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SPE 69529

Modeling Aspects of Wellbore Stability in Shales


M. Frydman, SPE, PUC-Rio and S.A.B. da Fontoura, SPE, PUC-Rio

Copyright 2001, Society of Petroleum Engineers Inc.


demand upon the knowledge of how these shales will react to
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Latin American and Caribbean Petroleum the increase in exposition time to the drilling fluid.
Engineering Conference held in Buenos Aires, Argentina, 25–28 March 2001.
In this paper, the simulation of stress changes during
This paper was selected for presentation by an SPE Program Committee following review of
information contained in an abstract submitted by the author(s). Contents of the paper, as
drilling of an inclined wellbore in a saturated porous medium
presented, have not been reviewed by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and are subject to subjected to an anisotropic stress field and a non-isothermal
correction by the author(s). The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of the Society of Petroleum Engineers, its officers, or members. Papers presented at condition is analyzed. Results of three different models are
SPE meetings are subject to publication review by Editorial Committees of the Society of
Petroleum Engineers. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper
compared: an elastic model2,3 without a diffusion process, a
for commercial purposes without the written consent of the Society of Petroleum Engineers is poroelastic model4-6 and a numerical chemical-hydro-
prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more than 300
words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous mechanical model7,8.
acknowledgment of where and by whom the paper was presented. Write Librarian, SPE, P.O.
Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-972-952-9435.
Mechanisms of shale-fluid interaction
Shale behavior during drilling is defined by a complex
Abstract combination of mechanical, hydraulic, chemical, thermal and
Drilling problems associated with wellbore instability are electrical processes. The coupled nature of these processes
normally aggravated when crossing shale layers. Instabilities cannot be fully understood if each mechanism is considered
in shales may be caused by a complex mechanism of shale- independent of each other. The possible mechanisms of
drilling fluid interaction and by the overstress of the rock drilling fluid – shale interaction can be expressed through the
formation. Wellbore stability models that include some aspects fundamentals of conduction phenomena in porous media.
of this coupled phenomenon have already been developed. Mitchell9 described the flow of water and salts through a
However, the use of these models without the knowledge of porous medium and the corresponding driving forces. Table 1
the associated simplifications may lead to wrong conclusions. summarizes the links between flow components and driving
The present paper discusses the modeling aspects of the mechanisms. Even though the thermal and the electrical
coupled process. Three formulations are compared: an potential gradient has been recognized as an important
analytical elastic solution without the diffusion process, an mechanism for generating water flow in shales6,9,10, the
analytical poroelastic solution and a numerical chemical- contribution as a possible mechanism for stabilizing shales
hydro-mechanical model. The objective is to analyze the will not be discussed in the present article.
applicability of each model.
Mathematical Models
Introduction In this section, the basic laws and mathematical models that
More than three-fourths of the world drilling is done in shales describe the porous medium system will be presented. The
that are responsible for the major source (90%) of instability porous system is visualized as an isotropic, continuum
cases and problems associated with the drilling operation. medium where the variables are treated at a macroscopic level,
Cases of instabilities of wellbores drilled through shales have i.e., their values are averaged over a representative elementary
been reported in the literature for six decades1. Some cost volume.
surveys disclosed in the literature show that over $1 billion
USD per year is spent on stability problems due to non-drilling Transport Equations. The complete fluid transport equations
unscheduled events. It is easy to conclude that there is a great can be obtained adding up the components of advection and
economical incentive in identifying the correct source of these diffusion for the ions transport; Darcy’s equation and chemical
problems in order to apply the appropriate solution. osmosis fluid flow. Frydman and Fontoura11 present an
The increase in the drilling of directional wells and the extensive work on the elements of the coupled chemical-
elimination of oil-based drilling fluids has imposed great hydro-mechanical transport equations. The following
technical difficulties and higher operational costs for equations represent the flow through a porous medium when
controlling wellbore instabilities. At the same time, the long, considering a physico-chemical interaction:
inclined, openhole sections in shales associated with the
drilling of extended-reach wells have introduced an extra
2 M. FRYDMAN AND S.A.B. DA FONTOURA SPE 69529

