Text 3 Casing

water bearing - водоносный (пласт, порода, горизонт), содержащий воду

hydrocarbon bearing- содержащий углеводороды

“onductor” casing - направляющая обсадная колонна

commencement n - начало, ввод в разработку, дата забуривания новой скважины

pile driver - свайный молот, сваебойный молот

“surface” casing - кондукторная обсадная колонна, кондуктор (первая обсадная колонна), первая технологическая колонна

aquifer n - водоносная зона

incursion n - просачивание, вторжение

brine n - соляной раствор из скважины, рассол

“intermediate” string - промежуточная колонна труб

facilitate v - облегчать; способствовать; облегчить

logging tool - скважинный зонд (для каротажа), каротажный прибор, каротажное устройство

“production” string - эксплуатационная колонна, насосно-компрессорная колонна

downhole a - внутрискважинный, подземный, погружной, забойный

tubing string - колонна напорно-компрессорных труб

perforation n - перфорационное отверстие, перфорационный канал (в пласте), перфорированный интервал (в скважине)

packer n - пакер (устройство для разобщения отдельных зон в скважинах), гидравлическая манжета

reservoir fluid - пластовый флюид

plug n - штекер, пробка-вертлюг, цементировочная пробка

producing zone - продуктивная зона, продуктивный интервал (в скважине)

leak v – просачиваться, протекать

sediment n – осадок, нанос, отложение

As the hole is drilled, casing is placed in the well to stabilize the hole and prevent caving. The casing also isolates water bearing and hydrocarbon bearing zones. As shown in Figure 10, three or four separate casing “strings” (lengths of tubing of a given diameter) may be used in intermediate-depth wells. In locations where surface soils may cave in during drilling, a “conductor” casing may be placed at the surface, extending only twenty to one hundred feet from the surface. This string is

Figure 6. Cross Section of a Cased Well

often placed prior to the commencement of drilling with a pile driver.

The next string, or “surface” casing, begins at the surface and may penetrate two thousand to three thousand feet. Its primary purpose is to protect the surrounding fresh-water aquifer(s) from the incursion of oil or brine from greater depths. The “intermediate” string begins at the surface and ends within a couple thousand feet of the bottom of the wellbore. This section prevents the hole from caving in and facilitates the movement of equipment used in the hole, e.g., drill strings and logging tools. The final “production” string extends the full length of the wellbore and encases the downhole production equipment. Shallow wells may have only two casing strings, and deeper wells may have multiple intermediate casings. After each casing string has been installed, cement is forced out through the bottom of the casing up the annulus to hold it in place and surface casing is cemented to the surface.

Casing is cemented to prevent migration of fluids behind the casing and to prevent communication of higher pressure productive formations with lower pressure non-productive formations. Additional features and equipment will be installed during the completion process for production: perforations will allow reservoir fluid to enter the wellbore; tubing strings will carry the fluid to the surface; and packers (removable plugs) may be installed to isolate producing zones.

Casing is important for both the drilling and production phases of operation, and must therefore be designed properly. It prevents natural gas, oil, and associated brine from leaking out into the surrounding fresh-water aquifer(s), limits sediment from entering the wellbore, and facilitates the movement of equipment up and down the hole. Several considerations are involved in planning the casing. First, the bottom of the wellbore must be large enough to accommodate any pumping equipment that will be needed either upon commencement of pumping, or in the later years of production. Also, unusually pressurized zones will require thicker casing in that immediate area.

Any casing strings that must fit within this string must then be smaller, but must still accommodate the downhole equipment. Finally, the driller is encouraged to keep the hole size to a minimum; as size increases, so does cost and waste.