Training Fundamentals of Petroleum Geomechanics

Training  Fundamentals of Petroleum Geomechanics

INTRODUCTION

This course covers the necessary fundamentals of geomechanics for wellbore applications; the origin of stresses in the subsurface and how in situ stresses can be understood from wellbore data; mechanical properties such as rock strength, the Mechanical Earth Model, and the origins of pore pressure and how it is measured and estimated. The course then proceeds to show how these data are applied through the Mechanical Earth Model to critical problems in exploration and field development. There are detailed case studies on wellbore stability sand production and hydraulic fracturing. The course also includes an introduction to reservoir geomechanics, showing the geomechanical influence of pressure changes in the reservoir.

PROGRAMME OBJECTIVES

• At the end of this course, you should be able to:
  • Explain the Mechanical Earth Model and how is the Mechanical Earth Model used.
  • Understand the origin of stresses in the subsurface and how in situ stresses can be understood from wellbore data.
  • Explain the Mechanical properties such as rock strength, and the origins of pore pressure and how it is measured and estimated.
  • Explain the importance of Rock Mechanics and identify the key terms and concepts that are used in studying Rock Mechanics.
  • Define the differing characteristics and uses of rock strength tests.
  • Explain the wellbore stability, sand production and hydraulic fracturing.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND?

• Geologists/Geophysicists/Geomechanics engineers
• Drilling engineers
• Production engineers
• Completion engineers
• Reservoir engineers
• Exploration supervisors and managers concerned with the geomechanics challenges of field development and exploration
• Supervisors and managers concerned with wellbore stability

PROGRAM OUTLINE

• • What is geomechanics?
  • Mechanical Earth Model
  • Principles of Stress and Strain
  1. Basics of stress and strain
  2. The relationship between stress and strain
  3. Principal earth stresses
  4. Overburden stress
  5. Mohr circles
  6. Elasticity and elastic properties
  7. Effective stress concepts and the importance of pore pressure
  8. In-situ stress tensor
  9. Stress field variations –structural effects
  10. Stress measurements and analysis

• Rock mechanical properties
  • Rock Strength and Weakness
  1. Hardness vs. Strength
  2. Mohs Hardness Scale
  3. Chemical Composition
  • Porosity and Permeability
  1. Porosity Definition
  2. Permeability Definition
  3. Permeability Illustration
  4. High Porosity and Low Permeability
  5. Low Porosity and High Permeability
  6. Porosity Illustration
  7. High Porosity and High Permeability
  • Mechanical properties
  • Elasticity and other stress‐strain behavior
  • Failure and beyond
  • Thermal effects
  • Influence of faults and fractures
  • Rock mechanics testing

• • Pore Pressure
  1. Basic definitions
  2. Origins of pore pressure
  3. Causes of over pressure
  4. Pore pressure and the Mechanical Earth Model
  5. leakoff tests
  6. Fracture gradients
  7. Reservoir compartmentalization
  8. Mechanisms of overpressure generation
  9. Estimating pore pressure at depth

• • Reservoir geomechanics
  1. Compaction
  2. Thermal
  3. Depletion effects
  4. Well integrity
  5. Plasticity

• • Petroleum Applications
  1. Well Planning
  2. Wellbore Stability
  3. Drilling Optimization
  4. Reservoir stress management
  5. Hydraulic fracture design
  6. Structural Permeability
  7. Fault Seal Analysis
  8. Sand prediction
  • Sanding Evaluation
1. Impact of Sand production
2. Nature of Sand Production
3. Sand Prediction Model