k   k RT  Fluid flow continuity equation. This equation is formulated


j f = − ρ  ∇( p + ρgh)  + ρ w  rni∇C  ..…………(1) considering the mass conservation of a compressible fluid over
µ   µ Ms  a representative elementary volume.
j = C q − D ∇C ……………………………………….(2)  κ κ RT 
∇T  − ρ ∇( p + ρgh ) + ρ w rni∇C  +
In Eq. 1, jf is the fluid mass flux density vector that  µ µ Mw  …….………(4)
corresponds to the fluid mass flowing per unit time through a ∂ε ∂m
φ ρ mT + =0
unit cross-sectional area. The first term corresponds to Darcy’s ∂t ∂t
law, where g is the gravity acceleration, p is the pore-pressure,
k is the intrinsic permeability tensor of the porous medium and In the above equation, the solid phase velocity (rock matrix) is
h is the elevation of the point above some reference level (in related to the volume deformation (εv). ∂m/∂t corresponds to
the direction of g). The second component, osmosis effect, the freely moving fluid mass increase for the porous media.
corresponds to the movement of the solvent from the more Following the definition of connected porosity, the freely
diluted to the more concentrated solution. In the osmosis term, moving fluid mass and its rate of change, can be expressed by:
T is the absolute temperature, R is the gas constant (R=8.314 J
m = ρφ ∂m ∂φ ∂ρ …….….…(5)
K-1mol-1), C is the solute mass concentration (dimension = ρ+ φ
∂t ∂t ∂t
M/L3), Ms is the molar mass of the solute, ni is the number of
particles formed upon dissociation of the salt. As shale is not a In Eq. 5, the term ρ ∂φ ∂t is the fluid mass variation due to
perfect osmotic membrane, the osmotic flow is corrected10,11 modification of porous volume, and φ ∂ρ ∂t corresponds to
through a reflection coefficient r. The bulk fluid properties are the fluid mass density variation.
the density, ρ, and the dynamic viscosity, µ (or in the
combined form of the kinematics viscosity, ν=µ/ρ). It is Rock mechanical behavior. It is assumed herein that the
considered a binary fluid, consisting of two components: water behavior of a porous medium is controlled by the effective
and concentrated salt solution, where the bulk fluid density stress. Eq. 6 presents the definition of effective stress
and viscosity of the mixture present a linear relationship with considering a non-linear behavior.
pore-pressure, temperature and salt concentration The solvent  D m
fluid properties are the density, ρω, and the dynamic viscosity, dσ = dσ '− m − T dp ………………………………(6)
µω.  3K T 
In Eq. 2, j is the salt mass flux density vector that where, for the 3D case, dσ and dσ’ are 6x1 vectors describing
corresponds to the salt mass flowing per unit time through an stress increments, DT is the constitutive tangent matrix that
unit cross-sectional area (dimension M/(TL2)), q is the Darcy’s relate effective stresses to strains, KT is the tangent bulk
filtration velocity (also defined as specific discharge vector) modulus of the solid phase and m is a 6x1 vector that contains
that corresponds to the volume of fluid flowing per unit time elements equal to one, for normal stresses, and equal to zero
through a unit cross-sectional area (dimension L/T) and D is for shear stresses. Eq. 6 reflects the generalized form of Biot’s
the diffusivity tensor (dimension L2/T). Bear25 presents an constant treated, in this fashion, as a vector. The constitutive
extensive work on the elements of the three-dimensional relation between the effective stress increment and the
diffusivity tensor. In the developed computer program, the deformation increment (dε) is formulated as:
general formulation for D is implemented, including terms of
dispersion and diffusion.  D m
dσ = DT dε −  m − T dp ……………………………(7)
 3K T 
Salt mass continuity equation. The salt mass continuity
equation is obtained through the mass conservation of the salt The equilibrium equations relates total stresses (σ) with
mass over a fixed representative elementary volume and it can body forces (b) and is expressed by:
be formulated as an extension of Fick’s second law. As the ∂σ ij
solid phase (rock matrix) is moving, it can be expressed as a ∑ ∂x
j
+ bi = 0 …………………………………….……(8)
function of the particle mass and solid velocities. j

