List of Standard Rock Mechanics Tests
Test Type Parameters Measured
Unconfined compressive Unconfined compressive
strength test strength, Young’s modulus
and Poisson’s ratio
Triaxial test (single and Cohesion, internal friction
multiple stage; and drained angle, Young’s modulus and
and undrained) Poisson’s ratio
Thick-walled cylinder test TWC collapse strength
Ko and uniaxial Primary and secondary
compaction test uniaxal compaction
coefficients
Hydrostatic compression Bulk, pore and grain
test compressibilities, and
poroelastic parameters
Fracture toughness test Fracture toughness Kic
Brazil tensile strength test Indirect tensile strength
Brinell hardness test Brinell hardness
Ultrasonic test Compressional and shear
wave velocities
Differential strain curve In-situ stress orientation and
analysis stress ratio
Areas of Application
Sand production, openhole
stability, wellbore stability,
under-balanced drilling,
casing and liner integrity,
and calibration of log-
derived elastic and strength
properties
Wellbore stability, sand
production, casing and liner
integrity, and calibration of
log-derived elastic and
strength properties
Sand production and
openhole stability
Reservoir compaction and
surface subsidence
Reservoir management and
reservoir compaction
Hydraulic fracturing
In-situ stress determination
sand production
Sand production and bit
selection
Calibration of log-derived
properties
In-situ stress determination
The operational applications for simulations of drilling fluid-rock interactions and mudcake
properties and characteristics include

 Shale stability

shale activity

membrane efficiency of drilling fluid-shale systems

capacity of drilling fluids to reduce rate of mud pressure penetration

volume change coefficients and hydrational stress of drilling fluid-shale systems

elastic and strength properties of shale exposed to drilling fluid

P- and S-wave velocities of shale exposed to drilling fluid

 Mud selection and design

membrane efficiency of drilling fluid-shale systems

capacity of drilling fluids to reduce rate of mud pressure penetration

optimized drilling fluid designs for maintaining time-dependent wellbore stability

mudcake properties and characteristics under compressive, tensile, torsional and

combined load

return flow as a function of mud type and composition

static, dynamic and HTHP static and dynamic fluid losses of muds

spurt loss as a function of mud type and composition

mudcake erosion coefficient

 Differential sticking

embedment modulus and rigidity index of mudcakes

adhesion-cohesion bond strength and adhesion-cohesion

modulus of mudcakes

maximum torque resistance of mudcakes

 Formation damage

return flow as a function of mud type and composition

static and dynamic fluid losses of muds

spurt loss as a function of mud type and composition

mudcake erosion coefficient

 HTHP

HTHP static and dynamic fluid losses of muds

Sand formation strengthening a