Case Study: Baker Hughes achieves rapid, optimized expandable-tubular development with Dassault Systèmes (Abaqus & Isight)

Baker Hughes Refines Expandable Tubular Technology with Abaqus and Isight

Baker Hughes, a long-time developer of expandable tubulars, needed to shift from a reactive to a proactive simulation-led design process to reduce costly physical prototyping and to solve difficult problems such as slip deflection, extrudable ball-seat performance, and cone geometry compatibility across different threaded connections. To address these challenges the company adopted Abaqus and Isight from Dassault Systemes (SIMULIA) to capture complex nonlinear expansion physics and enable systematic design exploration.

Using Dassault Systemes’ Abaqus for detailed FEA and Isight for automation and DOE, Baker Hughes ran hundreds of automated iterations to optimize cone and component designs, producing the OPTI‑Cone that works across multiple thread configurations. The effort cut cone development time from about two months to two days, improved thread expansion and reliability, reduced early physical testing, and enabled faster, more cost‑effective customization for new high‑torque, gas‑tight expandables markets.

Baker Hughes

Jeff Wiliams

Project Engineer