Calculating far-field anisotropic stress from 3D seismic in the Permian Basin

2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Shoemaker ◽  
Santhosh Narasimhan ◽  
Shane Quimby ◽  
James Hawkins

Minimum horizontal stress (Sh) is the controlling parameter when hydraulic fracture stimulating tight oil formations but is next to impossible to measure quantitatively, especially in the far field and away from the wellbore. In-situ stress differences between bedding planes control fracture containment, which defines the complexity of fracture propagation and fracture geometry including orientation, height growth, width, and length. Geomechanical rock properties define elastic behavior, influencing how the subsurface will deform under induced stress. These properties include dynamic and static Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, and Biot's coefficient. When combined with pore pressure and overburden stress, the elastic rock properties describe the mechanical earth model (MEM), which characterizes the geomechanical behavior of the subsurface. The MEM also defines key inputs for calculating Sh using the Ben Eaton stress equation, which has been commonly used by geoscientists for decades. However, calculated Sh from this simple model historically produces uncertain results when compared to field-measured stress due to an assumed homogeneous and isotropic subsurface. This is particularly contrary to tight oil formations that represent shale (or mudrock) reservoirs that are highly laminated and therefore anisotropic. Optimal parameterization of fracture geometry models for well spacing and engineered treatment design requires an anisotropic far-field in-situ stress measurement that accurately captures vertical and lateral variability of geomechanical properties in 3D space. A method is proposed herein that achieves this by using a modified version of the anisotropic Ben Eaton stress model. The method calculates minimum Sh by substitution of inverted 3D seismic volumes directly into the stress equation, replacing the bound Poisson's ratio term with an equivalent anisotropic corrected closure stress scalar (CSS) term. The CSS seismic volume is corrected for anisotropy using static triaxial core and is calibrated to multidomain data types including petrophysics, rock physics, geomechanics, and completion and reservoir engineering field measurements.

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (19) ◽  
pp. 5283 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gowida ◽  
Moussa ◽  
Elkatatny ◽  
Ali

Rock mechanical properties play a key role in the optimization process of engineering practices in the oil and gas industry so that better field development decisions can be made. Estimation of these properties is central in well placement, drilling programs, and well completion design. The elastic behavior of rocks can be studied by determining two main parameters: Young’s modulus and Poisson’s ratio. Accurate determination of the Poisson’s ratio helps to estimate the in-situ horizontal stresses and in turn, avoid many critical problems which interrupt drilling operations, such as pipe sticking and wellbore instability issues. Accurate Poisson’s ratio values can be experimentally determined using retrieved core samples under simulated in-situ downhole conditions. However, this technique is time-consuming and economically ineffective, requiring the development of a more effective technique. This study has developed a new generalized model to estimate static Poisson’s ratio values of sandstone rocks using a supervised artificial neural network (ANN). The developed ANN model uses well log data such as bulk density and sonic log as the input parameters to target static Poisson’s ratio values as outputs. Subsequently, the developed ANN model was transformed into a more practical and easier to use white-box mode using an ANN-based empirical equation. Core data (692 data points) and their corresponding petrophysical data were used to train and test the ANN model. The self-adaptive differential evolution (SADE) algorithm was used to fine-tune the parameters of the ANN model to obtain the most accurate results in terms of the highest correlation coefficient (R) and the lowest mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). The results obtained from the optimized ANN model show an excellent agreement with the laboratory measured static Poisson’s ratio, confirming the high accuracy of the developed model. A comparison of the developed ANN-based empirical correlation with the previously developed approaches demonstrates the superiority of the developed correlation in predicting static Poisson’s ratio values with the highest R and the lowest MAPE. The developed correlation performs in a manner far superior to other approaches when validated against unseen field data. The developed ANN-based mathematical model can be used as a robust tool to estimate static Poisson’s ratio without the need to run the ANN model.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clemens Grünsteidl ◽  
Christian Kerschbaummayr ◽  
Edgar Scherleitner ◽  
Bernhard Reitinger ◽  
Georg Watzl ◽  
...  

Abstract We demonstrate the determination of the Poisson’s ratio of steel plates during thermal processing based on contact free laser ultrasound measurements. Our method utilizes resonant elastic waves sustained by the plate, provides high amplitudes, and requires only a moderate detection bandwidth. For the analysis, the thickness of the samples does not need to be known. The trend of the measured Poisson’s ratio reveals a phase transformation in dual-phase steel samples. While previous approaches based on the measurement of the longitudinal sound velocity cannot distinguish between the ferritic and austenitic phase above 770°C, the shown method can. If the thickness of the samples is known, the method also provides both sound velocities of the material. The gained complementary information could be used to analyze phase composition of steel from low temperatures up to its melting point.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meng Meng ◽  
Luke Frash ◽  
James Carey ◽  
Wenfeng Li ◽  
Nathan Welch ◽  
...  

