Society of Petroleum Engineers
E
SPE 30752
Coupled Fluid Flow and Geomechanics in Reservoir Study -
I. Theory and Governing Equations
H.-Y. Chen, SPE, L.W. Teufel, SPE, and R.L. Lee, SPE, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology
Copyright 1995, Society of Petroleum Engineers, Inc.
This paper was prepared for presentation at the SPE Annual Technical Conference &
Exhibition held in Dallas, U.S.A., 22-25 October, 1995.
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Box 833836, Richardson, TX 75083-3836, U.S.A., fax 01-214-952-9435.
Abstract
The purpose of this study is to examine Biot's two-phase
(fluid and rock), isothermal, linear poroelastic theory from
the conventional porous fluid-flow modeling point of view.
Biot's theory and the published applications are oriented
more toward rock mechanics than fluid flow. Our goal is to
preserve the commonly used systematic porous fluid-flow
modeling and include geomechanics as an additional module.
By developing such an approach, complex reservoir
situations involving geomechanical issues (e.g., naturally
fractured reservoirs, stress-sensitive reservoirs) can be
pursued more systematically and easily. We show how the
conventional fluid-flow formulations is extended to a coupled
fluid-flow-geomechanics model. Consistent interpretation of
various rock compressibilities and the effective stress law are
shown to be criti'cal in achieving the coupling. The "total (or
system) compressibility" commonly used in reservoir
engineering is shown to be a function of boundary conditions.
Under the simplest case (isotropic homogeneous material
properties), the fluid pressure satisfies a fourth-order equation
instead of the conventional second-order diffusion equation.
Limiting cases include nondeformable, incompressible fluid
and solid, and constant mean normal stress are analyzed.
507
Introduction
All petroleum reservoir problems involve two basic elements:
fluid and rock. Weare interested in two particular processes
associated with them: fluid flow and geomechanics. Fluid
flow is essential in a petroleum reservoir study.
Geomechanics is believed to be important in the study of
naturally fractured reservoirs and in reservoirs exhibiting
stress-sensitivity.
The theory describing fluid-solid coupling was first
presented in a series papers by Biot,I-7 Biot's theory and the
published applications are oriented more toward rock
mechanics than fluid flow. Extension of Biot's theory to
reservoir studies is not straightforward, especially to non-
geomechanical or fluid-flow oriented engineers.
The purpose of this paper is to describe how the
conventional fluid-flow modeling can be extended to a
coupled fluid-flow and geomechanical modeling.
Identification of the linkages and consistent interpretations
between the flow and deformation fields are emphasized.
Several excellent reviews or re-interpretations of Biot's
poroelasticity have been presented in, e.g., Refs. 8 through
15. Among these references, the works by Verruijt IO and
Bear IS are the two most pertinent to this study. They also
considered porous fluid-flow modeling approach coupled
with Biot's theory. Both works, however, assumed
incompressible solid phase in both flow and deformation
fields. The solid phase compressibility, although not the
primal mechanism in rock deformations, is a necessity for a
complete interpretation of Biot's theory. Specifically, the
solid compressibility is implicit in the so-called effective
stress coefficient which, as will be shown, is the most
important and critical concept in the theory of poroelasticity.
The assumption of incompressible solid phase effectively
eliminates the consideration of effective stress coefficient
and greatly simplifies the problem. We include the solid
compressibility in both flow and deformation fields to
2 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY SPE 30752

highlight the importance of the effective stress coefficient
and the essentials of linear poroelastic theory. A comparison
with Biot's results then can be made as complete as possible.
The commonly used notations in the petroleum industry
will be honored in most of the developments. Stress and
strain are positive in tension whereas "pressure" (e.g., fluid
pressure) is positive for compression.
Fluid-Flow Theory
Equations governing isothermal, single-phase fluid flow in a
deformable porous medium are derived in this section. The
derivations naturally lead to geomechanical issues which will
be incorporated in the section "Linear Poroelastic Theory."
velocity relative to the moving solid as shown by Eq. 3 (due
to Gersevanov in 1934 as cited by Biot2 and Verruijt lO). The
condition for a nondeformable (stationary) medium is vs=O.
Gravity effects are not considered.
Fluid density and viscosity are assumed to be a function
of fluid pressure only. For constant c, Eq. 4 can be integrated
to give p=poexp[c(p-po)] where Po and Po are reference
density and reference pressure, respectively. Rock properties
are a function of mean normal stress and fluid pressure. The
compressibility of the rock phase will be introduced later.
Governing Equation. Introducing Darcy's law (Eq. 3) into
Eq. 1 gives

