Reservoir Geomechanics

In situ stress and rock mechanics applied to reservoir processes




Mark D. Zoback

Professor of Geophysics



Week 2 – Lecture 3
Pore Pressure

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 Outline

Section 1
• Pore Pressure and Reservoir
Compartmentalization

Section 2
• Development of Overpressure

Section 3
• Pore Pressure Prediction

Section 4
• Geologic Factors Contributing to the
Macondo Well Blowout
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 Definition of Pore Pressure

Figure 2.1 – pg.28

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 Overpressure at Depth

Monte Christo

Figure 2.2 – pg.30

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 Why is pore pressure important?

Stress Magnitudes/Mud Windows at Depth

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Figure 1.4 d – pg.13

 Variations in Pore Pressure Within Compartments,
Each With ~Hydrostatic Gradients

Figure 2.4 – pg.32

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 Pore Pressure Variations with Location and Depth

c)

Figure 2.3 – pg.31

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 Gas Leakage Potential – Field W

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Figure 11.15 b – pg. 368 8
 Oil and Gas Production and
Coastal Subsidence

Golden Meadow Fault

Lapeyrouse
Field

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(After Morton et al., 2002)
 Gas Fields in Southern Louisiana

Figure 2.10b – pg.39

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 Severe Depletion Within Compartments

Figure 2.10a – pg.39

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 South Eugene Island

Figure 2.5 – pg.33

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 N-S Cross Section

Figure 2.6 – pg.34

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 OI Sand

Figure 2.7 – pg.35

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 Production-Induced Pore Pressure Variations Within
Compartments

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 Overpressure at Depth – Can Gradients > δSv/δz?

Monte Christo

Figure 2.2 – pg.30

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 True Gradients vs. Apparent Gradients

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 Outline

Section 1
• Pore Pressure and Reservoir
Compartmentalization

Section 2
• Development of Overpressure

Section 3
• Pore Pressure Prediction

Section 4
• Geologic Factors Contributing to the
Macondo Well Blowout
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 Mechanisms of Overpressure Generation

不均衡
Disequilibrium Compaction Aquathermal Compaction
(compaction and (temperature increase)
porosity loss due to
burial is faster than fluid
flow and pressure Mineral diagenesis
equilibrium) (dehydration reaction
such as smectite to
Tectonic Compression illite)
(rapid increase in
tectonic loading) Hydrocarbon maturation
(volumetric expansion
Hydrocarbon column heights of kerogen to oil/gas)
(buoyancy of oil and gas)
浮力

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 N-S Cross Section

Figure 2.6 – pg.34

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 Diffusion Times and Distances Compaction
Disequilibrium in Shales

2 2
l
(φβf + βr )ηl
τ= =
κ k
Equation 2.2


– pg. 41

logτ = 2 log l − log k − 16

Equation 2.3


– pg. 41

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 Diffusion Times

1-2 km distances

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 Pore Pressure in Wells in a Field in the
Northern North Sea
40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54
2600 2600

A
Pore Pressure in Wells in a Field
in the Northern North Sea B
C
D
2800 2800
E
F
G
H
I
3000 J 3000
K
L

3200 3200

Hydrostatic
Pore Pressure
3400 Gradient 3400

3600 3600
40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54
Pore Pressure (MPa)
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 Variations of Pressure in South Eugene Island

Figure 2.8 a – pg.36

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 The Centroid Effect

Figure 2.12


– pg. 43

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 Outline

Section 1
• Pore Pressure and Reservoir
Compartmentalization

Section 2
• Development of Overpressure

Section 3
• Pore Pressure Prediction

Section 4
• Geologic Factors Contributing to the
Macondo Well Blowout
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 Shale Porosity as a Function of σv

Figure 2.13


– pg. 46
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 Comparison of Compaction Trends for Shales
and Sands

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 Estimating Pore Pressure 1

Overpressure Results in Undercompaction

(Abnormally High Porosity) at Depth

Figure 2.14 – pg.48

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 Empirical Methods for Determining Shale Pore Pressure
from Sonic Data

x
"$ 1 - ϕv %
P = Sv - ( Sv - P
p
sh
p
hydro
)# 1- ϕn &
where,
x is an empirical coefficient
ϕ v = porosity from shale travel time
ϕ n = porosity from normal trend

M. Traugott (unpublished)

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 Empirical Method for Determining Shale Pore Pressure
from Resistivity Data

( Sv " Sv Pphydro% " Ro % 1. 2 +

P = z* − $ −
sh
'
& # Rn & -,
p
) z # z z
where,
Ro = observed shale resistivity
Rn = expected resistivity from
normal trend

M. Traugott (unpublished)

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 Estimating Pore Pressure 2
Estimating Pore Pressure from Sonic-Derived Vint

vi = 5000 + AσB (after Bowers, 1994)

where vi is the interval velocity
and σ is effective stress
σ = 0.93 z - Pp
(0.93 psi/ft is the overburden gradient)
1
# v - 5000 & B
Pp = 0.93z - % (
$ A '
where A =19.8 and B = 0.62

(after Stump and Flemings, 1998)

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 Potential Problem with Using Compaction Trends

Figure 2.18a


– pg. 54
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 Shale Compaction Trends-Mahakam Delta, Indonesia

Figure 2.18
b – pg. 54
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 Estimating Pore Pressure 3

Estimating Pore Pressure from Interval

Velocity in Sands (with clay)

−16.7σ
Vp = 5.77 − 6.94φ − 1.73 C + 0.446(σ − e )

−16.7σ
Vs = 3.70 − 4.94φ − 1.57 C + 0.361(σ − e )

Eberhart-Phillips, Han and Zoback (1989)

Equations 2.11
& 2.12 – pg. 53

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 Outline

Section 1
• Pore Pressure and Reservoir
Compartmentalization

Section 2
• Development of Overpressure

Section 3
• Pore Pressure Prediction

Section 4
• Geologic Factors Contributing to the
Macondo Well Blowout
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 Geologic Factors (Pore Pressure and Stress) Contributing to the
Macondo Well and Deepwater Horizon Accident

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 Drilling in the
Presence of
Increasing Pore
Pressure Frac Gradient

Pore Pressure

Fig. 10.3a

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 Essentially no “Window” for safe cementing

• 5 sands at markedly different

pore pressures that decrease
with depth.
• Drilling accidentally frac’d the
low pressure sands while 14.1 ppg

drilling with 14.3 ppg mud and

lost circulation.
• Lowering the mud weight to
14.17 ppg allowed them to 12.6 ppg

finish drilling.
• Frac gradient ~14.2-14.3 ppg
• Requires ~18% N2 in mud to
lower density

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 Essentially no “Window” for safe cementing

• Requires ~18% N2 in mud to

lower density of foamed cement
and stratified column of fluids of
exactly the correct volumes and
14.1 ppg

densities, etc.

• It is possible that the open hole

section was hydraulically 12.6 ppg

fractured during cementing

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 Essentially no “Window” for safe cementing

• Requires ~18% N2 in mud to

lower density of foamed
cement and stratified column
of fluids of exactly the correct
14.1 ppg

volumes and densities, etc.

• It is possible that the open

hole section was 12.6 ppg

hydraulically fractured during

cementing

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