©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Petroleum Geomechanics

Examples where Geomechanics

Knowledge is Vital

Maurice Dusseault
 ©MBDCI

Petroleum Geomechanics Areas…

‹ Borehole stability (+ chemistry, diffusion,
wellbore hydraulics…)
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Hydraulic fracturing (+ fracture and porous

media flow of fluids & slurries, filtration…)
‹ Reservoir compaction (+ reservoir mechanics,
geological history, mineralogy…)
‹ Sand production (+ capillarity, hydrodynamic
forces…)
‹ Thermally-induced casing shear (+ thermo-
dynamics, fluid flow…)
 ©MBDCI

Coupled Problems…
‹ All these are coupled problems!
Solve a fluid flow
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

problem to get a general Diffusion mechanics

pressure distribution, {p}
Reservoir
Simulator for
Δp & ΔT
Pressures change stress
so use {p} in a stress- Continuum mechanics
strain (σ’-ε) problem
Geomechanics
Simulator for
Δσ'-ε solution
Δσ’ generates ΔV, so we
have to put this back into Measurements for verification
and model calibration
the pressure solution
 ©MBDCI

Three Chosen Case Histories

‹ Borehole Stability at Cusiana (Colombia)
Î $35,000,000 per hole before changes
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Î $12-15,000,000 per hole after changes

‹ Compaction at Ekofisk-Valhall (North Sea)

Î Massive surface subsidence
Î Platform rebuilding as necessary, casing shear

‹ Casing Shear in Cyclic Steam (Canada)

Î Massive shear stresses from thermal stresses
Î Horizontal wells help solve the problem
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Colombia Tectonics…

Pa
na
m Venezuela
a

Cusiana

→ Massive
Borehole
COLOMBIA Stability
Problems
Brasil
Ecuador

Peru

http://geology.about.com/library/bl/maps/blcolombiamap.htm http://geology.com/world/colombia-satellite-image.shtml
 ©MBDCI

The General Stability Problem…

‹ Cusiana Field, 4270 m, discovered in 1989
‹ In foothills just east of last major Andes range
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Lithology: alternating sand-shale sequence

‹ Tectonics: active faulting, overthrust belt, very
high in situ shear stress at depth (near failure)
‹ 10 months drilling time, lost 20-30% of wells
that were spudded, >10% of time spent on
cleaning holes, expensive mud, stuck pipe,
sidetracks, distorted casings, and so on
‹ $35,000,000 per well in 1990-1992 period…
 ©MBDCI

The Geomechanics Problem

‹ Very high stresses in situ
‹ Relatively weak rocks (mechanical weakness)
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Fissile shales dipping at up to 30-40°

‹ Inclined joints and fissures that can slip if the
MW is too high, creating hole constrictions
‹ These issues led to the problems observed:
Î Massive breakouts, sloughing, hole enlargement
Î Oil-based muds not effective (ie: natural fractures)

Î Stuck pipe from joint displacements

Î Hole cleaning problems, tripping problems…

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Stresses…
©MBDCI

Ref: Markley ME, Last N, Mendoza S, Mujica S. Case Studies

of Casing Deformation…, IADC/SPE 64561. Dallas TX 2002.
 ©MBDCI

Borehole Stability…
‹ Borehole management involves not only
stresses, rock strength, MW, mud type…!
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ It also depends on hydraulics & chemistry:

Î Pumping strategy and cleaning capabilities
Î Gel strength, viscosity, mud density, filtrate chem.

Î BHA design, ECD, even tripping policy

nics Hy
dra
cha uli
me cs
ock
R

Chemistry
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

HOW DO WE REDUCE
ECONOMIC RISKS IN
DRILLING AT CUSIANA?
 ©MBDCI

Massive Subsidence - Ekofisk

‹ Huge reservoir, over 300 m thick in center
‹ High porosity (high-φ) Chalk (see next slide)
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Oil production causes:

Î Drawdown of reservoir pressure – p
Î Increase in effective stress – σ′

Î Collapse of high-φ Chalk to a lower porosity

Î Massive reservoir compaction (> 9 m at present)

Î Seafloor subsidence (>8 m at present)

Î And - good reservoir drive energy!

