Identification of Coal Beds and

Estimation of Stress Magnitudes

using Well Log Data

Active Learning Session for

PET 318 Unconventional Hydrocarbons

Dr. Suman Paul

Associate Professor
Department of Petroleum Engineering
Presidency University, Bengaluru
Identification of Coal Beds
using Well Logs
Well log derived physical parameters for coal
bearing litho-units of Jharia coalfield, India
Density Resistivity Gamma Ray
Litho-unit
(gm/cc) (ohm-m) (cps)
Coal 1.30 - 1.65 500 - 4000 20 - 75
Shaly Coal 1.60 - 1.90 400 - 800 70 - 90
Carbonaceous Shale 1.45 - 1.60 250 - 400 90 - 180
Shale 2.00 - 2.55 1 - 15 90 - 280
Sand / Sandstone 1.95 - 2.72 50 - 400 30 - 60
Jhama 1.70 - 2.00 20 - 60 20 - 50
Estimation of Stress Magnitudes
using Well Logs
Determine the followings with the help of established equations:

(a) Vertical Stress (VS1) = Depth1 x Density1 x 9.852 x 0.001

Vertical Stress (VS2) = ((Depth2-Depth1) x Density2 x 9.852 x 0.001 + VS1

(b) Pore Pressure (PP1) = 1.1 x 9.852 x 0.001 x Depth 1

(c) Effective Vertical Stress (EVS1) = VS1 – PP1

(d) Effective Horizontal Stress (EHS1) = EVS1 x (0.32 / (1 – 0.32))

(Where, 0.32 is the Poisson’s Ratio of Coal in Jharia coalfield)
The Tectonic Stress Field

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Why understanding of Stress is important?
The key component of a comprehensive geomechanical model is knowledge of the current
state of stress.

Wellbore failure occurs because the stress concentrated around the circumference of a
well exceeds the strength of a rock.

A fault will slip when the ratio of shear to effective normal stress resolved on the fault
exceeds its frictional strength.

Depletion causes changes in the stress state of the reservoir that can be beneficial, or
detrimental, to production in a number of ways.

Determination of the state of stress at depth in oil and gas fields is a tractable problem that
can be addressed with data that are routinely obtained (or are straightforwardly obtainable)
when wells are drilled.

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Distribution of stress in the Earth’s Crust
 Compressive stress exists everywhere at depth in the earth. Stress magnitudes depend
on depth, pore pressure and active geologic processes that act at a variety of different
spatial and temporal scales. There are three fundamental characteristics about the
stress field that are of first-order importance:
 Knowledge of stress at depth is of fundamental importance for addressing a wide
range of practical problems in geomechanics within oil, gas and geothermal
reservoirs and in the overlaying formations.
 The in situ stress field at depth is remarkably coherent over a variety of scales.
These scales become self-evident as data from various sources are analyzed and
synthesized.
 It is relatively straightforward to measure, estimate or constrain stress magnitudes
at depth using techniques that are practical to implement in oil, gas and
geothermal reservoirs. Hence, the state of stress is directly determinable using
techniques that will be discussed in the chapters that follow.

 In short, the in situ stress field in practice is determinable, comprehensible and needed
to address a wide range of problems in reservoir geomechanics.

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Distribution of stress in the Earth’s Crust

The geomechanical model begins by defining the principal stress tensor. The
principal stress tensor resolves the in situ stresses into three mutually perpendicular
vectors, S1, S2 and S3. S1 is greater than or equal to S2, which is greater than or
equal to S3.

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Distribution of stress in the Earth’s Crust
Sources of Stress in the Crust – Plate Tectonic Stresses

Broadly, plates are driven by the cooling lithosphere away from ocean spreading ridges
and by the descent of cooled lithosphere back toward the center of the earth.

Other driving forces include collision resistance forces, topographically induced forces,
and lithospheric bending and flexure.

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Distribution of stress in the Earth’s Crust
Sources of Stress in the Crust

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes
 In applying the concepts to the earth’s crust, it is helpful to consider the magnitudes of
the greatest, intermediate, and least principal stress at depth ( S1, S2, and S3) in terms of
Sv, SHmax and Shmin in the manner originally proposed by E. M. Anderson.

 As illustrated in Figure 1 and Table 1, the Anderson’s Scheme classifies an area as

being characterized by normal, strike-slip or reverse faulting depending on whether
 (i) the crust is extending and steeply dipping normal faults accommodate
movement of the hanging wall (the block of rock above the fault) downward with
respect to the footwall (the block below the fault),
 (ii) blocks of crust are sliding horizontally past one another along nearly vertical
strike-slip faults or
 (iii) the crust is in compression and relatively shallow-dipping reverse faults are
associated with the hanging wall block moving upward with respect to the
footwall block.

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes
 The Anderson’s Classification Scheme also defines the horizontal principal stress
magnitudes with respect to the vertical stress.

 The vertical stress, Sv, is the maximum principal stress (S1) in normal faulting regimes,
the intermediate principal stress (S2) in strike-slip regimes and the least principal
stress (S3) in reverse faulting regimes.

 The dip and strike of expected normal, strike-slip and reverse faults with respect to the
principal stress..

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

Tectonic regimes are

defined in terms of the
relationship between the
vertical stress (Sv) and two
mutually perpendicular
horizontal stresses (SHmax
and Shmin).

Figure 1: E. M. Anderson’s Classification Scheme for Relative Stress Magnitudes in Normal,

Strike-slip and Reverse faulting regimes.

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes
The relative magnitudes of the vertical stress (Sv), maximum horizontal stress
(SHmax) and minimum horizontal stress (Shmin) define the stress regime.

In a normal faulting stress regime Sv is the maximum principal stress, SHmax is the
intermediate principal stress and Shmin is the least principal stress.

In a strike-slip faulting stress regime SHmax is the maximum principal stress, Sv is the
intermediate principal stress and Shmin is the least principal stress.

In a reverse faulting stress regime Sv is the least principal stress, Shmin is the
intermediate principal stress and SHmax x is the maximum principal stress.

The stress regimes define types of faulting that would be likely if the stress
differences are high enough.

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes
Table 1: Relative Stress Magnitudes and Faulting Regimes

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes
 The magnitude of Sv is equivalent to integration of rock densities from the surface to the
depth of interest, z. In other words,

… (Eqn. 1)

where ρ(z) is the density as a function of depth, g is gravitational acceleration and

ρ is the mean overburden density (Jaeger and Cook 1971).

 In offshore areas, it is corrected for water depth

… (Eqn. 2)

where ρw is the density of water and zw is the water depth.

 As ρw ∼ 1 g/cm3 (1.0 SG), water pressure (hydrostatic pressure) increases at a rate of
10 MPa/km (0.44 psi/ft).

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

The stresses that created this normal fault may not be the
stresses acting on the rock today.

Normal Fault

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

The offsets show the sense of motion.

Strike-Slip Fault

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

Note in a thrust faulting environment the thickness of the

formation being drilled may be much more than in the zone
beyond the faulting

Reverse (Thrust) Fault

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

Geologic Structures Reflect Either Past or Current Stress Fields (or Both) we
are almost always going to be interested in the Current Stress State

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E.M. Anderson’s Classification of Relative Stress Magnitudes

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Thank you