Basic Relations. The three basic principles of fluid flow in

porous media are: mass conservation, Darcy's law, and
k
V'. ( p-V'p
)
= -a(~p).
- + V s . V(~p)+~pV· v s '
.
(5)
equation of state. Mathematically, these are: 10 ,15,16 J..L at
or
Mass conservation:

a(~p) . v ,(p : VP) = d~:) +~pV· vs ' ............•................... (6)

. Fluid: V'·(p~v)+-.-.,-=0, .. ,' ~ (1)
at
where d( )/dt is the material derivative with respect to a
Solid: moving solid defined as

Darcy's law: -
ao v s' V'()
dO =--+ , ~
, (7)
dt at '
k
~(v - vs ) =-- V'p, (3) Eq. 7 links the material derivative, which is a Lagrangian
J..L concept, to a spatial or Eulerian description. Note that Jor
n,ondeformable media the material derivative is equivalent to
Equation of state (isotherm.al fluid compressibility): a partial derivative since vs=O.
Expanding the right-hand-side ofEq. 6 results in
1 8p
c=-- (4)
pap

In Eqs. 1through 4, p is the fluid density (mass per unit

fluid volume), v is the fluid velocity vector, c is the fluid
Expanding the first term of solid mass balance equation, Eq.
compressibility, and the subscript s refers to the "solid phase"
2, and applying Eq. 7 gives
counterparts. Also, V and V·denote gradient and divergence,
respectively, J.l is the fluid viscosity, k is the permeability, ~
1 d[(l-~)ps]
is the effective porosity, p is the fluid pressure, and t is time. V' ·v s = ...............................(9)
The effective porosity reflects .interconnective and mobile (1- ~ )Ps dt
fluid-filled pores. The term "solid phase" as defined in this
study includes both real solid grains and unconnective For constant solid mass and noting that ~=V/Vb and
(isolated) pores. Vb=Vp+V:s where Vp' V:5' and Vb are pore, solid, and bulk
Both fluid velocity v and solid velocity . vs are local volume, respectively, Eq. 9 is equivalent to
volume. averaged values with respect to a stationary
coordinate frame. ~v is equivalent to the fluid bulk 1 dV
volumetric flux (fluid-flow rate per unit bulk area). Similarly, V,v s =- - -b (10)
(1-~)vs is the solid bulk volumetric flux. Note that for a
Vb dt
deformable porous medium Darcy's law is expressed as fluid

