Tubing Stress Analysis

Tubing Force and Length

Changes Calculations
Tubing length and force changes…
• After the packer is installed and the tubing landed, any operational mode
change will cause a change in length or force in the tubing string.
(Operational mode which results in change in pressure and temperature
etc.)
• The resultant impact on the packer and tubing string is dependent on:
How the tubing is connected to the packer
The type of packer
Tubing compression or tension left on the packer.
• Failure to consider length and force changes may result in costly failures of
such operations as:
Squeeze cementing
Acidizing
Fracturing
Other remedial operations.
Factors affecting Length and Force Changes
There are four factors that tend to cause a change in the length or force in
the tubing string.
• Temperature effect: Tubing expand or contract due to the change in the
average temperature of the string.
• Piston effect: It is caused by a change in the pressure in the tubing or
annulus above the packer acting on a specific affected area of the tubing
• Ballooning effect: It is caused by a change in average pressure inside or
outside the tubing string
• Buckling effect: It occurs when internal tubing pressure is higher than the
annulus pressure
Length Change vs Force Change…?
Sl.No. Factor Length Change Force Change
1 Piston Effect Lengthen/Shorten Depends upon Pressure changes
2 Temperature Effect Lengthen/Shorten Depends upon tubing and Packer
3 Ballooning Effect Lengthen/Shorten arrangement

4 Buckling Effect shorten Negligible

• As long as the tubing is allowed to move in the packer bore, the temperature and
ballooning effects will only have an impact on tubing-length changes
• Only, if the movement is prevented (or restrained) at the packer, these two
factors would then create a force.
• If the movement is prevented none of these effect can cause length change,
instead the net result will be that there will added compression or tension on the
tubing ( Depending upon the force change direction)
 Piston Effect
• Piston force is a load caused directly
by changes in pressure acting on the
exposed cross sectional area of pipe.
• The length change or force induced
by the piston effect is caused by
pressure changes inside the annulus
and tubing at the packer, acting on
different areas of tubing.
• The new force can be calculated
considering the different areas where
different pressure are acting and
multiplying it the pressure.
• Hooke’s Law can be used to calculate
the length change due to resultant
deformation(Elastic Deformation)
 Piston Effect
• Total force change

Hooke’s Law ∆L =(F*L)/(E*As)

• Total length change

For the analysis, Lubinski’s sign conventions are used.

Compression force = ⇑(+) Ap = area of the packer bore; Ai = area of the tubing ID;
Ao = area of the tubing OD;
Tensile force = ⇓ (-)
Δpi = change in tubing pressure at the packer;
Shorten in Length = (-)
Δpo = change in annulus pressure at the packer;
Elongate in length = (+) E = modulus of elasticity (30,000,000 for steel);
Example
Packer is set at 10,000 ft.
Tubing and packer are free to move.
The well is vertical.
4.5” Tubing
ID of tubing = 3.862”
Packer seal bore outside diameter = 5.0”
Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft
E = modulus of elasticity (30,000,000 for steel)

Initial Condition Final Condition

Fluid in annulus = 10.0 ppg Fluid in annulus = 10.0 ppg
Fluid in tubing = 10.0 ppg Fluid in tubing = 8.0 ppg
Tubing pressure = 0 psi Tubing pressure = 1,500 psi
Annulus pressure = 0 psi Annulus pressure = 0 psi
Calculate Areas
• Ai= (π÷4) × 3.8622 = 11.497 in2
• Ao= (π÷4) × 4.52 = 15.904 in2
• Ap= (π÷4) × 5.02 = 19.635 in2
• As = Ao – Ai = 15.904 – 11.497 = 4.407 in2

Determine Pressure at Packer at Initial Condition

Po @ surface = 0 psi
Pi @ surface = 0 psi
Po @ packer = Po @ surface + Hydrostatic P in annulus = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi
Pi @ packer = Pi @ surface + Hydrostatic P in tubing = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi

Determine Pressure at Packer at Final Condition

Po @ surface = 0 psi
Pi @ surface = 1500 psi
Po @ packer = Po @ surface + Hydrostatic P in annulus = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi
Pi @ packer = Pi @ surface + Hydrostatic P in tubing =1,500 + (0.052×8×10,000) = 5,660 psi
 Determine Pressure Change (ΔP)
ΔPo = Change in annulus pressure @ packer
ΔPo = 5,200 – 5,200 = 0 psi
ΔPi = Change in tubing pressure @ packer
ΔPi = 5,660 – 5,200 = 460 psi
Determine Force Change (ΔF) Determine Length Change (ΔLpiston)

