Multiscale Geomechanical Modeling for Oil Well Stability Windows
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for determining well stability during drilling lack integration with larger geological contexts, leading to uncertainties and inefficiencies in well planning, particularly in modeling the stability window and applying appropriate drilling pressures.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method for multiscale analysis that integrates geomechanical modeling on a basin scale with well-scale simulations, incorporating tectonic effects and physical couplings, using finite element meshes and optimization methods to determine the stability window and drilling pressures.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional methods using seismic data and overload calculation are used to determine in situ stress state, then the process is simple and direct, but the reliability and accuracy of stability window determination is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a nested multiscale modeling approach where well-scale geomechanical models are embedded within basin-scale models. The well-scale analysis (determining stability window) is nested inside the broader basin-scale geomechanical context, allowing local well stability to be evaluated while accounting for regional tectonic effects and large-scale stress fields. This nesting structure enables the determination of in situ stress state with higher reliability by combining local and regional geological information.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the geomechanical analysis into distinct scales: basin-scale modeling that captures regional tectonic effects and large-scale stress fields, and well-scale modeling that focuses on local well stability. This segmentation allows each scale to be modeled with appropriate complexity and data requirements, while the results are integrated to produce a comprehensive stability window determination with enhanced reliability.
2Measurement precision
If multiscale numerical modeling integrating basin-scale and well-scale analysis is performed, then the accuracy of in situ stress state estimation is improved, but the modeling time is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by first performing basin-scale geomechanical modeling to establish the regional stress field and tectonic effects before conducting well-scale analysis. This preliminary basin-scale model provides pre-calculated stress boundaries and initial conditions that are then used in the well-scale modeling, avoiding the need to recompute regional effects and reducing overall modeling time while maintaining accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from traditional single-scale modeling to multiscale modeling by adding a temporal and hierarchical dimension to the analysis. The basin-scale and well-scale models are coupled in a hierarchical framework where results from one scale inform the other, enabling accurate stress state estimation without requiring simultaneous computation of all parameters at maximum resolution, thus reducing computational time.
3Adaptability or versatility
If direct application of seismic data and overload calculation is used for well-scale modeling, then the process is straightforward, but the integration with larger geological context is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges basin-scale and well-scale geomechanical models into a unified multiscale framework. The basin-scale model that captures regional tectonic effects and large-scale stress fields is combined with the well-scale model that focuses on local well stability. This merging allows the well-scale analysis to be directly informed by and adapted to the larger geological context, enhancing the versatility and geological realism of the stability window determination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses the basin-scale geomechanical model as an intermediary that translates regional tectonic effects and large-scale stress fields into boundary conditions and initial parameters for the well-scale model. This intermediary role allows seamless integration of different scales and geological contexts without requiring direct complex coupling, managing the overall system complexity while achieving comprehensive geological integration.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a method for obtaining a stability window by applying multiscale numerical modeling (sedimentary basin-well) capable of estimating with greater accuracy the in-situ state used in well-scale analysis. Specifically, the present invention proposes modeling steps that treat the geomechanical analysis for well drilling projects as a multiscale analysis, with the possibility of including tectonic effects and physical couplings observed at larger scales (sedimentary basin, regional or lithospheric) in well-scale simulations. In general, the modeling is performed through the direct application of seismic data and the calculation of the overload to determine the parameters and boundary and initial conditions of the simulation, that is, without directly connecting the well-scale modeling with the larger geological context.