508
SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE 3

Thus, the divergence of solid velocity simply reflects the rate chemically inert with the solid phase. (The assumption of
of change of bulk volume. Note that Eq. 10 is nothing more constant solid mass has been invoked in deriving Eq. 10.) Cs
than a statement of solid mass balance, since it is derived would be the compressibility of pure solid grains without
exclusively from Eq. 2. From Eq. 10, vs=O (nondeformable) "dead" pores if the pores are perfectly connected and if the
implies dVb=O. fluid is inert with the solid phase. Additionally, porosity is
Applying the relation d~/~=dVp/Vp-dVbIVb and Eq. 10 to assumed to be constant during the unjacketed experiment
Eq. 8 results in which requires that the solid phase satisfies the condition of
homogeneity. Obviously, a "solid phase" which includes
dead pores can not satisfy the homogeneity criterion locally.
v.(p!.vp1 =
J.! ')
p~ [~dP +_1 dVpJ
p dt V dt
(11) Despite all these restrictions, the assumption of using
unjacketed bulk compressibility to represent the "pore
p
compressibility" shown by the second partial derivative in
Eq. 13 is considered to be practically reasonable. It should be
Eq. 11 is a key fundamental equation in this study. The
mentioned that the unjacketed bulk compressibility is a
right-hand-side of Eq. 11 basically represents the rate of
measurable quantity and the experiment is routine in
change of fluid density and pore volume. As will be shown
practice.
later, different interpretations of the pore volume change due
Through the reciprocal theorem of elasticity, Geertsma8
to different boundary conditions result in different governing
showed that the first partial derivative in Eq. 13 can be
equations and the associated "total (or system)"
expressed in terms of the unjacketed bulk compressibility Cs
compressibilities. A proper interpretation of the pore volume
(=lIKs) described previously, and the "drained" jacketed bulk
change, in fact, is critical in achieving fluid-flow and
compressibility cb (=lIKb) measured under hydrostatic
geomechanics coupling. Eq. 11 with d(·)/dt replaced by
pressure (see Fig. 1 and Appendix A). A drained condition
a(·)/at would be the result obtained from Eqs. 1 through 3
means constant pore-pressure during the test. A more detailed
with vs=O (nondeformable). This nondeformable case will
discussion of c s' cb' and other pertinent rock compressibilities
also be discussed later. are given in the Appendix A.
The change of fluid density term dp/p in Eq. 11 is In essence, the change of pore volume given by Eq. 13
related for fluid compressibility C by the following relations: may be expressed in terms of porosity and two measurable
compressibilities, Cs and cb' as
ap 1 ap 1 dp 1 dp
C-=--', cvp=-vp; c-= - - ......... (12)
at p at p dt p dt dVp dVp
~-=- =-(cb -c )dPd -~c dp
V V s s'
p b
Consider the change of pore volume term dV/V in Eq.
11. Following Geertsma, 8 and Brown and Korringa, 1f d V/Vp
can be expressed in terms of two partial derivatives as
where am is the mean (average) normal stress which is equal
to the negative of confining pressure, i.e., am=-pc' (Also
recall dpd =dpc-dp.)
Introducing Eqs. 12 and 14 into Eq. 11 results in
Here, pd is the differential pressure, prP c-p, where Pc and p
are confining pressure and fluid pressure, respectively. In k ) = [ ~C+Cb -(I+~)cs +(Cb -c )da m ] dp
other words, an imposed confining pressure dp c is considered
v· ( -vp s -- -,
J.! ~ &
to be the sum of two incremental pressures, dPd and dp, i.e., ..................................................................................(15)
dpc=dpd+dp. or
The second partial derivative in Eq. 13 is assumed to be
the unjacketed bulk compressibility Cs (=lIKs) measured by
allowing the fluid to penetrate the connected pores such that
the fluid pressure acts fully on the "solid phase" (see Fig. 1
and Appendix A). Under such a condition, the change of
confining pressure is equal to the change of pore-fluid ......(16)
pressure, i.e., dPc=dp, and hence dprO or Prconst. Constant
solid mass is assumed which implies that the fluid is

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4 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY SPE 30752

