Determination of Horizontal In-Situ Stress Profiles and Rock Deformation Moduli in Karamay Basin Using a Multiobjective Optimization Technique

Summary We introduce a quick and cost-effective method of estimating horizontal in-situ stress profiles and rock elastic moduli vs. depth from geophysical logs taken in vertical well sections. A multiobjective optimization approach finds the optimum solution for the inversion of in-situ stresses and the rock mechanical parameters from elastic borehole deformations measured by the commonly available four-arm caliper tools. The four-arm caliper log responses also permit quality control (QC) of input and identification and classification of borehole sections that display breakouts and sloughing. The method is applied in the estimation of horizontal in-situ stress profiles and rock deformation moduli vs. depth in Karamay Basin, Northwestern China. The results have demonstrated good agreement with available field in-situ stress measurements, indicating promising broader applications of the method.