Phase-field analysis of fracture in heterogeneous wellbore systems: effects of casing eccentricity and cement-formation interface strength
2026-06-15 • Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
Computational Engineering, Finance, and Science
AI summaryⓘ
The authors developed a new computer model to better predict how cracks start and grow in complex wellbore systems, which have different materials and weak spots. They tested their model on known problems and then studied how the shape of the casing and the strength of interfaces affect cracking. They found that off-center casing lowers the pressure needed for cracks to start and causes different crack patterns. Weak interfaces make cracks follow the boundary instead of going straight through, leading to more cracks and potential well failure. Their 3D simulations also showed crack behaviors that simpler 2D models miss, making their approach useful for realistic well designs.
Phase-field fractureWellbore systemCasing eccentricityCrack initiationCrack propagationInterface strengthCement sheathRadial crackingShear stress3D simulation
Authors
Tharunsarathy, Wasim Niyaz Munshi, Chandrasekhar Annavarapu, Birendra Jha
Abstract
Predicting the initiation and propagation of cracks in heterogeneous wellbore systems under complex in-situ conditions remains challenging. We present a hybrid phase-field fracture framework to model crack growth in heterogeneous wellbore systems with weak interfaces. The framework is first validated against benchmark problems with available analytical and numerical solutions. Subsequently, numerical experiments are conducted to isolate the effects of interface strength and casing eccentricity on crack growth. The results show that casing eccentricity strongly influences both the pressure at crack initiation and the resulting crack paths, reducing the crack initiation pressure by up to 30% relative to the concentric configuration. Beyond a critical eccentricity threshold of 50%, localized shear stresses drive the nucleation of inclined cracks in the formation in addition to radial cracking -- a failure mode absent in concentric configurations. For sufficiently weak interfaces (i.e., interfaces with 30% of the strength of the surrounding bulk material), radially propagating cracks in the cement sheath are deflected along the interface rather than penetrating into the formation. This deflection delays stress relaxation within the sheath, promotes the nucleation of additional radial cracks, and increases the risk of sustained casing pressure and wellbore failure. Finally, a three-dimensional simulation reveals depth-dependent crack nucleation, stress-shadow effects that suppress full-depth crack growth and crack coalescence along the cement-formation interface -- phenomena that are fundamentally inaccessible under plane-strain assumptions - demonstrating the applicability of the framework to realistic heterogeneous wellbore systems.