Granted Patent B2

US 12,723,502 · App. 17/970,862 · Granted Sep 1, 2026

Inventors: Zhengchun Michael Liu (Sugar Land, TX); Robello Samuel (Cypress, TX); Adolfo Gonzales (Houston, TX); Yongfeng Kang (Katy, TX)

Assignee: LANDMARK GRAPHICS CORPORATION

E21B47/007E21B41/00E21B43/26E21B47/00E21B47/06

Abstract

Claims (69)

1 . A system comprising:

a processing device; and

a non-transitory computer-readable memory device that includes instructions executable by the processing device for causing the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data relating to a tubular in a well system that includes a wellbore, the data comprising characteristics of the tubular and characteristics of an environment of the well system;

executing a first module to determine a first set of outputs based on the data, the first set of outputs comprising pressure conditions and temperature conditions relating to the tubular;

executing a second module to determine a second set of outputs based on the first set of outputs, the second set of outputs comprising a crack-initiation fracture pressure of the tubular;

determining fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system being proportional to a combination of a fracture toughness of the tubular in air, the first set of outputs, a concentration of a solution of hydrogen sulfide in the environment, and a pH of the solution of the hydrogen sulfide in the environment;

executing, based on the first set of outputs and the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, a third module to determine a third set of outputs, the third set of outputs comprising a crack-propagation fracture pressure of the tubular;

identifying a brittle-burst strength of the tubular by comparing the second set of outputs and the third set of outputs to a burst strength of the tubular, the brittle-burst strength being the lowest value of values for the crack-initiation fracture pressure, the crack-propagation fracture pressure, and the burst strength; and

adjusting, using the brittle-burst strength of the tubular, one or more parameters of the tubular to optimize a wellbore operation associated with the well system, wherein the adjusting comprises outputting a command configured to cause the tubular to be repositioned with respect to the wellbore.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular is a downhole tubular positionable downhole in the wellbore, and wherein the operation of outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating an adjusted design of the downhole tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the downhole tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the tubular is a surface tubular positionable at a surface of the wellbore, and wherein the operation of outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating an adjusted design of the surface tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the surface of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the surface tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the operation of receiving data relating to the tubular comprises:

providing a user interface that comprises a set of input fields corresponding to the characteristics of the tubular and the characteristics of the environment of the well system; and

receiving, via user input into the user interface, the data relating to the tubular.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the set of input fields comprises:

a first input field corresponding to an imperfection depth of the tubular;

a second input field corresponding to a fracture toughness of the tubular in air; and

a third input field corresponding to a crack initiation threshold of the tubular; and

wherein the operation of executing the second module comprises inputting the crack initiation threshold of the tubular into the second module to determine the crack-initiation fracture pressure for the tubular.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the concentration is a concentration of hydrogen sulfide in the environment of the well system, wherein the pH is a pH of hydrogen sulfide in the environment of the well system, and wherein the temperature is a temperature of hydrogen sulfide in the environment of the well system.

7 . A method comprising:

receiving, by a computing device, data relating to a tubular in a well system that includes a wellbore, the data comprising characteristics of the tubular and characteristics of an environment of the well system;

executing, by the computing device, a first module to determine a first set of outputs based on the data, the first set of outputs comprising pressure conditions and temperature conditions relating to the tubular;

executing, by the computing device, a second module to determine a second set of outputs based on the first set of outputs, the second set of outputs comprising a crack-initiation fracture pressure of the tubular;

determining, by the computing device, fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system being proportional to a combination of a fracture toughness of the tubular in air, the first set of outputs, a concentration of a solution of hydrogen sulfide in the environment, and a pH of the solution of the hydrogen sulfide in the environment;

executing, by the computing device and based on the first set of outputs and the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, a third module to determine a third set of outputs, the third set of outputs comprising a crack-propagation fracture pressure of the tubular;

identifying, by the computing device, a brittle-burst strength of the tubular by comparing the second set of outputs and the third set of outputs to a burst strength of the tubular, the brittle-burst strength being the lowest value among value for the crack-initiation fracture pressure, the crack-propagation fracture pressure, and the burst strength; and

