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TAMU - Pemex

Well Control

Lesson 9A
Fracture Gradients
- cont’d
Fracture Gradients - cont’d
 Radial and Tangential Stresses near the
Wellbore
 Stresses in Rock near Wellbore
 Effect of Anisotropic Stresses
 Onshore vs. Offshore Fracture Gradients
 Fracture Gradients in Inclined Wellbores
 Oil Based and Water Based Drilling Fluids
2
Fig. 3.21 - Stress concentrations around a borehole
in a uniform stress field

Tension

Additional
compression
3
Fig. 3.22 - Induced stresses in the presence
of a biaxial-stress field 4
Example 3.4
Given:
 Formation depth = 10,000’
 Poisson’s ratio = 0.22
 Pore pressure grad = 0.433 psi/ft
 Hole diameter = 9.0 in
 Mud density = 8.33 ppg
 Overburden stress grad. = 1.00 psi/ft
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Example 3.4 - Part 1
1. Estimate the horizontal stress if the
rock behaves in an elastic manner
 Solution:
H = (/(1-))*(ob- pp) + pp ….Eq 3.21b
H = (0.22/(1 - 0.22))
* (1*10,000 - 0.433*10,000) + 4,330
H = 5,929 psi
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Example 3.4 – Part 1 - cont’d
 Effective horizontal stress

eH = H - *pp

If  = 1.0 and pp = 4,330 psig

Then, He = 5,929 – 4,330

eH = 1,599 psi


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Example 3.4 – Part 2
2. Estimate the tangential and radial stresses
at the borehole wall if the horizontal stresses
are equal.  r

r = pw … Eq. 3.24 pw

r = 4,330 psig


t = H1 + H2 - pw - 2(H1-H2) cos2Eq. 3.25

= 5,929 + 5,929 - 4,330 - 0 = 7,528 psig


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Example 3.4 – Part 2 – cont’d

 The corresponding effective stresses


are:

re = 4,330 - 4,330 = 0 psi

te = 7,528 - 4,330 = 3,198 psi

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Example 3.4- Part 3
3. What are the radial and tangential stresses
2.0 ft from the wellbore centerline?
 rw2  rw2
r,2 ft  H 1  2   2 p w Radial Stress: Eq. 3.31
 r  r
 4 .5 2  4 .5 2
r,2 ft  5,9291   4,330  5,873 psig
 24.0 2  24.0 2
 

 rw2  rw2
 t,2 ft  H 1  2   2 p w Tangential Stress: Eq. 3.32
 r  r
 4 . 5 2  4. 5 2
 t,2 ft  5,9291   4,330  5,985 psig
 24.0  24.0 2
2
 

(far away, H  5,929 psig) 10


Example 3.4 – Part 4
4. Estimate the tangential and radial
stresses at the borehole wall if 0.5 ppg
overbalance is provided by the mud
column.
 pw = 4,330 + 0.052 * 0.5 * 10,000

pw = 4,590 psig = r
t = H1 + H2 - pw -2(H1 - H2)cos2

= (2 * 5,929) - 4,590 = 7,268 psig


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Example 3.4 – Part 4 – cont’d
(0.5 lb/gal overbalance)

 The corresponding effective stresses


are:

re = 4,590 - 4,330 = 260 psi

te = 7,268 - 4,330 = 2,938 psi

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Example 3.4 – Part 5
( He1 = 3 * He2 )

5. What are the maximum and minimum


tangential stresses if

He2 =1,559 psi

He1 = 3 * 1,599 = 4,797 psi?

H1(max) = He1 + pp = 4,797 + 4,330

= 9,127 psig
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Example 3.4 – Part 5 – cont’t
t,max = 3 H1 - H2 - pw Eq. 3.26

= 3 * 9,127 - (1,599 + 4,330) - 4,330


= 17,122 psig

t,min = 3 H2 - H1 - pw Eq. 3.27

= 3 * 5,929 - 9,127 - 4,330


= 4,330 psig
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te,max = 17,122- 4,330
= 12,792 psi

te,min = 4,330 – 4,330


= 0 psi

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From example 3.4
The effective radial stress will be zero if
the wellbore and formation pressures
are balanced

The effective radial stress will increase


in compression as the wellbore
pressure increases

16
From example 3.4
An underbalanced situation will lead to
inward tensile stress which may tend to
destabilize the walls of the hole.

A positive differential pressure reduces


the induced circumferential stress, while
a negative differential pressure increases
the compression.
17
From example 3.4
In part (2) (isotropic), a wellbore
pressure in excess of 7,528 psi will
place the rock grains in tension and a
fracture will initiate if the tensile strength
is nil.
Being higher than the far field stress, this
fracture will propagate out into the rock

18
From example 3.4
An effective horizontal stress ratio of
three exactly reduces the minimum
effective tangential stress to zero.
Any borehole pressure slightly over and
above the pore pressure in this case
would place the wellbore in tension and
likely create a fracture. No extension!