ΔF = 3,744 lb (compression force (+)) ΔLpiston = – 3.4 inch (shorten)

Buoyancy Force on Tubular
Boyant Force, FB = PH x (Ao-Ai)
PH = 0.052 x MWx TVD
Where;
FB = Buoyancy force in lb
PH = Hydrostatic pressure in psi
Ao = Cross sectional area of outer diameter in in2
Ai = Cross sectional area of inner diameter in in2
MW = weight of fluid (mud weight) in pound per gallon
(ppg)
TVD = True vertical depth of the well in ft
Weight of Tubing in Air Weight of tubing in fluid
Piston Force on Open-Ended Tubular Vs Close
Ended Tubular
Piston Force……??

• Piston force is a load caused directly by changes in pressure acting on

the exposed cross sectional area of pipe.
Open-Ended Tubular
• At the bottom of tubing buoyancy/
piston force will act in upwards
direction

Tubing Detail
4.5” Tubing
ID of tubing = 3.696”
Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft
Total Length = 10,000 ft
Fluid density = 10 ppg
Tubing is free to move in the packer
Applied surface pressure = 5,000 psi
Pressure at the bottom
• Pressure at the bottom (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure+ Applied Surface Pressure at the
bottom (psi) = (0.052×10×10,000) + 5,000 = 10,200 psi
Force at the bottom
• Force at the bottom (lb) = Pressure at the bottom (psi) × cross sectional area of pipe (in2)

• Force at the bottom (lb) = 10,200 psi × (15.9 – 10.73) = 52,273 lb (compression ⇑(+))
(Piston Force)
Close Ended Tubular
• For example, in operation where a
temporary plug is installed inside tubing
• The total forces acting on the different
cross-section will be different and will
try to either push the tubing up or
down.
• Piston Force will be the sum of these
forces
Tubing Detail
• 4.5” Tubing
• ID of tubing = 3.696”
• Packer seal bore OD = 5.25”
• Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft
• Total Length = 10,000 ft
• Plugged tubing depth = 10,000 ft
• Fluid density = 10 ppg
• Tubing is free to move in the packer
• Applied surface pressure = 5,000 psi
Pressure at the bottom of plug
• Since there is a plug which will stop surface pressure going down to the
bottom of tubing, the force acting up (compression force) is only
hydrostatic pressure acting against the cross sectional area.
• Pressure at the bottom (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure (psi)
= 0.052×10×10,000 = 5,200 psi
Force at the bottom of plug
• Force at the bottom (lb) = Pressure at the bottom (psi) × cross sectional
area of pipe (in2)

• Force at the bottom (lb) = 5,200 psi × 15.9 = 82,680 lb (compression ⇑(+))
(Total area of tubing is used for this calculation because the pressure pushes
upwards against plug and cross section area of pipe.)
Pressure at top of plug
• Pressure at top of plug (psi) = Hydrostatic Pressure + Applied Surface Pressure
= (0.052×10×10,000) + 5,000 = 10,200 psi
Force at the top of plug
• Force at the top of plug (lb) = Pressure at the top of plug (psi) × internal cross sectional of
pipe (in2)

• Force at the top of plug (lb) = 10,200 × 10.73 = 109,446 lb (tensile force ⇓ (-))
Total Force acting at the bottom
• Total Force acting at the bottom = Force acting on top of plug + Force acting at the
bottom of plug
• Total Force acting at the bottom (lb) = (-109,446 lb) + (82,680 lb) = -26,776 lb (tensile
force ⇓ (-))
(It is a tensile force due to applied surface pressure on the plugged string.)
(It will cause lengthening of the tubing string if the string is free to move)
(The total force can be compressive if the fluid inside the plugged tubing is replace with a
lighter fluid in certain operation)
 Ballooning Effect
• The ballooning effect is caused by the
change in average pressure inside or
outside the tubing string.
• Internal pressure swells or "balloons"
the tubing and causes it to shorten.
• Likewise, pressure in the annulus
squeezes the tubing, causing it to
elongate.
Length Change due to Ballooning Formula (If tubing is free to move)

µ is passion ratio

Force due to ballooning if the tubing can not be freely moved.

