Geomechanical Modeling Under Industry Standards

Abstract Geomechanical modelling is widely applied in projecting oil and gas field development. Geomechanics are essential to three basic approaches: supporting oil and gas wells drilling in order to reduce the risk of hole instability (one-dimensional geomechanics).an adequation of effective stress of the reservoir occurs in the process of oil and gas field development. Stress condition changes modelling allows to consider their influence on the development parameters (three-dimensional geomechanics).preparing FRAC design and subsequent forthcoming debit appraisal. Despite the wide expansion of geomechanical modelling some oil and gas producers do not apply it, considering it useless waste of resource. Even though vast experience shows that conducting certain research programs and developing geomechanical models can considerably increase drilling and development process efficiency. Furthermore, laboratory test and calculation expenses are materially lower than potential losses. But implementing new technology (geomechanical modelling in particular) to efficient oil and gas production processes is not always simple since it is necessary to justify the currentness of additional expenses and unevident profit. Apart from the difficulties in slow implementation there is a variety of new companies that offer geomechanical modelling service. Each company offers its own approach to core examination, to specifying necessary number of samples and to the process of modelling. The customer has to choose the optimal technology of geomechanical modelling. Still the methodological basis of core examination must be settled plainly. Therefore geomechanical modelling, an essential element of field development project documentation, has no standards or regulations which makes it hard to evaluate the prediction calculations. The study addresses the question of necessity of regulation/standardization in geomechanical modelling at the government level (as with regulating the development plan and the calculation of reserves).