∂ (φC ) ∂ε ...…(3)
∇ (C q ) + ∇ (D ∇C ) −
1 T 1 T 1
=− φm Analytical Models
∂t Rd Rd Rd ∂t
Both analytical solutions, elastic and poroelastic, are based on
In Eq. 3, the solid phase velocity (rock matrix) is related to the a loading decomposition scheme. Let us consider an inclined
volumetric deformation (εv)11, φ is the connected porosity and wellbore drilled through a poroelastic porous material,
Rd is the retardation factor for linear, reversible and subjected to an in situ stress field (σv, σH and σh), a virgin
instantaneous sorption; witch represents the delay in the solute pore-pressure (p0) and internal wellbore pressure (pw). The
velocity due to ion sorption to the rock. system of coordinates (x’-y’-z’) is parallel to the in situ
principal stresses (Fig. 1). For a matter of solution
simplification, the borehole coordinate system (x-y-z) is used
SPE 69529 MODELING ASPECTS OF WELLBORE STABILITY IN SHALES 3

during problem decomposition. The first step to solve the mass and fluid conservation equations (Eq. 3 and 4) and the
problem is to rotate the in situ principal stresses (σv, σH and equilibrium equations (Eq. 8). The rock matrix is modeled as
σh) to the borehole coordinate system (x-y-z) using a single an elasto-plastic material described through a Mohr-Coulomb
stress rotation12. model with a non-associated flow rule model. A computer
Fig. 1 shows the in situ principal stresses represented in program has been developed to solve this highly nonlinear
the borehole coordinate system (x-y-z). As the direction does problem. The code verification and model validation were
not coincide to the principal stress direction, the presence of conducted in two parts. Initially, the hydro-mechanical
shear stresses (τxy, τyz, τzx) can be observed (Fig. 2). Using the problem was verified through analytical solutions24. After that,
linearity form of the governing equations, the original problem the implemented physico-chemical effects were validated with
can be decomposed into two fundamental problems (Fig. 3): a experimental results. The pressure transmission test, described
plane-strain and an elastic antiplane shear problem. by van Oort10, was selected as benchmark to test the computer
program developed using the methodology described above. A
Analytical elastic model does not recognize the transient transient analysis was performed, showing an excellent
nature of the stresses and pore-pressures around the wellbore. agreement between the numerical and the experimental results.
In this formulation, the fluid and the ions diffusion processes Frydman and Fontoura11 present a number of numerical results
are not described. The chemical differences between the of this comparison.
drilling fluid and the formation fluid are not taken into
account, and although it uses the effective stress concept (Eq. Selected Example
6), the fluid flow continuity condition (Eq. 4) is not respected. The behavior of an inclined wellbore drilled through a
The equilibrium equations (Eq. 8) are solved based on the saturated porous medium subjected to an anisotropic stress
loading decomposition scheme described above. The elastic field is analyzed (Fig. 5). The material properties for this
plane strain problem (Fig 3) is solved through the classic example are described in Table 2. Using the methodologies
Kirsch’s solution for stress distribution around a circular hole described above, a analysis was performed for different
in an infinite plate. This solution is superposed with the elastic scenarios:
antiplane shear solution. As the pore-pressure diffusion is not 1. Analytical elastic model – The non-permeable condition
formulated, the method establishes its distribution4. Two will be used for the pore-pressure distribution;
distributions are normally used: permeable and non-permeable 2. Analytical poroelastic model - the differences between the
condition (Fig. 4). The first one uses the steady state drilling fluid and the formation fluid will not be taken into
condition, while the second one considers that the initial pore- account;
pressure does not change with wellbore excavation. 3. Numerical model 1 - the differences between the drilling
fluid and the formation fluid will not be taken into
Analytical Poroelastic model. In this formulation, the ions account;
diffusion processes are not described. The fluid flow 4. Numerical model 2– considering 538 kg/m3 of CaCl2
continuity equation (Eq. 4) is solved without taking into solution with an increase of the fluid viscosity with salt
account the salt concentration component. Detournay and concentration to 5.2 cp.
Cheng13 developed the poroelastic, transient, isothermal and The analytical elastic model could not represents the
plane-strain analytical solution. Many researchers extended transient behavior around the wellbore, the pore-pressure is
this solution to other problems using the same proposed considered constant and equal to the formation pressure. This
methodology6,14-17. The drilling process is simulated, deficiency is not observed in the other models. Figs. 7 to 9
considering the instantaneous excavation of the wellbore, and show the pore-pressure evolution for the analytical poroelastic
the coupled equations were solved using the Laplace model and the numerical models. It can be noted for the short
transform. To calculate the poroelastic response, numerical time after drilling the presence of underbalance and
techniques to inversely transform the solution are used. In this overbalance regions in the same cross-section of the wellbore.
methodology, the problem is divided into three fundamental This behavior is generated by the volume deformation around
modes, two symmetric and another anti-symmetric, and the the wellbore after the excavation. Considering the coupled
fully coupled equations are solved. effect, hydraulic flow and stresses, the volume increase will
reduce the pore-pressure, at the same time; volume reduction
Numerical chemical-hydro-mechanical model. will increase the pore-pressure. As shale is a low permeability
Analytical wellbore stability models that include the physico- rock, this mechanism dictates the transient stability behavior.
chemical effects have already been developed18-22. However, The pore-pressure increase is associated to the reduction of the
some of the models use some simplifications that, in the confining effective stress (Eq. 6) and, consequently, reduction
authors opinion, cannot be applied to the problem, like of the strength. The size and magnitude of the underbalance
considering shale a perfect ion exclusion membrane18-22 and and overbalance regions depends on stress contrast at the
not taking into account the pore-pressure diffusion around the cross-sections, i.e., the importance of the borehole geometry
wellbore18-20. In the current work, it is used the numerical and in situ stress field.
solution developed by Frydman and Fontoura11,23. The
solution is formulated through three balance equations: the ion
4 M. FRYDMAN AND S.A.B. DA FONTOURA SPE 69529

