. Cementing related issues may be responsible for liquid or gas migration in the annulus, ID
restrictions or even parted strings. Wear related events are associated to pipe wall thickness reduction
generated by friction between the casing and the drill string or by the interaction of sucker rods with the
production string. In these cases, wall thickness reduction may lead to ductile failures or connections
leaking.

Database information also allows the separation of events per well lifecycle phase (i.e. Installation,
Stimulation, and Production). Results shows that 27% of the events happen in the installation stage, over
54% during Stimulation and approximately 19% during production, see Figure 13. The higher events
number in the Stimulation phase can be related to the more demanding loads, induced during hydraulic
fracturing, acidification, etc.

While analyzing the Installation phase, we find that Running has the largest incidence (51%), followed by
Torque & Drag and Fatigue with 33%, see Figure 14. Here, events appear mostly at connections, 86%,
rather than in the pipe body. Most of the failures related with connections running were linked to Cross
Thread and Galling. In addition, according to the compiled data, most connection running reported failures
were reported on API connections.

During the Stimulation stage, three categories play an important role: Cracking (49%), Manufacturing
(21%), and Ductile overload (19%), see Figure 15. Poor cementing practices and formation effects leading
to well accessibility issues have also been observed more frequently. During this stage, events seem to be
better distributed between connection and pipe body. As mentioned before, Cracking occurs mostly at
connections.

For the Production phase, top categories are Corrosion, 30%, Cracking, 22%, and Manufacturing, 22%.
Events here appear to occur mostly in the pipe body, 89%, rather than at connections. Wear related events
in this phase are related to rods interaction with the production string, see Figure 16.

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Mitigation Strategies

Some of the issues discussed above can be addressed in the design phase, others would come to attention
during operations, while the rest would be hard to manage through currently available solutions (e.g.
mitigating formation-induced deformation).

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Corrosion. To mitigate corrosion failure, materials, coatings, and inhibitors should be carefully selected for
the life of the well. As corrosion problems may be aggravated by other mechanisms (e.g. wear), an
integrated approach should be taken to tackle this challenge.

Cracking. The use of restricted yield steel grades or steel grades with an improved chemistry for mild-sour
environments and premium connections, which typically exhibit lower stress levels than API ones, is
recommended (Blanc et al 2018). Restricted Yield Strength grades are recommended for scenarios in which
H2S levels during production may represent a concern, typically ISO 15156 Region 2 or beyond, see Figure
10.

Ductile Overload. A fit-for-purpose string design including material and connection selection for the
expected loads during the well’s life and operating the well within the design limits can mitigate a vast
array of potential issues. Selecting the proper diameter, wall thickness, steel grade and steel chemistry, as
well as connection, while incorporating worst-case scenarios (e.g. screen-out during hydraulic stimulation)
reduces the risk of unexpected overload. The use of connections with higher ratings may be a solution when
dealing with complicated scenarios, since many proprietary connections exhibit tension and compression
efficiencies of or close to 100% of the pipe body.

Formation Movement. In addition to understanding the geomechanical aspects that may lead to ‘formation
movement’ and avoiding the issue by eliminating the root cause, mitigation may be attempted through
concentric and cemented casing strings (or pipe-in-pipe) as used in ductile salt environments (Marx and El
Sayed 1985, Patillo et al. 1995, Zambetti et al. 2020). Furthermore, a more ductile cement and/or larger
diameter hole can be used to make sure that movement transmission to the casing is minimized. A
countenance strategy could be the use of smaller plugs or milling BHA to pass through potential internal
casing restrictions, or using dissolvable plugs which eliminate drill-out operations.

Manufacturing. Manufacturing issues can be mitigated through purchases from providers that implement
quality assurance and quality control protocols. OCTG should be manufactured, inspected, and tested to
increase reliability. In addition, connection fit-for-purpose testing aids in guaranteeing product performance
while mimicking expected loads during the installation, stimulation, and production phase (Blanc et al.
2019). Lower cost per foot is not necessarily the best criterion for purchase as costly failures increase total
ownership costs.

