Abstract
Finding a new oil well is a stimulating experience at all levels, however, it’s only an important milestone on the road towards exploiting oil and gas. When it comes to well drilling, the condition of the ground that surrounds the oil plays a major role. While there are many factors that dictate the success of exploring and drilling wells, porosity and permeability of the surrounding stone are some of the most important components.This paper focuses on the effective way to increase the porosity and the permeability of the rock using explosives without damaging the rock. In order to reach our aim, a numerical simulation was conducted. In fact, a 2D distinct element code was used, and 4 models were constructed; in each model the number of explosives increase while the blast load per explosive decreases.The dynamic stresses, and velocity vectors of the wave propagation were analyzed to evaluate the behavior of rock masses in each model. Moreover, a grid of history points was studied in order to compare the results and find the most suitable method to increase the crack propagation, therefore, the porosity and permeability along the rock masses, without damaging it.
Highlights
Lebanon is the Levant’s most recent candidate to join the rank of Middle East gas producer
The focus of theoretical study has been, mainly, on the propagation of the preexisting cracks under the gas pressure loading, and lesser attention has been paid to initial cracks resulting from stress wave loading [15 – 16]
A first well was drilled in 1947 in Terbol, followed by another in Yuhmor in 1953. Both wells are in the Bekaa region and were drilled by Iraq Petroleum Company (IPC)
Summary
Lebanon is the Levant’s most recent candidate to join the rank of Middle East gas producer. The processes of rock fracture and fragmentation around a borehole are strongly dependent on the parameters of the explosive detonation and the dynamic response of rock, as demonstrated in field experiments [15]; we found it essential to implement both experimental and numerical studies. This high pressure on the borehole wall sets off a shock wave in the adjacent rock mass, but it soon decays to a high amplitude stress wave propagating at the velocity of longitudinal wave in the rock mass It is immediately followed, even if at a much-reduced velocity, by the longer duration gas pressure loading. The stress wave initiates cracks around the borehole, and the gas penetrates into these cracks and causes their further extension and propagation Both loadings are essential in the process of cratering and benching [15]. To reveal the fragmentation mechanisms, it is first necessary to develop an appropriate method of analysis, which simulates the progressive fracture of rock leading to failure and allows prediction of rock fragmentation under various loading conditions
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