where the primary variable is fluid density p and fluid
pressure p in Eqs. 15 and 16, respectively. Eq. 15 or 16 is a
single expression derived from Eqs. 1 through 4 and 14.
Constant fluid compressibility c is further assumed in Eq. 15.
At this point, two major and related features in Eqs. 15
and 16 should be noted as compared to the conventional
reservoir modeling (see, e.g., Ref. 18). These are: (i) the
material derivatives, d(-)/dt, and (ii) the term derm/dp. Item (i)
evolved from the consideration of deformation (vs;;t:O).
Assumptions will be made· soon to simplify the mathematical
model. Item (ii) evolved from the interpretation of pore
volume change (see Eq. 14). Interpretation of derm/dp
requires the consideration of the porous mechanical issues
which will be discussed later.
We have found using fluid density as the primary
variable results in certain discouraging features (mainly non-
linear terms) in a coupled mode. Therefore, we will simplify
Eqs. 15 and 16 using fluid pressure as the primary variable.
Eq. 15, however, is preferred under certain conditions which
will be presented later.
consideration of the stress field which will be provided by
poroelastic theory described next.
Linear Poroelastic Theory
Poroelastic theory describing fluid-solid coupling was
developed in a series papers by Biot. 1-7 Perfect elastic
medium (in the sense of linear, reversible, and non-retarded
mechanical behavior) with small strains are assumed in this
study. Isothermal condition is also assumed.
Basic Relations. The three basic principles of poroelastic
theory are: stress equilibrium, strain-displacement, and
strain-stress-pressure relations. They are parallel with the
mass balance, Darcy's law, and equation of state of the fluid-
flow modeling. Mathematically, these are: 1
Stress equilibrium : (6 equations)
±
}=l
oer ij
ox }
= 0; er ij = er ji, (19)

Simplified Pressure Equation. The following two

assumptions are imposed for Eq. 15. (i) The fluid is slightly
compressible such that p=poexp[c(p-Po)]:~Po[l +c(P-Po)]'
This is also equivalent to linearizing Eq. 4 as c=(l!po)op/op.
(ii) The material derivatives can be approximated by the
partial derivative, i.e., d(·)/dt=o(-)/8t. This is equivalent to
neglecting the dot product term in Eq. 7 by assuming
v/'V(·) «o(-)/ot. Physical interpretation of this approximation
is that the medium is undergoing deformation but remains
stationary. For Eq. 16, item (ii) is also assumed plus
neglecting the quadratic term c('1p)2 (which is also a dot
product).
With the above assumptions, both Eqs. 15 and 16 reduce
to
'1(k
. - '1P)_", op ( oer
-'!'CtI-;-+ Cb -c s ) - - ,
m
(17)
I-" ' ut . at
where
~Ct,I = ~c - (1 +~ )cs + Cb' (18)
Ct is a commonly used notation to denote "total (or system)
compressibility." The added subscript I is used to distinguish
different c/ s presented in this paper.
For isotropic and homogeneous permeability (k=const.)
and constant fluid viscosity 1-", the left-hand-side term in Eq.
17 reduces to '1.[(k/l-")'1p]=(k/l-")'12p where '12 is the
Laplacian operator ('12=o2Ix2+o2Iy2+o2Iz2).
A relationship between p and er m is required to define
Eq. 17 (or 15, 16) completely. This relation requires the
Strain-displacement relation: (6 equations)
8 ..
lJ
=- l[au. au}]
2 _
Ox}I + _
OXt , , ..
(20)
Strain-stress-pressure : (6 equations)
1 a
8 it = -[era -v(er}} +erkk)]+--P, (21a)
E 3Kb
8ij = cr ij I (2G) , (i;;t: j). .. (21b)
In Eqs. 19 through 21, 8ij and erij are the components of
bulk strain tensor and total stress tensor, respectively, ut is
the component of solid displacement vector u(ux ,uy' u) z' E ,
G (=EI[2(I+v)]), and v are Young's modulus, shear modulus,
and Poisson's ratio for the solid skeleton under drained
conditions, respectively, K b (=l!cb) is the drained jacketed
bulk modulus as defined earlier, and a is the poroelastic
parameter or effective stress coefficient. A more detailed
discussion of a will be given later. Body forces and inertial
effects are neglected in Eq. 19. Small strains are implied in
Eq. 20. The stress and strain are taken positive in tension
whereas fluid pressure p is positive for compression.
Note that fluid pressure p affects normal strain only and
in the same manner due to the assumption of isotropy (see
Eq. 21a). Shear strains are a function of shear stresses and are
independent of fluid pressure (Eq. 21b).