Between the coupled models, it is also noted some Finally, more work is necessary to understand the
differences in the pore-pressure diffusion process. For the important problem of establishing the role of water based
elastic case, both, the analytical poroelastic method and the muds in to the stability of wellbores drilled through shales.
numerical model 1 are expected to give the same results. Future studies should consider the effects of temperature of
However, in this example a plastic area is formed (see Figs 10 the drilling fluid on top of all the effects mentioned herein.
and 11), the plastic deformation generates a volume increase,
due to the dilatancy effect, and consequently a reduction of Nomenclature
pore-pressure (see Figs 7 and 8). Comparing the plastic area C = particle mass concentration, M/L3
generated for both cases (Figs 10 and 11), it can be noted that D = diffusivity tensor, L2/T
the analytical poroelastic model, as it does not redistribute the DT = constitutive tangent matrix, M/LT2
stresses after plastification, under-estimate the plastic area. g = gravity acceleration, L/T2
Because that, it is not recommended the use of an analytical h = elevation of the point, L
poroelastic model beyond the elastic range. j = particle mass flux density vector, M/TL2
The effect of the salt concentration on the drilling fluid can k = intrinsic permeability tensor, L²
be noted in Figs 8 and 9, where fluid flow generated due the Kp = particles volumetric strain modulus, M/LT2
salt concentration gradient (osmosis), generates a faster KT = tangent bulk modulus of the solid phase, M/LT2
reduction of the pore pressure along y-axis and a slower MS = molar mass of the solute
increase along x-axis. This characteristic gives to the saline m = fluid mass, M
fluid a smaller plastic zone that can be observed in Fig. 12. p = pore-pressure, M/LT2
q = Darcy filtration velocity, L/T
Conclusions R = gas constant
Most of the many wellbore stability simulators currently being Rd = retardation factor for linear sorption
used in practice by the industry are based on the elastic T = temperature
analytical method, which is a very simple modeling of the t = time, T
wellbore problem: simple boundary conditions, simple stress- εv = volumetric deformation
strain behavior of the rock formation and no drilling fluid- φ = connected porosity
shale interaction model. To investigate the effects of this µ = dynamic viscosity, M/LT
simplification, results of this methodology were compared to ρ = fluid density, M/L3
the ones obtained with an analytical poroelastic method and a ρω = solvent density, M/L3
numerical chemical-hydro-mechanical model. It has been σ = stresses, M/LT2
shown that the behavior around the wellbore during drilling
σ’ = effective stresses, M/LT2
through shale is a transient problem, and cannot be described
without a fluid diffusion process. In the selected example, the
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with a very small plastic area, while the more consistent Weekly (1938), October.
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due to the coupled hydo-mechanical effect and dictates the S.A.B.; "SEST – Wellbore stability system – Version 3.1 for
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analytical poroelastic model beyond the elastic range. Considering Thermo-Poroelastic Effects ", presented at the
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SPE 69529 MODELING ASPECTS OF WELLBORE STABILITY IN SHALES 5

