Severe thermal load to the casing that results from steam injection operation can cause casing failure. This article describes thermal buckling caused by thermal loading in a poor cement-bonding section or cement empty section. The concept of thermal buckling and a thermal buckling model are presented. The relation between sinusoidal or helical buckling with the number of buckling half-waves and critical temperature is developed. The arc length of sinusoidal and helical buckling are calculated, and the maximum amplitude and average helical pitch are found combined with the result of casing elongation by thermal effect. The conclusion that the casing located in a poor cement-bonding section or cement empty section was predamaged due to severe thermal buckling caused by high temperature is proposed. This conclusion has a guide to the parameter selection of steam injection and casing maintenance in a steam injection production well.
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