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3D Geomechanical Modeling of Casing Collapse in Plastic Formations (Cap Rock of Hydrocarbon Reservoir)

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Abstract

In the Gachsaran Formation, the casing pipes driven into a number of wells have collapsed within a short span of time in one of the southwest fields of Iran. The casing collapse causes the loss of production wells and imposes steep costs. One of the main causes of these damages is the movement of the ductile salt layers, resulting in high horizontal stresses. In this study, these stresses were first determined with the help of a deep geomechanical model to examine the emergence of the collapse phenomenon, and then, the depth was determined with simulation software, as are the numerical values of stresses that have been able to overcome the yield stress of the casing and caused collapse. Finally, the study of the geomechanical model shows that the highest probability of collapse is at the depth of the Gachsaran Formation. Subsequently, by simulating the depth of the formation, the study shows that the highest numerical values of the applied stresses were related to the Gachsaran layers 2–4, which have the highest volume of salt units.

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(maps adapted from Hosseini et al. 2015)

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the National Iranian South Oil Company for their help and financial support for data and software.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Petroleum Engineering, Omidiyeh Branch, Islamic Azad University, Omidiyeh, Iran

    Soheila Hedayatikhah & Mohammad Abdideh

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  1. Soheila Hedayatikhah
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  2. Mohammad Abdideh
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Correspondence to Mohammad Abdideh.

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Hedayatikhah, S., Abdideh, M. 3D Geomechanical Modeling of Casing Collapse in Plastic Formations (Cap Rock of Hydrocarbon Reservoir). Nat Resour Res 28, 273–286 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-018-9386-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-018-9386-3

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