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SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE 5

It is more convenient to express stress in terms of strain
because the total stress satisfies the equilibrium equation (Eq.
19). Solving Eq. 21 for stress gives 6
cr ij = 2Gsij + Ae8 ij - ap8 ij' (22)
Governing Equation. The total stresses given by Eq. 22
must satisfy the equilibrium relation specified by Eq. 19.
Introducing Eq. 22 into Eq. 19 and applying strain-
displacement relation (Eq. 20) give

where 8ij is Kronecker's delta (8ij=1 for i=j, 8ij=0 for i=t-j,), ±~{G[aui + au j
]} = a(ap-"Ae) (29)
and "A is the Lame's constant which is related to other
·lax.
}=} ax·} ax· I ax·I
mechanical properties by
These are three equations in x, Y, and z. Simplifying Eq. 29
3vK 2vG 2 for constant elastic coefficients, G, "A, and a gives
"A = - - b= - - = K b --G (23)
l+v 1-2v 3
2 ae ap
GV Ui +(G+"A)- = a - (30)
Adding the three equations given by Eq. 21a or 22 results in ax i aXi

cr m + ap cr m + ap Note that G+"A=G/(1-2v).

e= = , (24)
"A +(21 3)G Kb Eliminating the mean stress crm between Eqs. 24 and 17
where results in

crm
= S xx + S yy + S ZZ'

= (cr xx +G yy +cr zz )/3

(25)

(26)
vt vp) =~Ct,II : +a : ' (31)

where

Here, e is the dilatation or volume strain of solid skeleton and

crm is the mean normal total stress. Eq. 24 in fact is closely
related to Eq. 15 where the interpretation of rock
and a=l-c/cb' ~Ct,II is equivalent to Biot's modulus M. 4,7
compressibilities were presented (see also the discussion
Eqs. 30 and 31 are four equations in four unknowns, p,
pertinent to Eq. A-9, Appendix A). A generalized form ofEq.
ux ' uy ' and uz . (Note that e=V·u, see Eq. 27.) This coupled
24 covering three types of boundary conditions, uniaxial,
biaxial, and triaxial strain, is presented by Eq. B-2 of system governs the time history of the deformation and the
Appendix B. pressure field.
The solid displacement velocity vs and the volume strain By adding the three equations of Eq. 30, a compact
e are related to solid displacement vector u by representation is

2
Vs = au/at; e = V· u (27) GV u+(G+"A)VV·u = aVp, (33)

The second expression, e=V·u, may be established from Eq. Eqs. 31 and 33 forms a system with basic variables of scalar
20. From Eq. 27, it follows that the divergence of solid p and vector u. (Again note that e=V·u.)
velocity V,vs (Eq. 10) is related to the volume strain e by Alternatively, we may select p and e as the basic
variables. Taking the divergence of Eq. 33, which is
equivalent to differentiating the three equations of Eq. 30
V. v = de = ~ dVb .
dV
de = - b (28)
s dt Vb dt ' with respect to the corresponding Xi and then adding the
Vb
resulting three equations, results in
The first expression in Eq. 28, again, is a statement of mass 2 2
conservation. The second expression, which follows directly ("A+2G)V e=aV p (34)
from the first expression, provides a straightforward
interpretation of the volume strain e. V 2 e=0 if a=O which corresponds to a nonporous medium.
Eq. 21 or 22 provide a functional form between strain, Eqs. 31 and 34 are two equations in two unknowns, p and e.
stress, and fluid pressure which is required for solving Eq. The term "A+2G in Eq. 34 basically is a modulus related
15, 16 or 17. to other elastic constants by

