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Optimization of rock failure criteria under different fault mechanisms and borehole trajectories

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Geomechanics and Geophysics for Geo-Energy and Geo-Resources Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

During the drilling process, wellbore instability leads to a complex wellbore morphology. Thus, serious drilling accidents, such as leakage and sticking, can occur. Therefore, it is important to choose different failure criteria for different geological engineering conditions to calculate the safe density window of the drilling fluid to prevent borehole wall instability. In this study, the applicability of three different rock failure criteria, Mohr–Coulomb, Mogi–Coulomb, and Drucker–Prager, was examined under five different fault mechanisms, and the variation in borehole collapse pressure with the trajectory of the borehole under different fault mechanisms was investigated. The results provided a scientific basis for the selection of failure criteria under different geological engineering conditions. The relevant theory provides a reference for well trajectory design, well location selection, and drilling directions.

Article highlights

  • The paper analyzes the change trend of the collapse pressure of the well wall with the azimuth angle of the well slope under different failure criteria. Then compared with the actual drilling fluid density on site to obtain the optimal results of failure criteria under different fault mechanisms. The results can optimize the failure criteria for different stratum conditions in the subsequent collapse of the wellbore

  • The best drilling direction can be obtained by analyzing the results of the stability calculation of the wellbore trajectory under five fault mechanisms

  • The conclusion provides a more specific scientific basis for the selection of failure criteria and the calculation of drilling fluid safety density window under different formation conditions in actual drilling

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 52074088, 51574088, and 51404073), Talented Reserves of Heilongjiang Province Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Northeast Petroleum University (Grant No. SJQHB201802), Development of Western Oil Fields Special Project (Grant No. XBYTKT202001), Talented Reserves of Heilongjiang Province Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of Northeast Petroleum University (Grant No. SJQH202002), and the project of Heilongjiang Province in 2020 (Research on locally induced fracture evolution mechanism of energy storage fracturing in shale reservoirs).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Petroleum Engineering, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, Heilongjiang, China

    Tingting Wang

  2. Institute of Unconventional Oil & Gas, Northeast Petroleum University, Daqing, 163318, China

    Yu Liu & Wanchun Zhao

  3. Petroleum Production Engineering Research Institute, PetroChina Daqing Oilfield Company, Daqing, 163453, Heilongjiang, China

    Meng Cai

  4. Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Stimulation of Heilongjiang Provincial, Daqing, 163453, Heilongjiang, China

    Meng Cai

  5. Deep Earth Energy Laboratory, Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Building 60, Melbourne, VIC, 3800, Australia

    P. G. Ranjith

  6. Oil & Gas Technology Research Institute of Changqing Oilfield Company, Xi’an, 710000, China

    Ming Liu

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  1. Tingting Wang
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  2. Yu Liu
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  3. Meng Cai
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  4. Wanchun Zhao
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  5. P. G. Ranjith
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  6. Ming Liu
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Correspondence to Wanchun Zhao.

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Wang, T., Liu, Y., Cai, M. et al. Optimization of rock failure criteria under different fault mechanisms and borehole trajectories. Geomech. Geophys. Geo-energ. Geo-resour. 8, 127 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40948-022-00430-1

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