Mechanical behavior of coiled tubing over wellhead and analysis of its effect on downhole buckling

This study build finite element analysis (FEA) models describing the bending events of coiled tubing (CT) at the wellhead and trips into the hole, accurately provide the state of stress and strain while the CT is in service. The bending moment and axial force history curves are used as load and boundary conditions in the diametrical growth models to ensure consistency with the actual working conditions in field operations. The simulation diametrical growth results in this study are more accurate and reasonable. Analysis the factors influencing fatigue and diametrical growth shows that the internal pressure has a first-order influence on fatigue, followed by the radius of the guide arch, reel and the CT diameter. As the number of trip cycles increase, fatigue damage, residual stress and strain cumulatively increase, until CT failure occurs. Significant residual stresses remain in the CT cross-section, and the CT exhibits a residual curvature, the initial residual bending configuration of CT under wellbore constraints, after running into the hole, is sinusoidal. The residual stresses and residual bending configuration significantly decrease the buckling load, making the buckling and buckling release of CT in the downhole an elastic-plastic process, exacerbating the helical lockup. The conclusions drawn in this study will improve CT models and contribute to the operational and economic success of CT services.