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Coccolithic Structure of Chalk

Hjuler ML. 2007. Diagenesis of Upper Cretaceous onshore and offshore

©MBDCI

chalk from the North Sea area. PhD Thesis, Institute of Environmental and
Resources, Technical University of Denmark, 70 p.
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Hollow Coccoliths, Little Cement

Risnes, R., Madland, M.V., Hole, M. & Kwabiah, N.K., 2005. Water weakening
©MBDCI

of chalk – Mechanical effects of water-glycol mixtures. Journal of Petroleum

Science and Engineering, 48, 21-36.
 ©MBDCI

Ekofisk…
Reservoir structure
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

salt
Porosity, φ ≈
50% in this
zone

10 km
Subsidence
bowl
 ©MBDCI

Valhall Disposition

Ekofisk and Valhall are similar

Chalk reservoirs, formed
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

because of deep-seated salt

EKOFISK
doming creating an anticline.
From: Zoback MD, Zinke JC. Production-induced Normal
Faulting in the Valhall and Ekofisk Oil Fields. Pure Appl.
Geophys. 159 (2002) 403-420

VALHALL A′

Geography
Deep salt ridge
 ©MBDCI

Massive Reservoir Compaction

‹ Seafloor subsidence
‹ Leads to wave risks
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

for platforms 1973

‹ Casing shearing
(some wells redrilled
several times)
‹ Wonderful drive
sustaining process!
1984
 ©MBDCI

Casing Shear at Ekofisk…

6271000
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

6270000

6269000

6268000

N-S Coordinates
6267000

6266000

6265000

6264000
Overburden
Reservoir
6263000

6262000
510000 511000 512000 513000 514000 515000 516000
E-W Coordinates

Distribution of overburden shear damage

Source: EPOKE, Phillips Petroleum, No 7,
and producing interval compaction damage
1999
at Ekofisk
(SPE 71695)
 ©MBDCI

Rock Mechanics Implications

‹ During development (1969-1975), engineers
failed to predict massive subsidence
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ When noted in 1981-83, maximum subsidence

was greatly underestimated (~6-7 m)
‹ Also, engineers failed for many years to
understand the water-weakening phenomenon
‹ Some consequences:
Î Platform jacking by 6.3 m in 1988-89
Î Complete platform redevelopment in 1999-2002

Î Far greater OOIP and production rate

 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Production-Injection History

Start water injection

 ©MBDCI

But…
‹ Ekofisk taught us a great deal…
‹ The need for very careful rock testing under in
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

situ conditions without altering the material

‹ Links between rock behavior, capillarity,
chemistry and fluid flow (Δp) are important.
‹ Coupled modeling is needed for realistic
predictions in reservoir geomechanics
‹ Measurements are always important
‹ Risks can be reduced by careful geomechanics
‹ There will always be some surprises!
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

HOW DO WE MANAGE
ECONOMIC RISKS BECAUSE
OF SUBSIDENCE AT EKOFISK?
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Edmonton
Alberta

Calgary
50 km

Saskatchewan

Regina
Lloydminster

Saskatoon
Property
Cold Lake
Imperial Oil
Imperial Oil Cold Lake
©MBDCI

Alberta Energy Utilities Board Documents

http://www.eub.ca/docs/documents/decisions/1999/d99-22.pdf
 ©MBDCI

Casing Shear in Thermal Projects

‹ High temperature (To ~ 25°C, Ti ~ 225-325°C)
‹ Large degree of thermal expansion of the sand
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

reservoir that is convectively (flow) heated

‹ This also leads to thermal dilation of the sand,
giving a large volume increase (1-3%)
‹ Overlying shale does not increase in volume
(conductive heating is slow, no dilation)
‹ This means a great deal of shear stress is
concentrated at the sand-shale interface
‹ Cased wellbores cannot withstand this (shear)
 ©MBDCI

Imperial Oil – Cold Lake

+285 mm Mega-Row
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

+200
CSS

-210
+100 Vertical
+260 displacements
(mm)
+130 mm over 86 days
-165
km heave
subsidence
mod. Stancliffe & van der Kooij, AAPG 2001
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Thermally-Induced Shear…