Stability In Shales", presented at the Rio 2000 Oil & Gas


8
Conference, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, October 16-19. Table 1 - Flow and driving forces through porous medium
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Flow ↓ gradient, ∇p potential e gradient, potential
Sons, Inc. (1976). gradient, ∇µ ∇T gradient, ∇E
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“Transport in Shales and the Design of Improved Water- (water)
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Solute Diffusion Thermo- Electro-
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Advection
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Wellbore Stability Simulation in Shales: Analytical Heat
Isothermal
Dufour effect
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law)
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Streaming Diffusion electricity
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Geomechanics Abstracts (1988) 25, pp. 171-182. DESCRIPTION VALUE
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Thermally Induced Fluid Flow Around a Well Bore in a Poisson’s ratio (ν) 0.22
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Initial porosity 0.3
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& Min. Sci. (1998) 35 (4-5). -10 2
Coefficient of molecular diffusion (Dm ) 1.34 10 m /s
17. Li, X., Cui, L. and Roegiers, J.-C.; “Thermoporoelastic Longitudinal dispersivity (αL) 0.0025 m
Modelling of Wellbore Stability in Non-Hydrostatic Stress Transverse dispersivity (αT) 0.00025 m
Field”, Int. J. of Rock Mech. & Min. Sci. (1998) 35 (4-5). Molar mass of the solute (Ms) 110.98 10 kg/mol
-3

18. Yew, C.H., Chenevert, M.E., Wang, C.L. and Osisanya, S.O..
Number of particles formed upon 2.601
“Wellbore stress distribution produced by moisture dissociation of the salt
adsorption”, SPE Drilling Engineering (1990), pp 311-316. Temperature (T) 60 °C
19. Hale, A.H., Mody, F.K. e Salisbury, D.P. “The influence of
chemical potential on wellbore stability”, SPE Drilling &
Completion (1993) 8, no. 3, pp 207-216.
20. Mody, F.K. and Hale, A.H.. “A borehole stability model to
couple the mechanics and chemistry in drilling fluid shale σV
interaction”, paper SPE/IADC 25728 presented at 1993
SPE/IADC Drilling Conference, Amsterdam.
21. Sherwood, J. D. “Biot poroelasticity of a chemically active
shale”, Proc. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. A (1993) 440, pp. 365-
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22. Sherwood, J. D. and Bailey, L. “Swelling of shale around a
cylindrical wellbore”, Proc. Roy. Soc. London, Ser. A (1994)
444, pp. 161-184. σH
23. Frydman, M. and da Fontoura, S.A.B.: "Applications of a
Coupled Chemical-Hydro-Mechanical Model to Wellbore
Stability in Shales", Rio 2000 Oil & Gas Conference, Rio de σh
Janeiro, Brazil, October 16-19.
24. Frydman, M.. Initiation and Propagation of Fractures in Fig. 1. Borehole coordinate system
Petroleum Wellbores, Ph.D. thesis, Department of Civil
Engineering, PUC-Rio, 1996.
25. Bear, J., Dynamics of Fluids in Porous Media, American
Elsevier, 1988.
6 M. FRYDMAN AND S.A.B. DA FONTOURA SPE 69529

σz Pw = 25 MPa
P0 T0
Incl = 45°
P ,Tw τzx rw = 5”
τzyw
τxz
τyz σx
τxy
τyx 50 MPa
σy P0=15 MPa 26.7 MPa
x
Fig. 2. In situ stresses in borehole coordinate system y
29.3 MPa x

Problem I + Problem II z

σz
P0 T 0
τzx
Pw Tw
τzy
σ τxz
x
τyz
τxy
τyx Fig. 5. Problem description

σy
Fig. 3. Load decomposition for the inclined wellbore

pw
Pore pressure

Penetrating fluid

p0
Non-penetrating fluid

rw
Radius
Fig. 4. Pore pressure distribution for the analytical elastic model Fig. 6 –Yield factor - Elastic model.

.
Fig. 7 –Pore-pressure evolution – Poroelastic model
SPE 69529 MODELING ASPECTS OF WELLBORE STABILITY IN SHALES 7

Fig.8 –Pore pressure evolution – Numerical model 1.

Fig. 9 - Pore pressure evolution – Numerical model 2.

Fig. 10 –Yield factor evolution – Poroelastic model.


8 M. FRYDMAN AND S.A.B. DA FONTOURA SPE 69529

Fig. 11 –Yield factor evolution – Numerical model 1.

Fig. 12 –Yield factor evolution – Numerical model 2.

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