Geomechanics applied to the petroleum industry: Wellbore stability, sand production, and hydraulic fracturing

Abstract

This article introduces three applications of geomechanics in oil and gas industry, encompassing wellbore stability analysis, hydraulic fracturing, and sand production. In this paper, we reviewed three commonly used applications involving transforming stress values from the in situ coordinate system to the wellbore centric coordinate system, which have been published in the previous studies. Subsequently, various failure criteria are applied to these three geomechanical problems. First, wellbore stability analysis involves six distinct scenarios across different oil reservoirs. The results obtained enable the selection of appropriate drilling mud densities to prevent collapses and instability of wellbore. Second, regarding sand production modeling, three oil fields are presented as examples. The results consistently indicate instances of sand production under various well production conditions. Finally, the application of geomechanics in hydraulic fracturing is illustrated. The findings distinctly illustrate the evolutionary pattern of fracture dimensions, highlighting a consistent trend in fracture length development. Notably, the expansion phase of the fracture exhibits a rapid onset during the initial stages, followed by a transition into an exceedingly gradual propagation state.