511
6 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY
1 1 1- 2v _ cb 1+v _ I fluid pressure. The original Terzaghi' s effective stress is
- - = - - - -~- =cb' (35)
A-+2G 2G I-v 3 I-v
where Cb' is used to simplify the presentation. Note that
cb'-»cb as v~0.5. Cb' is the compressibility corresponding to
an uniaxial strain condition without fluid pressure effect
(e.g., Exx=Eyy=O, Ezz:;tO, andp=O; see Eq. B-2, Appendix B).
In summary, we have shown, starting from the basic
principles, how the fluid-flow and geomechanics are coupled.
Two sets of coupled equations are presented: (i) Eqs. 31 and
33 with variables p and u, and (ii) Eqs. 31 and 34 with
variables p and e.
Discussions
The forgoing derivations indicate two major and related
concepts in achieving the coupling between the fluid-flow
and geomechanics. The fIrst is the interpretations of various
rock compressibilities as discussed in Eqs. 13 and 14, and
Appendix A. The second is the fundamental stress-strain-
pressure relations shown by Eqs. 21, 22 and 24. Implicit in
these relations is the concept of effective stress introduced by
Terzaghi19 in 1923. The presented treatment of the rock
compressibilities, which essentially follows that of
Geertsma,8 certainly is not the most detailed description. At
present time, however, we feel the essentials are included in
our considerations. In fact, a further detailed modeling of
rock compressibilities will not alter the structure of the
governing equations.
Two coupled pressure equation were presented, Eqs. 17
and 31. Both reduce to a decoupled diffusion-type equation
ifO'm (mean normal stress) and e (volume strain) are constant
with respect to time in Eqs. 17 and 31, respectively,
assuming cb:;tc s and a:;tO. (The term "decoupled" implies a
closed equation with a single dependent variable.) The
compressibility terms involved, however, are different. If O'm
or e are constant in time, the decoupled pressure equation can
be solved independently of the stress field. This is the most
favorable case from problem solving point of view.
In the following, the concept of effective stress is
discussed first. Two special cases are then discussed:
nondefonnable and deformable with constant mean normal
stress. Finally, some additional. features of the pressure
equations are examined.
Effective Stress Concept. The effective stress, denoted as
0' ij, may be defined as
20
0' ij = 0' ij +ap8 ij' (36)
This effective stress represents the portion of the total stress
which is in excess of some fraction of the stress caused by
512
SPE 30752
defmed as crij+p8ij' which is equivalent to 0.,=1 in Eq. 36. As
will be shown immediately, the defmition given by Eq. 36
essentially eliminate the explicit Tole of fluid pressure in the
constitutive strain-stress relations. This, in turn, offers a
simple interpretation of Biot's poroelastic theory. It should
be pointed out that Biot 1,2 did not explicitly use the concept
of effective stress to develop his theory, now commonly
called the theory ofporoelasticity.
Eq. 21 in terms of the effective stress (Eq. 36) is
E ii = [0' ~ - V (O'}j + 0' ~k )] jE ,. . (37a)
Eij = 0' ij j(2G) , (i:;t i), (37b)
which essentially is the Hooke's law for an elastic non-
porous body.21 Similarly, Eqs. 22 and 24 can be expressed as
O'ij = 2GBij + A-e8ij' (38)
and
e=O'~/Kb' (39)
respectively, where O' me is the effective mean normal stress
defined as
O'~ = 0' m +ap = (0' ix +0' ~y +0' ~z)/3 (40)
Both Eqs. 38 and 39 are the expressions in the classical non-
porous elasticity.
Eqs. 37 through 39 disclose the single most important
feature in the theory of poroelasticity, namely, the concept of
effective stress. Specifically, the constitutive strain-stress-
pressure relations are assumed to follow the classical non-
porous elasticity if the stress are replaced by an "effective"
stress which, in some kind fashion, incorporates the effects of
fluid pressure.
Implied in the above interpretation are two major issues.
First, the elastic behavior and the mechanical properties of a
