Study on Load Bearing Characteristics of Novel Expandable Deepwater Drilling Conductor Based on Laboratory Experiment and Field Test  

作　　者：ZHANG Ming-he YANG Jin YANG Yu-xiang XU Dong-sheng ZHOU Yi-su 

机构地区：[1]College of Safety and Ocean Engineering,China University of Petroleum-Beijing,Beijing 102249,China

出　　处：《China Ocean Engineering》2023年第1期16-28,共13页中国海洋工程（英文版）

基　　金：financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.51434009 and 51221003)。

摘　　要：A novel expandable conductor was designed and applied in deep-water drilling to improve the vertical and lateral bearing capacity with a significant reduction of conductor jetting depth and soaking time. The vertical and lateral bearing capability of expandable conductors was depicted based on the ultimate subgrade reaction method and pile foundation bearing theory. The load-bearing characteristics of a laboratory-scale expandable conductor were analyzed through laboratory experiments. The serial simulation experiments are accomplished to study the bearing characteristics(vertical ultimate bearing capacity, lateral soil pressure, and lateral displacement) during the conductor soaking process. The laboratory experimental results show that the larger the length and thickness of expandable materials are,the higher the bearing capacity of the wellhead will be. During the conductor soaking process, the soil pressure around the three expandable conductors increases faster, strings representing a stronger squeezing effect and resulting in higher vertical bearing capacity. Furthermore, the lateral displacement of novel expandable conductor is smaller than that of the conventional conductor. All the advantages mentioned above contributed to the reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. Lastly, the application workflow of a novel expandable deep-water drilling conductor was established and the autonomous expandable conductor was successfully applied in the South China Sea with a significant reduction of conductor’s jetting depth and soaking time. According to the soil properties and designed installation depth of the surface conductor, the arrangement of expandable materials should be designed reasonably to meet the safety condition and reduce the construction cost of the subsea wellhead.

关 键 词：novel expandable surface conductor deep water subsea wellhead laboratory experiment field test 

分 类 号：P75[天文地球—海洋科学]