TERMINOLOGY AND FORMLAE

Contents Page Contents Page

Basic Terminology ....................................... 1 Liquid Gradients ................................ 4

Constants ..................................................... 2 Gas Gradients ................................... 4
Forces ............................................... 2 Tubing String Weights .................................. 4
Area ................................................... 3 Hookload ................................................ 4
Volume .............................................. 3 Ballooning ............................................. 5
Formulae ...................................................... 3 Ballooning Force ................................... 6
Area ................................................... 3 Temperature Effect ............................... 6
Volume .............................................. 4 Total Force and Length Changes ..................... 6

The petroleum industry has accepted several abbreviations for values used in completion calculations. This appendix
section contains some of the more commonly used abbreviations and formulae.

1 Basic Terminology

L = Depth (in. or ft)

As = Cross-sectional area of the tubing wall (in2)

Ap = Area of packer seal bore (in2)
Ai = Area of tubing ID (in2)
Ao = Area of tubing OD in (in2)

ß = Coefficient of thermal expansion, in (.0000069 in/in/°F for steel) or .000082 in/ft/°F

∆Pi = Change in tubing pressure at packer (psi)

∆Po = Change in annulus pressure at packer (psi)
∆Pia = Change in average tubing pressure (psi)
∆Poa = Change in average annulus pressure (psi)
∆t = Change in average tubing temperature (°F)
∆L1 = Piston effect length change
∆L2 = Buckling effect length change
∆L3 = Ballooning effect length change
∆L4 = Temperature effect length change
∆Lam = Length change due to applied mechanical force
∆Lt = Total length change = (∆L1 + ∆L2 + ∆L3 + ∆L4 + ∆L applied)

E = Modulus of elasticity, in psi (30,000,000 for steel)

F1 = Force – piston effect (Bouyancy)

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F3 = Force – ballooning effect
F4 = Force – temperature effect
Fam = Force – applied mechanically
Fp = Packer to tubing force (F1 + F3 + F4 + Fam)
Fa = Force– applied, acting one end of tubing

I = Moment of inertia of tubing about its diameter

I = Π (D4 - d4) in.4 where D is OD and d is ID
64

n = Distance to neutral point

σa = Normal axial stress

σb = Bending stress at the outer fiber

Pi initial = Initial total tubing pressure at the packer

Po initial = Initial total annular pressure at the packer
Pi final = Final total tubing pressure at the packer
Po final = Final total annular

r = Radial clearance between tubing OD and casing ID (in.)

ID casing - OD tubing
2

R = Ratio of tubing OD to ID

So slackoff = Tubing stress due to slack-off weight

Ws = Weight of tubing per inch (lbm/in.)

Wi = Weight of fluid in tubing (lbm/in.)
Wo = Weight of displaced fluid (lbm/in.)

Fam = (Applied mechanical) Can be Fs = slack off weight or Ft = tension applied

Si = Tubing inner fiber stress

So = Tubing outer fiber stresses

TJT = Top joint tension (tubing weight in air)

TVD = True vertical depth (vertical distance perpendicular from rotary table to a
parallel line drawn from drilled depth).

2 Constants
Forces

E = 30,000,000 = modulus of elasticity for steel

β = .0000069 in./in./°F = .000082 in/ft/°F = coefficient of thermal expansion for steel
S = 207 psi = 0.0000069 x 1 x 30,000,000
0.007 = Multiplying factor x pounds per cubic foot to find psi per foot (gradient)

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0.0034 = 0.785 x # x 1 x gal x 1ft3 = #
3 3
1 gal 0.1337 ft 1728 in in3

0.052 = multiplying factor x pounds per gallon to find psi per foot (gradient)
0.554 = Density of methane (CH4)
0.650 = Density of dry natural gas
0.850 = Density of carbon dioxide (CO2 )
0.967 = Density of nitrogen
2.718 = e = Natural logarithm base

1 gal Water (pure) = 8.34 lbm/gallon

1.000 gr/litre = Density of pure water

1.000 gr/litre = Density of air

0.434 psi/ft = Gradient for pure water

10° API = 8.34 lbm/gal

( ) or (+) = Indicated positive forces (weight applied)

( ) or (-) = Indicates negative forces (tension applied)

2.2 Area

0.7854 = Multiplying factor x diameter2 to find square units in a circle

144 = Square inches per square foot

2.3 Volume

0.02381 bbl = 1 gallon

0.1337 ft3 = 1 gallon
0.1781 bbl = 1 ft3
5.6146 ft3 = 1 oilfield barrel
7.48 gal = 1 ft3
42 gal = 1 oilfield barrel
1728 = Cubic in. per cubic ft

3 Formulae
3.1 Area

Area = Length x Width

Area of a circle = 0.785 x diameter2
Annular area = Area casing ID - Area of tubing OD

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Volume

Volume (Cylinder) = 0.785 x diameter2 x depth

Annular Volume = Volume casing ID - displacement of tubing OD

Liquid Gradients

psi/ft = 61.28/(131.5 + ˚API)

Gas Gradients

(Pressure at given depth) 0.2085 x Gas Gravity x Depth

F=e
Average Temp + 460

F x surface pressure = Pressure at depth

Gas gradient = (Pressure at desired depth - surface pressure)/depth at desired location

4 Tubing String Weights

Tubing string weight = Tubing Weight x Tubing String Depth

(in air) (#) (#)/ft (ft)

Tubing string weight = Tubing Weight - Total Pressure x Tubing Cross Sectional Area
(in fluid) (#) in air (#) (psi) (in.2)

Hookload

Hookload = Tubing string weight + all positive or negative buoyancy forces + any formation pressures
(in air) acting on the tubing string.

