Hydrocarbon exploration and production is hardly a mono thematic science. The success of this technical and financial endeavor is the result of a multi-disciplinary effort required to achieve a good understanding of all the factors involved. Casing deformations proved to be a challenging problematic that is sometime difficult to avoid and good knowledge of geology, fluids and geomechanics is crucial to properly tackle it. Unconventional and conventional plays, especially in international regions are often located in areas where stresses are quite high and often in strike-slip or reverse fault stress regime. In these geological settings, with horizontal wells drilled at great depths (>4000m TVD), presence of geological hazard such as faults and natural fractures, complex stratigraphy with multilayer features and geomechanical complexity such as high stress and active tectonic, the well can be occasionally subject to stresses easily exceeding the technical limitation of the materials used. Even with a good and sound tubular design, the conditions at which the technical design limits are exceeded can occur unexpectedly with onerous economic and operational consequences which usually result in limited well accessibility.

This presentation will address what should be put in place to understand, monitor, and mitigate casing deformations with the objective of providing the completion, drilling and intervention engineers with tools to minimize operational inefficiencies and financial impact.