The United States is the largest oil-producing country in the world. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, there were 936,934 producing wells in 2020 to service this booming industry.
Well casing materials are crucial to this industry. They ensure that wells don’t collapse in on themselves. They also prevent oil and natural gas from escaping before they reach the surface and stop contaminants from getting into the well.
Join us as we explore the most common types of well casing materials available today.
Steel All the Way
Steel is the only material with the strength and other attributes needed to serve as a casing material for the oil and gas industry. It is usually mild, 0.3 carbon steel, which is normalized with manganese.
However, within steel casings, there is a lot of variety, depending on the yield strength required for the application. While the material remains the same, the process of quenching and tempering produces different levels of tensile strength.
Setting the Standards
The American Petroleum Institute (API) standards are accepted internationally and classify casing based on five parameters. In this article, we’ll focus on the steel grade, which defines the strength of the casing.
The grades are:
H-40 – Minimum yield stress 40,000psi, maximum yield stress 80,000 psi
J-55 – Minimum yield stress 55,000psi, maximum yield stress 80,000 psi
K-55 – Minimum yield stress 55,000psi, maximum yield stress 80,000 psi
H-80 – Minimum yield stress 80,000psi, maximum yield stress 110,000 psi
L-80 – Minimum yield stress 80,000psi, maximum yield stress 95,000 psi
C-90 – Minimum yield stress 90,000psi, maximum yield stress 105,000 psi
C-95 – Minimum yield stress 95,000psi, maximum yield stress 110,000 psi
T-95 – Minimum yield stress 95,000psi, maximum yield stress 110,000 psi
P-110 – Minimum yield stress 110,000psi, maximum yield stress 140,000 psi
Q-125 – Minimum yield stress 125,000psi, maximum yield stress 150,000 psi
Other considerations include the minimum ultimate tensile strength and minimum elongation percentage.
Choose Reddy Pipe for Your Well Casing Needs
At Reddy Pipe, we’ve been supplying the oil and gas industry for over 33 years. We offer a wide range of well casings, ranging in size from 4 ½” – 20”, and covering all grades from J-55 to Q-125, as well as sour service.
Check out our range and call us at (918) 234-3651 for more information today!
