COURSE

Thermal Reservoir Geomechanics

1.               Geomechanics Introduction

• description of geomechanics as applied to petroleum engineering

2.               Rock Mechanics Fundamentals

• mechanical properties
• strength
• stress/strain
• gas exsolution & core disturbance
• shearing, dilation, & increased permeability
• absolute permeability of oilsands

3.               Stresses

• in situ rock stresses
• stress orientations
• stress magnitudes
• minifrac tests
• formation pressures
• tectonics
• injection pressures for shearing
• fracturing
• geomechanical-quality core
• geomechanical laboratory procedures and tests

4.               Thermal Processes

• overview of common thermal processes
• waterflood
• steamflood
• CSS
• SAGD
• TAGOGD
• air injection
• THAI
• CAPRI
• VAPEX

5.               SAGD

• mechanics of the SAGD process
• injection pressures for geomechanical enhancement
• directional shearing
• mudstones as baffles and barriers
• heat transfer:  conduction vs. convection
• injection pressure as a function of depth
• vertical and lateral strains
• surface heave
• low pressure vs. high pressure steam injection

6.               CSS

• mechanics of the CSS process
• reservoir properties changes with increased steam cycles
• early, mid, and late cycle CSS
• ground surface uplift and subsidence
• influence of dilation on uphole aquifer

7.               Caprock Integrity

• hydraulic vs. mechanical integrity
• typical stress profile
• laboratory tests
• natural joints in shale
• minifrac tests
• fault reactivation
• critical azimuths
• stress arching

8.               Thermal Stresses

• effects on fractures
• effects on oilsands
• thermal strains & stresses
• thermal jacking
• fracture flow

9.               Borehole Stability and Casing Integrity

• borehole stability
• rock strength
• hydraulically-induced shale fracture
• casing failures during CSS

10.           Instrumentation & Monitoring

• types of geomechanical instrumentation
• InSAR
• 4-D seismic
• example measurements

11.           Workflow

• knowing objectives
• building links with “how” and “why”
• example

12.           Summary

Revised: March 04, 2008 .