porous fluid-bearing rock are assumed to be governed by the
effective stresses alone (a single variable), instead of total
stress and pore pressure (two variables). Second, what is the
functional form of a? In other words, how to "weigh" the
effect of pore-pressure. The first issue will not be discussed
here. A discussion of the second issue, however, is necessary
in the context of this study.
Essentially, a determines the relative contribution of
pore-fluid pressure on the elastic bulk behavior of a porous
medium. It is not difficult to image that attempting to define
an exact and unique a is an extremely difficult task, given
SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE
the inherently complex nature of a natural porous fluid-
bearing rock (e.g., pore structure, rock constituents,
anisotropy, nonhomogeneity, multiple fluid phases, etc.).
Nevertheless, it is instructive to know the deterministic
nature of a and the associated limiting values under rather
idealized conditions.
The exact expression of a, from the bulk volume strain
point of view, is7 ,8,20
ex =1-(Kb /K s )=I-(c s /cb)' (41)
where Kb (=l!cb) and Ks (=l!c.s.) are, as defined before,
drained jacketed and unjacketed bulk modulus, respectively.
Eq. 41 implies that a will not be constant if KiK.~ is not
constant. In the theory of linear, isotropic poroelasticity, a is
considered a constant. Therefore, the effective stress given by
Eq. 36 is a linear combination of total stress and fluid
pressure.
Eq. 41 indicates that a is dimensionless and is bounded
by O~a::;1 (by taking cs~O, cb~O and cb~cs)' Biot and Willis
5 fluid density p in Eq. 43 can be replaced by fluid pressure p
further argued that the value of a can not be smaller than
porosity, i.e., ~~a::;l. a--*l as c/cb--*O such as the case of
incompressible solids (cs--*O). a--*O as c/cb--*l (e.g., ~--*O)
and the effect of pore pressure (the last term of Eq. 36)
vanishes.
It should be pointed out that different physical
interpretation of a are required for different physical
quantities and processes. 20 ,22,23 Eq. 41 is derived from a bulk
volume point of view (see also Eq. A-9, Appendix A). The
exact expression of "a" from a pore volume point of view is
given by the p of Eq. A-13, Appendix A. Furthermore,
uncertainties are present even when the same physical
quantity is concerned. Warpinski and Teufe124,25 noted poor
agreement between experimental and theoretical a values.
They also noted a plausible result in Ref. 25: a trend of
decreasing a with decreasing permeability and porosity of
carbonate rocks (chalks and limestones).
At present, it appears that a is best treated as a material
property similar to permeability and porosity. This implies
that an experimentally determined a value under the proper
scale should always be honored.
Nondeformable Porous Media. The condition for a
nondeformable medium is vs=O, i.e., zero solid velocity. The
consequences of vs=O are: (i) d(·)/dt=a(·)/at (see Eq. 7), (ii)
dVb=O and de=O (Eq. 28), and (iii) dcrm=-adp (Eq. 24 or A-
9). Using item (i), Eq. 11 reduces to
v.(p!vp1 = p~ (~ ap +_1 avp J (42)
~:J p at Vp at
513
7
As pointed out earlier Eq. 42 also can be derived from Eqs. 1
through 3 with vs=O and dVb=O. For constant C (fluid
compressibility), Eq. 42 may be written as
v{:v =~(C+CPb):
p) , (43)
where
H:)
Cpb = :p (8;) V. = Vb ' ••••.••••••.•.....••••..•..•• (44)
and C is defined by Eq. 4. cpb (Eq. 44) represents the pore
compressibility under constant bulk volume (dVb=O).
Eq. 43 indicates the fluid density satisfies a decoupled
diffusion-type equation for a medium of constant bulk
volume but with "pressure-dependent" porosity. (No
restrictions were imposed on the permeability in Eq. 43.) The
if the assumption of slightly-compressible-fluid is further
imposed (see the assumptions used to obtain Eq. 17).
In reservoir engineering, a total (or system)
compressibility, commonly denoted as ct' is used to represent
the total contribution from fluid and rock compressibilities.
The boundary conditions of the rock compressibility,