= (Tubing weight x tubing length) - [Po(Ao - Ap) + P1(Ap - A1)]

Piston force F1 = [(Ap - Ao) x (∆Po)] - [(Ap - Ai) x (∆Pi)] (may be positive or negative)

Piston effect length change = ∆L1 = F1 x L (may be positive or negative)

E As

Buckling factor = Ap x (∆Pi - ∆Po)

Adjusted tubing weight (#/in) = Ws + Wi - Wo

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Length Change Due to Buckling ∆L2 = (r)2 (Ap)2 (∆Pi - ∆Po)2

(-8) (E) (I) (Ws + Wi - Wo)

Length from packer to neutral point:

(Ap) x [(Pi final - Po final)]

n=
(Ws + Wi - Wo)

Length change due to buckling if (n) is greater than (L):

L L
∆L2A = (∆L2) x x 2-
n n

(n) is greater than (L)

Weight of fluid in tubing (#/in): Wi = .0034 x (Tubing ID)2 x (Weight of fluid in tubing #/gal)

Weight of fluid in annulus (#/in):Wo = .0034 x (Tubing OD)2 x (Weight of fluid in annulus #/gal)

Length change due to tension: ∆Lt = (Ft) (L)

(E) (As)

Force change due to tension: Ft = (∆Lt (E) (As)

(L)

Length change due to slack-off: ∆Ls = (Fs) (L) + (r)2 (Fs)2

(E) (As) (8) (E) (I) (Ws + W1 - Wo)

Ballooning

Initial average tubing pressure: Pia initial = (Initial applied tubing pressure + Pi initial)
2

Final average tubing pressure: Pia final = (Final applied tubing pressure + Pi final)
2

Change in average tubing pressure: ∆Pia = Pia final - Pia initial

Initial average annular pressure: Pia initial = (Initial applied annular pressure + Po initial)
2

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Final average annular pressure: Pia initial - (Initial Applied Annular Pressure + Po initial)
2
Change in average annular pressure: ∆Poa = Poa final - Poa initial

Ballooning Force

F3 = (.6) x [(∆Poa + Ao) - (∆Pia + Ai)]

∆L3 = (.2) (L) x (R2 ∆Poa - ∆Pia)

107 (R2 - 1)

Temperature Effect

Average tubing temperature (°F): ta = Surface Temp (°F) + Bottom - Hole Temp (°F)
2

Bottom-hole temperature (°F): BHT = Surface Temp (°F) + 1.6 (˚F) x TVD (ft)
100 ft
1.6 The average geothermal gradient used if a gradient for the particular area is not known.

Final average tubing temperature (°F): ta final = Final Surface Temp (°F) + final BHT (°F)
2
Initial average tubing temperature (°F): ta initial = Initial Surface Temp (°F) + Initial BHT (°F)
2
Change in average tubing temperature: ∆t = ta final - ta initial

Temperature force: F4 = (207) (As) (∆T)

Change in the tubing length: ∆L4 = (L)* (β) (∆T)

*L = Length of tubing (in.)

5 Total Force and Length Changes

Length

For slack-off weight applied: ∆L total = ∆L1 + ∆L2 + ∆L3 + ∆L4 + ∆Ls

For tension applied: ∆L total = ∆L1 + ∆L2 + ∆L3 + ∆L4 + ∆Lt

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Force

For slack-off weight applied: Fp = F1 + F3 + F4 + Fs

For tension applied: Fp = F1 + F3 + F4 + Ft

Tubing string fiber stresses

Actual force buoyancy on cross sectional end area of tubing:

Fa = [(Ap - Ao) x (Po final)] - [Ap - Ai) x (Pi final)]

Top joint tension = (Tubing string weightair) + (Fa) - (Fp)

Tubing joint strength =

(Tubing joint minimum cross sectional area) x (tubing yield strength) slack-off forces on tubing outer wall

So slackoff = Fs + (OD Tubing) (r) (Fs)

As (4) (I)

Normal axial stress (psi)a = (Fp - Fa)

As
(OD tubing) (r)
Bending stress at the outer fiber: σb = x {[Ap (∆Pi - ∆Po)] + [Fp]}
((4)) (I)
Tubing inner fiber stress (psi):

(R2) (Pi final - Po final) 2

(Pi final - R2 Po final) σb 2

Si = [3] x + + (σa) ±
(R2 - 1) (R2 - 1) R

Tubing outer fiber stress (psi):

2 2
(Pi final - Po final) (Pi final - R2 Po final)
So = [3] x + + (σa) ± (σb)
(R2 - 1) (R2 - 1)

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This manual section is a confidential document which must not be copied in whole or in part or
discussed with anyone outside the Schlumberger organisation.