Introduction to OCTG

String Design and Material Selection

Handout 10
Introduction to OCTG
String Design and Material Selection
Handout 10

String design implies selecting the best combination of pipes and connections to
satisfy the well requirements during its entire life cycle.

The string design involves 3 steps:

• The Mechanical design

• The Material selection
• The Connection selection

Mechanical design: this design is used to identify the appropriate yield strength
and thicknesses of the pipes for each particular OD. This analysis considers stresses
in three combined axis: axial, transversal and circumferential known as von Mises.
Input information is required to feed software. This data includes some general
information about the customer and location; and specific information related to
the characteristics and type of well including composition of the produced fluids,
pressure, temperature as well as other parameters if they are available.
Additionally, the purpose and depths of each string to be designed must be
specified.

Once the information has been entered into the system, the designer must define
different load cases which represent events that the designed strings would
eventually face during their lives inside the well. For this operation, the well
conditions must be analyzed in detail to determine the proper load cases that best
describe such situations.

The output of this process is a graph with the service envelope of the selected
pipes and the stresses produced by the different loads considered in the design.
The design factors must be either higher than the ones considered as standard by
the Oil & Gas industry, or higher than the design criteria established by the
operators.

Material selection: we need to understand the behavior of pipes in corrosive

environments where CO2 and H2S could be present in the produced fluids under
the effect of pressure, temperature and pH, among others.

The MR0175/ISO15156 standard from NACE (National Association of Corrosion

Engineers) describes the general principles and gives the requirements and
recommendations for the selection and qualification of metallic materials for
service in equipment used in oil and gas production. It is divided into three parts:

• Part 1, refers to all the cracking mechanisms that can be caused by H2S.
• Part 2, refers to carbon and low alloy steels.
• Part 3, refers to corrosion resistant alloyed steels.

1
Introduction to OCTG
String Design and Material Selection
Handout 10

Depending on the severity of the environment, 4 regions are established. The

aggressiveness increases when the pH is lower and the partial pressure of the H2S
is higher.

In general terms it could be said that when CO2 and H2S are present and the
partial pressure of CO2 and H2S increases, the material suitable for such
conditions moves from the standard API grades to high corrosion resistant alloys
with a high content of Niquel and Chromium.

Connection selection: as we saw previously, the vast portfolio of available

connections can be classified into 3 main groups: API , Premium, and Connectors.
The selection of the best connections is based on their geometry and
performance. This includes the thread profile, metal seal, dimensions, fluids to be
produced, pressure to be sealed and the type of application, among others.

“Tenaris has produced this document for general information only, and the information in this document is not intended to constitute
professional or any other type of advice or recommendation and is provided on an “as is” basis. No warranty is given. The use of the
information is at user’s own risk and Tenaris does not assume any responsibility or liability of any kind for any loss, damage or injury
resulting from, or in connection with any information provided hereunder or any use thereof. The information in this document is
subject to change or modification without notice. Tenaris’s products and services are subject to Tenaris’s standard terms and
conditions or otherwise to the terms resulting from the respective contracts of sale or services, as the case may be. Unless specifically
agreed under such contract of sale or services, if Tenaris is required to provide any warranty or assume any liability in connection with
the information provided hereunder, any such warranty or liability shall be subject to the execution of a separate written agreement
between petitioner and Tenaris. This document as well as the information contained herein are confidential and are owned by or
licensed to Tenaris and/or its affiliated companies, and may not be copied, recopied, reproduced, translated, disclosed, adapted,
changed or distributed nor used for any purpose whatsoever without the prior and written permission of Tenaris. For more complete
information please contact a Tenaris's representative or visit our website at www.tenaris.com. ©Tenaris 2015. All rights reserved”.
2