How grooves can improve casing tripping-out from cemented borehole

Abstract

Grooves makes easier to remove casing from cemented wellbore by pulling with lower force, which has been observed in lab-scale experiments. The simulation based on lab-scale geometry verifies the experimental observation, meanwhile frictional cohesion, as the key parameter controlling pulling force, is quantified. Field-scale simulation indicates the significant drawdown of the pulling force with small grooves (5 mm width). The peak of the pulling force also illustrates the possibility of pulling a 10-meter grooved casing without cutting into pieces, which may shorten the non-productive time and save cost on plug and abandonment task.