Abstract
Knowing the current condition of the faults and fractures in a reservoir is crucial for production and injection activities. A good estimation of the fault reactivation potential in the current stress field is a useful tool for locating the appropriate spot to drill injection wells and to calculate the maximum sustainable pore pressure in enhanced oil recovery and geosequestration projects. In this study, after specifying the current stress state in the Gachsaran oilfield based on Anderson’s faulting theory, the reactivation tendency of four faults (F1, F2, F3, and F4) in the Asmari reservoir is analyzed using 3D Mohr diagrams and slip tendency factors. Results showed that all the faults are stable in the current stress state, and F2 has the potential to undergo the highest pore pressure build-up in the field. On the other hand, F3 has the proper conditions (i.e., strike and dip referring to σHmax orientation) for reactivation. Stress polygons were also applied to show the effect of the pore pressure increase on fault stability, in a graphical manner. According to the results, the best location for drilling a new injection well in this part of the field is the NW side of F2, due to the lower risk of reactivation. It was found that both methods of 3D Mohr diagrams and slip tendency factors predict similar results, and with the lack of image logs for stress orientation determination, the slip tendency method can be applied. The results of such studies can also be used for locating safe injection points and determining the injection pressure prior to numerical modeling in further geomechanical studies.
Highlights
The risk of pre-existing faults and fractures reactivating in current stress fields is of great importance in gas production/injection activities
The intent of this study is to estimate the present-day stress magnitudes and orientations in Gachsaran oilfield and investigating the fault stability in both current and after-injection stress fields needed for oil recovery in the Asmari reservoir. These goals were achieved by plotting 3D Mohr diagrams and calculating the slip tendency factors introduced by Morris et al (1996) and Hawkes et al (2005)
Gachsaran oilfield, which is one of the most productive fields in Iran, requires primary enhanced oil recovery (EOR) techniques such as gas injection to increase the amount of crude oil extraction
Summary
The risk of pre-existing faults and fractures reactivating in current stress fields is of great importance in gas production/injection activities. The evaluation of the stability of pre-existing faults and estimating the maximum safe pore pressure are conducted through geomechanical studies of reservoir and caprock in sedimentary basins. The intent of this study is to estimate the present-day stress magnitudes and orientations in Gachsaran oilfield and investigating the fault stability in both current and after-injection stress fields needed for oil recovery in the Asmari reservoir. These goals were achieved by plotting 3D Mohr diagrams and calculating the slip tendency factors introduced by Morris et al (1996) and Hawkes et al (2005).
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