Compression force = ⇑(+)

Tensile force = ⇓(-)
Shorten in Length = (-)
Elongate in length = (+)
Example
Packer is set at 10,000 ft.
Tubing and packer are free to move
The well is vertical.
4.5” Tubing
ID of tubing = 3.862”
Packer seal bore outside diameter = 5.0”
Weight per length = 17.7 lb/ft.
E (Young’s modulus) = 30 × 106
µ (Poisson’s ratio) = 0.3

Initial Condition Final Condition

Fluid in annulus = 10.0 ppg Fluid in annulus = 10.0 ppg
Fluid in tubing = 10.0 ppg Fluid in tubing = 8.0 ppg
Tubing pressure = 0 psi Tubing pressure = 1,500 psi
Annulus pressure = 0 psi Annulus pressure = 0 psi
Calculate Cross Sectional Areas
Ai= (π÷4) × 3.8622 = 11.497 in2
Ao= (π÷4) × 4.52 = 15.904 in2

Determine Average Pressure at Initial Condition

Po @ surface = 0 psi
Pi @ surface = 0 psi
Po @ packer = Po @ surface + Hydrostatic P in annulus = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi
Pi @ packer = Pi @ surface + Hydrostatic P in tubing = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi
Po average @ initial condition = (0 + 5,200) ÷ 2 = 2,600 psi
Pi average@ initial condition = (0 + 5,200) ÷ 2 = 2,600 psi
Determine Average Pressure at Final Condition
Po @ surface = 0 psi
Pi @ surface = 1500 psi
Po @ packer = Po @ surface + Hydrostatic P in annulus = 0 + (0.052×10×10,000) = 5,200 psi
Pi @ packer = Pi @ surface + Hydrostatic P in tubing =1,500 + (0.052×8×10,000) = 5,660 psi
Po average @ final condition = (0 + 5,200) ÷ 2 = 2,600 psi
Pi average @ final condition = (1,500 + 5,660) ÷ 2 = 3,580 psi
Determine Pressure Change (ΔP)
ΔPo = Change in average annulus pressure
ΔPo = 2,600 – 2,600 = 0 psi
ΔPi = Change in average tubing pressure
ΔPi = 3,580 – 2,600 = 980 psi
Length = 10,000 ft. = 120,000 inch

ΔLballooning = – 6.14 inches (shorten)

Length change due to ballooning effect is 6.14 inches shorter.
Temperature Effect
• Thermal expansion or contraction
causes the major length change in the
tubing.
• Heated metal expands, and cooled
metal contracts. In a long string of
tubing with a temperature change
over its entire length, this contraction
or elongation can be considerable.
• The three operational modes that
influence temperature effect are
producing, injecting (water, gas, or
steam), and treating.
If tubing is anchored
• The force generated by temperature change is calculated by the following
equation.

• FTEMP = Force generated by change in temperature (inch)

• CT = Thermal expansion coefficient (1/F)
• E = Young’s Modulus of material (psi)
• ΔT = Average temperature change from the initial condition to the final condition
• As = Cross sectional area of tubular (inch2)
• Average Temperature = (Surface Temperature + Bottom Hole Temperature) ÷2 (F)
If tubing is free to move
• the force generated by temperature change is calculated by the following equation.

• Where;
• ΔLTEMP = Length change due to thermal effect (inch)
• CT = Thermal expansion coefficient (1/F)
• L = Length of tubing (inch)
• ΔT = Average temperature change from the initial condition to the final condition (F)
• Average Temperature = (Surface Temperature + Bottom Hole Temperature) ÷2 (F)
Example –.
Packer setting depth is 10,000 ft.
CT = 6.9×10-6 (1/F)
Tubing is free to move.
At the initial condition
Surface temperature (F) = 60F
Bottom hole temperature (F) = 150 F
At the final condition
Surface temperature (F) = 90F
Bottom hole temperature (F) = 150 F
Solution
Length of tubing (inch) 12 × 10,000 = 120,000 inch
Average Temperature at Initial Condition = (60 + 150) ÷2 = 105 F
Average Temperature at Final Condition = (90 + 150) ÷2 = 120 F
ΔT = 120 – 105 = 15 F
 Buckling Effects
• Tubing strings tend to buckle only
when the internal tubing pressure (pi)
is greater than the annulus pressure
(po).
• The result is always a shortening of where ΔL2 = length change because of the buckling
effect;
the tubing string, but the actual force
r = radial clearance between tubing OD and casing ID,
exerted is negligible.
I = moment of inertia of tubing about its diameter
• The decrease in length occurs because [I = π/64 (D4 – d4,
of the tubing string being in a spiral where D is the tubing OD and d is the tubing ID*];
shape rather than straight. Ws = weight of tubing per inch;
Wi = weight of fluid in tubing per inch; and
Wo = weight of fluid displace by tubing per inch.