Study on thermal penetration process of oil casing in shallow water environment by plasma arc based on heat source simulation and experiments

Abandoned offshore oil wellheads must be removed and plugged to protect the marine environment. Underwater plasma arc cutting holds the promise of playing a significant role in this work. However, much remains unknown about the thermal burn-off process of underwater plasma arcs for oil well casing. This work investigated the thermal penetration process of oil casing in a shallow water environment through experiments and heat source modeling simulations. A workpiece made of mild steel plate and cement block was considered as a small segment of the oil casing to be penetrated. The hole diameters, depths, and removal volumes of the workpieces were investigated experimentally. A combined heat source consisting of an elliptical cone heat source and a semiellipsoidal heat source was established based on the hole shape. The simulated and experimental hole profiles matched well. The results showed that the evolution of the hole shape of the workpiece was related to the motion state of the plasma arc and could be reflected by the variation of the arc voltage. Compared to steel plates, cement materials were easily removed by heat. These findings are favorable to promote the development of underwater plasma arc cutting in oil casing removal.