adjusting, by the computing device and using the brittle-burst strength of the tubular, one or more parameters of the tubular to optimize a wellbore operation associated with the well system, wherein the adjusting comprises outputting a command configured to cause the tubular to be repositioned with respect to the wellbore.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the tubular is a downhole tubular positioned downhole in the wellbore, and wherein outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating, by the computing device, an adjusted design of the downhole tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, by the computing device and via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the downhole tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the tubular is a surface tubular positioned at a surface of the wellbore, and wherein outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating, by the computing device, an adjusted design of the surface tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the surface of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, by the computing device and via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the surface tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

10 . The method of claim 7 , wherein receiving data relating to the tubular comprises:

providing, by the computing device, a user interface that comprises a set of input fields corresponding to the characteristics of the tubular and the characteristics of the environment of the well system; and

receiving, by the computing device and via user input into the user interface, the data relating to the tubular.

11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the set of input fields comprises:

a first input field corresponding to an imperfection depth of the tubular;

a second input field corresponding to a fracture toughness of the tubular in air; and

a third input field corresponding to a crack initiation threshold of the tubular; and

wherein executing the second module comprises inputting, by the computing device, the crack initiation threshold of the tubular into the second module to determine the crack-initiation fracture pressure for the tubular.

12 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are executable by a processing device for causing the processing device to perform operations comprising:

receiving data relating to a tubular in a well system that includes a wellbore, the data comprising characteristics of the tubular and characteristics of an environment of the well system;

executing a first module to determine a first set of outputs based on the data, the first set of outputs comprising pressure conditions and temperature conditions relating to the tubular;

executing a second module to determine a second set of outputs based on the first set of outputs, the second set of outputs comprising a crack-initiation fracture pressure of the tubular;

determining fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system being proportional to a combination of a fracture toughness of the tubular in air, the first set of outputs, a concentration of a solution of hydrogen sulfide in the environment, and a pH of the solution of the hydrogen sulfide in the environment;

executing, based on the first set of outputs and the fracture toughness of the tubular in the environment of the well system, a third module to determine a third set of outputs on the first set of outputs, the third set of outputs comprising a crack-propagation fracture pressure of the tubular;

identifying a brittle-burst strength of the tubular by comparing the second set of outputs and the third set of outputs to a burst strength of the tubular, the brittle-burst strength being the lowest value of values for the crack-initiation fracture pressure, the crack-propagation fracture pressure, and the burst strength; and

adjusting, using the brittle-burst strength of the tubular, one or more parameters of the tubular to optimize a wellbore operation associated with the well system, wherein the adjusting comprises outputting a command configured to cause the tubular to be repositioned with respect to the wellbore.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the tubular is a downhole tubular positionable downhole in the wellbore, and wherein the operation of outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating an adjusted design of the downhole tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the downhole tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

14 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the tubular is a surface tubular positionable at a surface of the wellbore, and wherein the operation of outputting the brittle-burst strength of the tubular includes:

generating an adjusted design of the surface tubular based on the characteristics of the tubular, a subset of the characteristics of the environment of the well system that corresponds to an environment of the surface of the wellbore, and the brittle-burst strength of the tubular; and

outputting, via a user interface, a recommendation for the adjusted design of the surface tubular to optimize the wellbore operation.

15 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12 , wherein the operation of receiving data relating to the tubular comprises:

providing a user interface that comprises a set of input fields corresponding to the characteristics of the tubular and the characteristics of the environment of the well system; and

receiving, via user input into the user interface, the data relating to the tubular.

16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the set of input fields comprises:

a first input field corresponding to an imperfection depth of the tubular;

a second input field corresponding to a fracture toughness of the tubular in air; and

a third input field corresponding to a crack initiation threshold of the tubular; and

wherein the operation of executing the second module comprises inputting the crack initiation threshold of the tubular into the second module to determine the crack-initiation fracture pressure for the tubular.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (23)