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Reservoir Wellbore Stability Analysis and Weak Zones Identification Using the 1D MEM, Swelling Tests and UCS: A Case Study From Mumbai Offshore, India

  • Research Article-Petroleum Engineering
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Abstract

Reservoir geomechanical studies play a decisive role in identifying wellbore instability and weak zones in offshore petroleum reservoirs. In this study, an integrated workflow developed with 1D Mechanical Earth Models (1D MEM), uniaxial compressive strength and swelling tests using well logs, drilling, and core data of production and exploratory wells from the North-Heera field, Mumbai offshore, India. Lithology-based correlations are utilized for calculating continuous profiles of rock mechanical properties by taking well logs as a primary source of input. Insights of fracture gradients and stresses are generated by interpretation of the pore pressure. UCS created from the well logs shows the low value of 15 MPa and high Poison's ratio of 0.38–0.45. Fracture pressure analysis of the wells specifies the lower fracture initiation pressures at 300 m are 5ppg–15ppg, which are shale and clay formation. Shale swelling tests are performed to know the hydration properties of shales present at shallow depths. The core samples' loading tests' results are very close to the UCS models constructed from the well logs. The combined analysis examines fracture pressures around wellbores, hydration of shales, weak zones identification, and wellbore instability.

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Abbreviations

1D:

One dimensional

3D:

Three dimensional

ONGC:

Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited

DGH:

Director general of hydrocarbons

MD:

Measured depth

PPG:

Pounds per Gallon

TVD:

True vertical depth

TVD-RT:

True vertical depth from rotary table

LOT:

Leak-off test

PR:

Poison’s ratio

UCS:

Unconfined compressive strength

IFC:

Internal friction coefficient

YM:

Young’s modulus

CAPEX:

Capital expenditure

OPEX:

Operating expenditure

NCT:

Normal compaction trend

σv :

Vertical stress

σw :

Vertical load by water column

σo :

Vertical load at the point where the density log began

ρ:

Density

α:

Biot’s constant

Pp :

Pore pressure

E:

Young’s modulus

Ɛx :

Compressional horizontal strain (x-direction)

Ɛy :

Extensional horizontal strain(y-direction)

FIT:

Formation Integrity Test

Gdyn :

Dynamic Bulk modulus

νdyn :

Dynamic Poison’s ratio

Edyn :

Dynamic Young’s modulus

Vp :

P-wave Velocity

Vs :

S- wave Velocity

Estatic :

Static Young’s modulus

UCSlimestone :

Unconfined compressive strength of limestone

UCSshale :

Unconfined compressive strength of shale

Ø:

Internal friction coefficient

MPa:

Mega Pascal

GPa:

Giga Pascal

YF:

Yellow Fluorescence

GYF:

Green Yellow Fluorescence

Pf :

Fracture Pressure

ν:

Poison’s ratio

FS:

Free Swell

V:

Final Volume

V° :

Initial Volume

Dn:

Density

Ω:

Resistivity

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Acknowledgment

This paper authors extend their gratitude to Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC) and Baker Hughes for their continuous support to make this research work possible and thank ONGC-Mumbai and Centre of Excellence in Well Logging Technology (CEWELL)-Baroda for providing data for this research under the PAN IIT ONGC project. We thank Mr. Priti Prasad Deo, former executive director of CEWELL of ONGC for his continuous support and valuable discussions.

Funding

The Indian Institute of Technology Madras supported this research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Computational Petroleum Geomechanics Laboratory, Department of Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai, 600036, India

    Venkatesh Ambati, Nagendra Babu Mahadasu & Rajesh R. Nair

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  1. Venkatesh Ambati
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  2. Nagendra Babu Mahadasu
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  3. Rajesh R. Nair
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Contributions

1D Mechanical Earth Models are constructed and analyzed by V.A., N.M. did seismic Inversion, and the R.R made log interpretation, the laboratory experiments, and final analysis.

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Correspondence to Venkatesh Ambati.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest in this study.

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The data used for this study is confidential, provided by ONGC. In this regard, the authors so regret to say that data will not be disclosed.

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Ambati, V., Mahadasu, N.B. & Nair, R.R. Reservoir Wellbore Stability Analysis and Weak Zones Identification Using the 1D MEM, Swelling Tests and UCS: A Case Study From Mumbai Offshore, India. Arab J Sci Eng 47, 11101–11123 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-021-05530-w

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