Numerical Simulation Investigation of Vertical Bearing Characteristics of Deep Water Expandable Surface Conductor

Abstract

Deep water areas with soft subsea soils, conventional surface conductor into the mud depth is too deep, long waiting time for resting, prone to surface conductor sinking and submerged wellhead instability. In this paper, based on the basic principles of mechanics and the understanding of the structure of the surface conductor, a mechanical model of the bearing capacity of the surface conductor is established. Three types of expandable surface conductors were designed by changing the distribution of the expansion material, in contrast to conventional surface conductors. The bearing characteristics of different structural surface conductors are also investigated by changing the soil parameters from the strength of the submarine soil. The study has obtained: the load-bearing capacity comparison graph between conventional surface conductor and expandable surface conductor; the load-bearing capacity change of expandable surface conductor under the change of soil parameters and the change of expansion material section; and the load-bearing capacity improvement effect of the three expandable surface conductors designed in the paper compared with conventional surface conductors, using stress as the evaluation criterion. This paper provides technical support for the design of expandable surface conductors and provides a basis for numerical simulation of surface well construction.