19
Stress anisotropies
Borehole caliper logs
may help in determining
significant stress
anisotropies.

20
21
Example 3.5 – Part 1 - fractures
 Eaton’s overburdent gradient at
12,000 ft = 0.961 psi/ft. ts = 0
 2 
g fi     
 g ob  g p  g p  ts Fracture Initiation
 1   D
Eq. 3.41
 2 * 0.19 
g fi     0.961  0.465   0.465  0  0.698 psi / ft
 1  0.19 

  
g fp    
 g ob  g p  g p
Fracture Propagation
Eq. 3.42
 1  
 0.19 
g fp     0.961  0.465   0.465  0.581 psi / ft
 1  0.19 
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Example 3.5 – Part 2: gp = 0.779 psi/ft
 At 12,000 ft, gob = 0.961 psi/ft. ts = 0
 2  
g fi    
 g ob  g p  g p  ts Fracture Initiation
 1   D
Eq. 3.41
 2 * 0.19 
gfi     0.961  0.779   0.779  0  0.864 psi / ft
 1  0.19 

  
g fp    
 g ob  g p  g p Fracture Propagation
 1   Eq. 3.42

 0.19 
g fp     0.961  0.779   0.779  0.822 psi / ft
 1  0.19 
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Example 3.5 – Part 3:
gfi at 500 ft = ?

 At 500 ft, gob = 0.855 psi/ft. (Eaton)

 Shallow, so the fracture gradient is that


required to lift the overburden

g fi  g fp  g ob  0.855 psi / ft

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Example 3.5 – Part 4: ts = 300 psig

Impact of tensile strength on gfi is what?


 2 
  g  g   g 

g  
fi ob p p
ts
1 
  D

 ts 300
 At 12,000 ft: 
D 12,000
 0.025 psi / ft

 ts 300
 At 500 ft, 
D 500
 0.60 psi / ft  gfi  1.46 psi / ft

 Predicted breakdown pressure at 500 ft is ~ 1.5


psi/ft! Lifting the overburden is probably easier…
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Offshore/On Land gob = s/D
gob = (psw+s)/D
= (psw+s)/(Da+Dsw+Ds) = s/(Da+ Ds)

Higher overburden gradient


Lower overburden gradient
Higher fracture gradient
Lower fracture gradient
See Eaton’s paper 26
From Eaton’s paper
Fig. 3
Water Depth, ft
Try to duplicate this

1,
00
TVD below RKB, 1,000 ft

0
TVD Water ob
Depth
7,0
0 0

11,000 1,000 0.9


11,000 7,000 0.6

0.9 psi/ft = 17.3 lb/gal

0.6 0.9 0.6 psi/ft = 11.5 lb/gal


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Overburden Gradient, psi/ft
Deep Water

Poisson’s Original

ratio

TVD below RKB, 1,000 ft


from
Eaton

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Poisson’s Ratio
Inclined wellbores
The prior induced stress equations are
valid only if the wellbore axis is parallel
to the maximum principal stress axis.

Some vertical wellbores, and most


inclined and horizontal wellbores do not
satisfy this criterion.

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Inclined wellbores
In general, such wellbores tend to have
lower fracture gradients.

They often have more compressive


stability problems than comparable,
near-vertical wells in the same area.

30
Max. prin. Stress dir.
Wellbore direction

31
E

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Example 3.6
 Inclination = 70 deg  Pore Pressure
 Azimuth = N88E = 12.0 ppg
 TVD = 14,000’  Poisson’s ratio = 0.25
 Maximum in situ stress  Assume elastic
is vertical behavior
 Minimum horiz. Stress
grad. = 0.739 psi/ft
 Estimate the
 Salt dome intrusion has
created an incremental fracture pressure
horizontal stress of 0.061
psi/ft in the S42E direction

33
Example
3.6

AWELL = N88E

IWELL = 70 deg

 = 50 deg

S42E

34
Example 3.6

35
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.47

36
Example 3.6 – cont’d
Eq. 3.48

Eq. 3.49

37
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.50

38
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.51

Eq. 3.52

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Example 3.6 – cont’d

 is the hole position (Fig. 3.28)


40
*

41
Continued iterations show that gfi = 0.695 psi/ft
In a vertical well gfi = 0.794 psi/ft 42
Vary  to find the minimum value of 3 43
Next, gradually increase the wellbore pressure
until the effective minimum principal stress at
the wellbore vanishes.
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Borehole Lost
instability circulation

Maximum (theoretical) safe inclination


45
Effect of mud filtrate loss
Pore Pressure near wellbore is increased
Effective tangential stress is reduced

Therefore fracture initiation


pressure is reduced
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Effect of mud filtrate 1. Most of the p
occurs across the filter
cake
2. Lower pore
pressure than in high
flow case
3. Effective hoop
stress is higher
4. Fracture
resistance is higher
5. High quality mud is
important

47
Oil Base Muds
Are more prone to lost circulation than
water based muds!

Why?

48
Oil Base Muds
Rheology - Oil base muds tend to be
more viscous at low shear rates than
comparable water base muds, thus
yielding higher ECD

Oil muds tend to be more compressible,


thereby yielding higher densities and
higher pressures

49
Oil Base Muds
 But…
 oil muds also have higher relative
thermal expansions
 temperature changes when circulation
stops
 so, wellbore pressures change
50
Mud Temperature > Rock Temperature
in upper part of hole

Mud
Temperature in
Annulus

Mud Temperature < Rock Temperature


in lower part of hole
51
As the oil mud heats up, the density drops

This results in a drop in BHP


52
Better filter cake increases the
fracture resistance of the rock.

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Example 3.7
At 80 oF formation temperature the
fracture gradient is 0.864 psi/ft
 = 0.19 D = 500’
While drilling deeper, the temperature in
the vicinity of the wellbore increases to 90
deg F.
What is the new fracture gradient?
Assume E = 2.5* 106  = 8.0*10-6/ oF
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Example 4.7
(et)T = ET/(1-) Eq. 3.62

(et)T =(2.5*106)(8.0*10-6)(90-80)/(1-0.19)

(et)T = 247 psi

New gfi = 0.864+(247/500) = 1.358 psi/ft

This helps explain why gfi may increase


with time.
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