Shale: impermeable, stiff

ovalization and collapse

tendencies near interfaces
thermal front, (large stress concentrations)
ΔV - expansion
Sandstone, permeable, softer

displacement dogleg over an interval

pattern

Shale: impermeable, stiff

Note: casing experiences substantial distortional loading far in advance of the arrival
of the thermal front. Largest shear stresses probably coincide with the thermal front.
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge Thermal Compaction as Well…

Subsidence Induced
Fissure
Lost Hills, California
Δz Interferogram Courtesy: Michael S. Bruno
 ©MBDCI

1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

HOW DO WE MITIGATE
ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF
CASING SHEAR?
 ©MBDCI

Exercise… Three separate groups…

‹ Each group develop a list of strategies for
managing the risk associated with…
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Î Group 1: Borehole instability, high stress area

Î Group 2: Massive subsidence, offshore field
Î Group 3: Casing shear, thermal project
‹ Write down your choices, we will present them
and discuss them briefly…
 ©MBDCI

Cusiana and Borehole Stability

‹ Choice of inclined well trajectory to penetrate
shales at 90° (±15°), in the optimum direction
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Additives to plug induced shear fractures and

delay hole sloughing behavior
‹ Careful mud control
‹ Change casing points
‹ Better hole cleaning & hydraulics to cope with
the large sloughing
‹ Etc.
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Ear
h
th
an ical
Mec Model
The Risk Minimization Loop…

Smirnov NY, Lam R, Rau III WE. 2003. Process of integrating Geomechanics
with well design and drilling operation. , AADE 2003 National Technology
Conference “Practical Solutions for Drilling Challenges”, Houston, Texas, Paper
AADE-03-NTCE-28.
©MBDCI
 ©MBDCI

Now at Ekofisk…
‹ Water injection is sustaining the reservoir
pressure. This reduces but does not eliminate
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

the reservoir compaction.

‹ Wells are drilled and equipped with more
compliant casing so that more shear distortion
can occur without shearing or breaching
‹ Measurements: seafloor gauges, logging, etc.
‹ Better modeling and therefore predictions
‹ However, Ekofisk made us humble! We did
not predict its behavior in advance!
 ©MBDCI

Handling Casing Shear

‹ Mitigation strategies include:
Î Adjusting well trajectories (avoidance)
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Î Adjusting injection/production strategies

Î Modifying hole size and cementing practice

Î Changing casing grade (D/t ratio)

Î Changing inner completion design

Î Accept damage risk and adjust economics

Î Accept risk, design for easier re-drills, repairs…

‹ Geomechanics analysis helps quantify risk…

 ©MBDCI

Risk Mitigation in Casing Shear

Reservoir Well
WellWell
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

Analysis Deformation Deformation Common

Common
Analytical
Analytical
Analytical Performance
Performance
Analysis Estimate Limits Design
Design
Analysis Comparison
Comparison Analysis
Analysis
Tool
Tool Tool Tool Database
Database
Tool

Simple
Simple
Decision
Decision
Analysis
Analysis Tool
Tool

Proprietary
Proprietary Proprietary
Proprietary Proprietary
Proprietary
Reservoir Decision
Decision Well Damage
Well Damage
Reservoir Analysis Analysis
Analysis Analysis Analysis
Analysis

Optimum Well Design

Courtesy: Michael S. Bruno

 Shell Oil Canada – Peace River
©MBDCI

Surface Multi-lateral
CSS
uplift / tilt
data
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

reservoir inversion grid

with 50x50m grid cells Less well shear
because of well
trajectories!

ref. Nickle’s New Technology Magazine, Jan-Feb 2005

 ©MBDCI

Lessons Learned…

‹ In many instances, geomechanics knowledge is

vital to oil and gas development
1-B Examples of Vital Geomechanics Knowledge

‹ Borehole stability (Cusiana example)

‹ Subsidence (Ekofisk example)
‹ Casing shear (Oil sands Cold Lake example)
‹ And many others…
‹ These are “coupled” problems (combined
stress-flow problems – Δp, ΔT, Δσ)
‹ Implementing geomechanics into planning
reduces risk, avoids problems, lowers costs…