Possible Impacts of Wellhead

fatigue
SPE Member Meeting Stavanger 6th February 2013

Objective

What is WH fatigue?
Is WH fatigue real ?
Why is WH fatigue important?
Problem or Challenge ?

What is a subsea wellhead?

WH system
Wellhead
Lock ring
Conductor Housing
Landing shoulder
Weld 30

Weld 20

NCS frontrunner on subsea

Statoil operates ~ 500
subsea wells on 30
different subseacompleted fields
Statoil has set very high
ambitions for IOR and
maintenance cost
levels for these fields

Statoil operated licences

Partner operated licences
Other licences

600

0
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

NCS Subsea Wells Operated by Statoil

700

Statoil wellbores wet trees (cumulative)

500

400

300

200

100

Regional issues important

North sea
1-year storm: Hs = 11.7 m
100-year storm: Hs = 16 m
West Africa
1-year storm: Hs = 3.2 m
100-year storm: Hs = 4.5 m
Australia (NW shelf)
1-year storm: Hs = 3.7 m
100-year storm: Hs = 5.1 m

High probability

Low
probability

What about risers loads?

Waves

Heave
+

Stress
0

Reins, L., T. Hrte, et al. (2011). Wellhead Fatigue Analysis Method. OMAE2011 30th International Conference on
Ocean, Offshore and Arctic Engineering Rotterdam, The Netherlands, ASME 2011.

10

Riser fatigue
tensioner joint

splash zone joints

standard joints

taper joint

11

Worlds Population of
Operational Subsea wells
4500
4000
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
500
0

1979

1982

1985

1988

1991

Courtesy Infield Systems Ltd, London:

Well Intervention Market Report to 2017

1994

1997

2000

2003

2006

2009

2012

Regional issues important

Statoil NCS
Approx. 500 subsea wells

4049 subsea wells

90% template wells

17 % template wells

10% satellite wells

83 % satellite wells

* Infield systems as of november 2011

Globally

Well Integrity definition

an application of technical, operational and

organizational solution to reduce risk of
uncontrolled release of formation fluids
throughout the life cycle of the well *

*NORSOK D010 Well integrity in drilling and well operations

14

Life cycle of a well

Ideally
This
what
we we
want
getthis

15

WH main function
Barrier
BOP Interface
Structural
External forces
Internal forces
Support for inner casings

16

Definition of fatigue

- the process of progressive localized permanent

structural change occurring in a material subjected to
conditions that produce fluctuating stresses and strains at
some point or points and that may culminate in cracks or
complete fracture after a sufficient number of
fluctuations. *

*American Society for Testing and Materials

17

18

Deadly fatigue failures

19

Classification: Internal

2012-09-18

20

Classification: Internal

2012-09-18

Ensuring quality
This is a
manufacturer
approved weld
between WH and
extension joint

21

Ensuring quality
This is a
manufacturer
approved weld
between WH and
extension joint

22

SN example

Log S

-10%

+52%

S1
S2
1
4
Log N
N1

23

N2

BOP lands on WH

24

Moving WH

25

Measurement of LMRP horizontal motions chaos

0,08

0,06

0,04

Axis Title

0,02

Series1

-0,06

-0,04

-0,02

0,02

0,04

0,06

0,08

Linear (Series1)

-0,02

-0,04

-0,06

-0,08

26

Classification: Internal

2013-01-31

Measurements from January

27th, 2013
Axis Title

FE model undergoing bending

Weld

27

Subsea wellheads

Mudline (Seabottom)

29

Why subsea wellheads have fatigue damage

30

Why subsea wellheads have fatigue

damage

31

Reported failures
1981( Hopper)
1991 (King)
2005 (UTC 2006)

33

34

Finite Element
Analysis

Global Riser
Analysis

Modify load time

series with STF
Time series of riser
loads on WH

Stress

Stress Transfer
Function for a Hot
Spot in WH

Riser load
on well

Time

Stress
Stress
Concentration
Factors

Time
Riser load
on well

SN curve
Stress ranges

Fatigue

N cycles
Rest Days
35

Is Wellhead fatigue a challenge

or a problem?
Wellhead fatigue is a
good old problem!
Solving the problem is a

challenge..

36

Classification: Internal

2012-09-18

Timeline

37

Status

Industry is joining forces (JIP)

Work ongoing on unified methodology on WH fatigue estimation
Fatigue fracture in WH has not been verified by Statoil
Meanwhile applying compensating actions (fre var principle)
Company specific requirements related to materials and design

38

Compensating actions
Examples on compensating actions
Load reduction
Use of RLWI to establish deep set
barrier before rig operations
Strict operational weather limitations
Move towards lighter services, cat A, B and D
Online measurements during operation
Pilot WH with strain gauges (satelite well)
Instrumenting Deepsea Bergen and Aker Spitsbergen

39

Future
Establish a common analysis methodology with the industry
Improve our ability to calculate fatigue
Calibration from measurment
Improving future well designs and operations
WH fatigue to be treated as any well risk

40

Possible Impacts of Wellhead fatigue

Lorents Reins
Leading Engineer Well Technology
Rex@statoil.com
www.statoil.com

41