What is Well Casing Pipe?
In drilling projects such as oil and gas wells and geothermal wells, casing is a key pipe used to reinforce the well wall and isolate the formation. It is the lifeline of drilling projects. It achieves the following core functions through a multi-layer nested structure (surface casing, technical casing, production casing):
✅ Used to stabilize the well wall: the formation will collapse during drilling, and the use of casing will greatly reduce the probability of collapse
✅ Used to isolate fluids: avoid penetration between oil, gas, water layers and other components;
✅ Used to control pressure: used to ensure safe operation of high-pressure formations.
Types and technical parameters of casing
|
type |
Application Scenario |
Material selection |
Typical Standards |
|
Surface casing |
Shallow stratum fixation |
API J55/K55 |
API 5CT |
|
Technical casing |
Complex stratum isolation |
L80/P110 (anti-sulfur corrosion) |
ISO 11960 |
|
Production casing |
Oil and gas extraction channel |
13Cr stainless steel/duplex steel |
GB/T 19830 |
Innovation trends in materials and manufacturing processes
High-strength alloy steel
Nano-coating technology improves resistance to hydrogen sulfide corrosion (such as TP140TT).
Smart casing system
Built-in optical fiber sensors monitor pressure, temperature and deformation in real time (commercial application cases will increase in 2025);
Environmentally friendly recyclable design
Biodegradable material coatings reduce the environmental impact of abandoned wells.
Industry Challenges and Solutions
Challenge: Casing deformation in high temperature, high pressure and ultra-deep wells (>8,000 meters);
Breakthrough: Adopting expandable casing technology to achieve wellbore self-adaptation through hydraulic expansion;
Case: An ultra-deep well project in Tarim Oilfield, China, applied N80-grade expandable casing, saving 23% of costs.
Challenge: Casing vortex-induced vibration (VIV) risk in ultra-deepwater projects in the South China Sea (water depth of 3,200 meters)
Solution: CNOOC and Huawei jointly developed a fluid dynamics AI modeling platform to improve vibration prediction accuracy to 98%;
Application of shape memory alloy casing joints to reduce installation stress loss by 37% (cover case of “JPT” in 2025).
Global Market Dynamics (2025 Data)
Size: The global casing market is worth $14.2 billion, and shale gas development drives demand growth in North America;
Innovation Direction: AI-driven casing life prediction system (such as Shell SmartCasing™).
Conclusion
As the guardian of drilling engineering, the continuous innovation of casing technology is driving the oil and gas industry towards a safer, more efficient and environmentally friendly direction. From materials science to IoT monitoring, the technological iteration in this field will continue to rewrite the future landscape of energy development.