Poor Cement. As shown, cement placement influences the accessibility and integrity of the casing string
both in the stimulation and production phase. Cement placement can be improved by following industry
recommended practices both in the vertical and lateral section. These should include casing rotation and
reciprocation, as well as proper centralization (API 65-2, Belvin et al. 2020, Ichim and Teodoriu 2016, De
Andrade et al 2014).

Running. According to the data, these failure stem almost exclusively from API connections, so that
installation practices (e.g. make-up speed, running speed) should be adjusted when such connections are

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used. Field experience shows that using proprietary connections with high torque capability, easy stabbing
in characteristics, and the ability to be run fast under demanding scenarios, guarantee minimizing problems
at the rig site.

Torque & Drag and Fatigue. Insufficient wellbore cleanup is one of the main causes of casing installation

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issues. Care should be taken when deciding the circulation time when drilling ended to ensure cuttings
removal to a level that is acceptable for the upcoming casing running operation. Torque and Drag trends
while pulling out of hole with the drill string can be monitored for determining if remedial action is needed.

Trajectory control is recommended to avoid high unexpected DLS. Hole conditioning strategies such as
reamers, BHA optimization for a smoother trajectory, dedicated wiper trips, and fluid system designs may
be deployed (Casero and Rylance 2020). In cases where the DLS is too high, sidetracking may be used.

Proper modelling of Torque, Drag, and Fatigue prior to casing installation is crucial in estimating the loads
and limits during the operation (e.g. when string advancement on elevators only is impossible, what is the
torque across the string when rotating, etc.). If lowering the string in the wellbore on elevators is not possible
anymore, excessive slack-off that may lead to additional buckling and high compressive loads must be
avoided. Optimal rotation initiation point can be selected based on an array of operational parameters and
wellbore-dependent factors to increase the likelihood of safely reaching well total depth. Monitoring torque
and drag trends while installing casing in horizontal wells is critical and post-job analysis is recommended
to assess the model capabilities.

Connections with high torque and good fatigue performance are an important element to support casing
running in long laterals and to avoid overtorque or fatigue failures. Furthermore, using a connection with a
high operating torque and/or a full engaging thread profile will increase the resilience to downhole dynamic
effects.

Wear. During drilling, stimulation and production, wear should be minimized to ensure that the casing
string performs as designed in terms of internal and external pressure capacity and tension efficiency, which
will be reduced by removing material from the tubular.

Conclusions

During the last decade, unconventional developments have exhibited a dynamic growth, generating new
challenges and a necessity for new OCTG products. This paper aids in understanding the actual dimension
of these challenges, how to effectively select products to tackle them, and what other mitigation strategies
one may use to maximize profits while minimizing associated risks.

The compiled database of problems seen in the field allows separating information per well life stages (i.e.
Installation, Stimulation and Production). Results show that 27% of the reported issues happen in the
Installation stage, over 54% during Stimulation and approximately 19% during Production. The larger
number of events observed in the Stimulation category can be related to the demanding scenarios like stages
fracture, acidification, etc.

Failure database analysis also shows that 51% of the events during Installation are related to issues during
connection make-up. During Installation, 33% of the problems are related to Torque & Drag and Fatigue.
The analyzed information shows that connections with high Torque and Fatigue performance are an

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important element. Connections with high fatigue resistance and ratings gives operators a broader range of
alternatives to achieve targets.

Data also shows that, overall, around 31% of the cases tracked can be associated to Environmental
Cracking. This classification includes not only H2S related cracking but also the one triggered by low pH

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environments generated after acid injection treatments. According to the Cracking cases in which the
connection type was reported, more than 88% of the events occur in API products. The information also
shows that the vast majority of Cracking events, occur on P110 steel grade (high and non-restricted yield
strength). Due to this type of problem, many operators adopted the use of restricted Yield grades, enhanced
chemistry, and proprietary connections with low hoop stresses.

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Figure 12. Overall failure occurrence percentage per category.

Figure 13. Failure occurrence percentage per well stage.

Figure 11. Overall failure location.
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Annex
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Figure 15. Stimulation stage statistics.
Figure 14. Installation stage statistics.
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Figure 16. Production Stage statistics.
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