Abstract
Geomechanics has an important role in assessing formation integrity during well construction and completion. It also has its effect when the wellbore is in production mode. Geomechanical study evaluate the impact of the present day in-situ stress and related mechanical processes on reservoir management. The study field ‘K' belongs to Plio-Pleistocene sequence of deep-water environment with hydrocarbon prospects. This belongs to Post-Rift tectonic stage of evolution with hydrocarbon occurring in structurally controlled traps. As a part of exploration activity, four offset oil wells were drilled earlier which were considered for the geomechanical model construction. Field (K) development plan comprising of six hydrocarbon producers and four water injectors was prepared.
Considering the thick water column (300m-650m) in this deep water area of offshore and young unconsolidated sedimentary sequence in the sub-surface, expected pore-pressures can be high whereas the fracture gradient can be low. As a result, the safe drilling mud window can be narrow. Upon successful drilling of a well in such challenging environment without NPT (Non-Productive time), completing the well with best possible technologies suitable to the reservoir's mechanical behavior is utmost important for maximizing the production and minimizing the risk. To mitigate these problems in developing this field, an integrated reservoir geomechanics approach is adopted to optimize the drilling plan and reservoir completion parameters for the planned well. This paper covers the geomechanical study of four wells namely W, X, Y & Z drilled in the field ‘K'. The principal constituents of the geomechanical model are in-situ stresses, pore pressure and the rock mechanical properties.
Geomechanical model for the field ‘K' was built utilizing the available data by integrating drilling, geology, petrophysics and reservoir data. Methodology adopted in this paper also highlights how a reliable geomechanical model can be built for a field, which is having data constraints. Constraining of stress magnitudes, orientation and anisotropy added value for efficient well planning in deep waters reservoirs. Calculating well specific reservoir rock mechanical properties, it made possible to identify the most optimal completion strategy. Approach contributed knowledge of geomechanical parameters based on the data of four offset wells has been used for successfully drilling and completion of all the subsequent wells without major challenges. Overall, geomechanical modeling has played a major role in drillability and deliverability of the reservoir. Integrated approach adopted in this paper can be used for well planning and drilling of future wells in East Coast of India with similar geological set up.
Approximate Dynamic Programming Based Control of Proppant Concentration in Hydraulic Fracturing