Abstract Accurate characterization of oilwell cement mechanical properties is a prerequisite for maintaining long-term wellbore integrity. The drawback of the most widely used technique is unable to measure the mechanical property under in situ curing environment. We developed a high pressure and high temperature vessel that can hydrate cement under downhole conditions and directly measure its elastic modulus and Poisson's ratio at any interested time point without cooling or depressurization. The equipment has been validated by using water and a reasonable bulk modulus of 2.37 GPa was captured. Neat Class G cement was hydrated in this equipment for seven days under axial stress of 40 MPa, and an in situ measurement in the elastic range shows elastic modulus of 37.3 GPa and Poisson's ratio of 0.15. After that, the specimen was taken out from the vessel, and setted up in the triaxial compression platform. Under a similar confining pressure condition, elastic modulus was 23.6 GPa and Possion's ratio was 0.26. We also measured the properties of cement with the same batch of the slurry but cured under ambient conditions. The elastic modulus was 1.63 GPa, and Poisson's ratio was 0.085. Therefore, we found that the curing condition is significant to cement mechanical property, and the traditional cooling or depressurization method could provide mechanical properties that were quite different (50% difference) from the in situ measurement.


1992 ◽  
Vol 97 (B13) ◽  
pp. 19993 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. J. White ◽  
B. Milkereit ◽  
M. H. Salisbury ◽  
J. A. Percival

2019 ◽  
Vol 59 (1) ◽  
pp. 383 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H. E. Bailey ◽  
Liuqi Wang ◽  
Lisa Hall ◽  
Paul Henson

The Energy component of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program is aimed at improving our understanding of the petroleum resource potential of northern Australia, in partnership with the state and territory geological surveys. The sediments of the Mesoproterozoic South Nicholson Basin and the underlying Paleoproterozoic Isa Superbasin in the Northern Territory and Queensland are amongst the primary targets of the EFTF Energy program, as they are known to contain organic-rich sedimentary units with the potential to host unconventional gas plays, although their subsurface extent under the cover of the Georgina Basin is presently unknown. In order to economically produce from unconventional reservoirs, the petrophysical rock properties and in-situ stresses must be conducive to the creation of secondary permeability networks that connect a wellbore to as large a reservoir volume as possible. This study utilises data from the recently drilled Armour Energy wells Egilabria 2, Egilabria 2-DW1, and Egilabria 4 to constrain rock properties and in-situ stresses for the Isa Superbasin sequence where intersected on the Lawn Hill Platform of north-west Queensland. These results have implications for petroleum prospectivity in an area with proven gas potential, which are discussed here in the context of the rock properties and in-situ stresses desired for a viable shale gas play. In addition, these results are relevant to potential future exploration across the broader Isa Superbasin sequence.


1982 ◽  
Vol 22 (03) ◽  
pp. 321-332 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Hanson ◽  
G.D. Anderson ◽  
R.J. Shaffer ◽  
L.D. Thorson

Abstract We are conducting a U.S. DOE-funded research program aimed at understanding the hydraulic fracturing process, especially those phenomena and parameters that strongly affect or control fracture geometry. Our theoretical and experimental studies consistently confirm the well-known fact that in-situ stress has a primary effect on fracture geometry, and that fractures propagate perpendicular to the least principal stress. In addition, we find that frictional interfaces in reservoirs can affect fracturing. We also have quantified some effects on fracture geometry caused by frictional slippage along interfaces. We found that variation of friction along an interface can result in abrupt steps in the fracture path. These effects have been seen in the mineback of emplaced fractures and are demonstrated both theoretically and in the laboratory. Further experiments and calculations indicate possible control of fracture height by vertical change in horizontal stresses. Preliminary results from an analysis of fluid flow in small apertures are discussed also. Introduction Hydraulic fracturing and massive hydraulic fracturing (MHF) are the primary candidates for stimulating production from tight gas reservoirs. MHF can provide large drainage surfaces to produce gas from the low- permeability formation if the fracture surfaces remain in the productive parts of the reservoir. To determine whether it is possibleto contain these fractures in the productive formations andto design the treatment to accomplish this requires a much broader knowledge of the hydraulic fracturing process. Identification of the parameters controlling fracture geometry and the application of this information in designing and performing the hydraulic stimulation treatment is a principal technical problem. Additionally, current measurement technology may not be adequate to provide the required data. and new techniques may have to be devised. Lawrence Livermore Natl. Laboratory has been conducting a DOE-funded research program whose ultimate goal is to develop models that predict created hydraulic fracture geometry within the reservoir. Our approach has been to analyze the phenomenology of the fracturing process to son out and identify those parameters influencing hydraulic fracture geometry. Subsequent model development will incorporate this information. Current theoretical and stimulation design models are based primarily on conservation of mass and provide little insight into the fracturing process. Fracture geometry is implied in the application of these models. Additionally, pressure and flow initiation in the fractures and their interjection with the fracturing process is not predicted adequately with these models. We have reported previously on some rock-mechanics aspects of the fracturing process. For example, we have studied, theoretically and experimentally, pressurized fracture propagation in the neighborhood of material interfaces. Results of interface studies showed that natural fractures in the interfacial region negate any barrier effect when the fracture is propagating from a lower modulus material toward a higher modulus material. On the other hand, some fracture containment could occur when the fracture is propagating from a higher modulus into a lower modulus material. Effect of moduli changes on the in-situ stress field have to be taken into consideration to evaluate fracture containment by material interfaces. Some preliminary analyses have been performed to evaluate how stress changes when material properties change, but we have not evaluated this problem fully. SPEJ P. 321^


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