Mechanical integrity of cement sheath barriers in deepwater wells under earthquake-induced fault slip: A three-dimensional finite-element study for offshore geohazard conditions

• A 3D contact FE model links earthquake magnitude to formation slip. • Fault slip localizes tensile and shear damage near the slip plane. • Mohr-Coulomb and contact criteria quantify cement-sheath barrier risk. • Cement modulus, Poisson's ratio, dip angle and Mw govern stress buildup. • Flexible cement systems support anti-shear design for deepwater wells.