Author : Boniface A. Oriji and Mfon E. Anwana

This study investigated tubing buckling in vertical and deviated wellbores outlining the various existing correlations with more emphasis on the deviated wellbore. In this study, a computer model was developed using Microsoft visual basic.net programming language for the determination of the critical buckling load limit from existing measured data. Theoretical data gotten from an application problem in Mitchell’s “buckling analysis in deviated wells” was used for the analysis and validation of the PIBUCK analyzer. Some models were used to analyze tubing buckling and the critical buckling force with its post buckling configuration obtained. The study showed that the critical buckling loads increased as the well inclination increased. The output results from PIBUCK software was compared to the results of Mitchell’s analysis and the results showed good accuracy with an average error of 0.11% for the critical buckling load estimation. For the post buckling configuration analysis, PIBUCK results showed good accuracy when compared to results from Mitchell’s analysis with an average error of just 2.25% in estimating bending stress and an average error of just 4.32% in estimating the tubing length change. The PIBUCK software developed proved to be reliable, simple to use and accurate.

Keywords: The Pipe buckling; deviated well; Lateral buckling; Helical buckling; Bending stress

Article published in International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Vol.7, No.6 (Nov/Dec 2017)