however, is generally not explicitly specified. For example,
ct=c+cfis defined in Ref. 18 where C is given by Eq. 4 and
c.F(l!~)a~;ap. In the context of Eq. 43, the total
compressibility would be ct=c+cpb' Thus, one possible
interpretation of the rock compressibility commonly used in
reservoir engineering is the cpb defined by Eq. 44 where the
boundary condition is a constant bulk volume.
Consider Eq. 15. Imposing dcrm=-adp and d(·)/dt=a(·)/at
(for vs=O) to Eq. 15 results in
v· (~ vp) = ~Ct,II : ' (45)
where ~Ct,II=~c+(a-~)cs (see Eq. 32).
Comparing Eqs. 43 and 45 suggests the following
relation between cpb and cs'
Cpb =[(a-~)/~]cs (46)
Same result can be obtained from Eq. 14 using dcrm=-adp.
Note that O~Cpb~[(l!~)-I]cs because ~~a~l as discussed
earlier. Eqs. 43 and 45 are the "exact" fluid-density equations
for a nondeformable porous medium.
8 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY
Deformable Media With Constant Mean Normal Stress.
The conditions are vs:;t:O (and e:;t:O) and constant am (i.e.,
da~=;O). Applying dam=;O to Eq. 15 and assuming
d(·)/dt=a(·)l8t result in
v t Vp) ~ ~Ct,I : ' , (47)
where ~Ct,I=;<\>c+cb-(1+~)cs (see Eq. 18). From Eqs. 11 and
14, the rock compressibility contained in ~Ct,I represents
_1 (avp ) = cb - (1 +<\> )c s == c pc ' (48)
Vp ap cr m ~ decoupled diffusion equation then can be solved
where cpc is used to denote the pore compressibility under
constant confining pressure (dpc=;-dam=;O). Thus, ct,I also
may be expressed as ct,I=;c+cpc ' cpc defined by Eq. 48 offers
another possible interpretation of the rock compressibility
commonly used in reservoir engineering.
Similar to Eq. 45, the fluid density of a deformable
medium under constant mean normal stress also satisfies a
decoupled diffusion-type equation as indicated by Eq. 47.
The rock compressibility terms involved, however, are
different due to different boundary conditions.
Note that de=;a,cbdp follows from Eq. 24 if dam=;O. That
is, the change of volume strain is proportional to the change
of fluid pressure (with constant values of ex, and cb)' .
26
Muskat showed the fluid density in a nondeformable
porous medium satisfies a homogeneous diffusion equation if
permeability, porosity, viscosity, .and fluid compressibility
are constant. (His result is equivalent to Eq. 43 with constant
k/~ and Cpb=;O.) Eqs. 45 and 47 formally extend the
applicability of Muskat's fluid-density formulation by
including a rock compressibility defined by Eqs. 44 and 48,
respectively.
Eqs. 45 and 47 are derived under the assumptions of
non-deformable medium and constant mean normal stress,
respectively. We now examine the pressure equation and the
associated total compressibility for a deformable medium
without restriction on the stresses.
Pressure Diffusion Equation Under General Conditions.
Following Verruijt,10 integrating Eq. 34 results in
e=;cb[a,p+ f(x,y,z,t)] , (49)
where cb' is given by Eq. 35 and fhas to satisfy Laplace's
equation V 21=0 for every value of t; i.e.,fmust be harmonic.
Applying Eq. 49 to Eq. 31 with constant k/~ gives
514
SPE 30752
V· (!~)
vp'l =; ~Ct III ap +a,cb af ,
'at at
(50)
where
~CtIlI is equivalent to Biot's modulus M c .6
, As can be seen from Eq. 50, the fluid pressure will not
obey the diffusion equation unless fis independent of time,
i.e., af/at=;o. If the condition of af/at=o is satisfied, the fluid
pressure then follows a diffusion-type equation with a
porosity-compressibilityterm given by <\>ctIlI, (Eq. 51). Such a
independently of the stress field. The function f, which
evolves from the integration of Eg. 34, will depend on the
boundary conditions of e and p.
Fourth-Order Pressure Equation. Assume constant values
ofk/~ and ~Ct II in Eq. 31. Apply VZ operator to Eq. 31 and
then eliminate'V2e using Eq. 34. The result is
2
V2V2 P = ~Ct,III av P, (52)
k/ ~ at
where ~Ct,III is given by Eq. 51.Eq. 52 also can be obtained
from Eq. 50 by takingV2 operator and noting that V 2f=0. Eq.
52 is a fourth-order equation in terms of p and a second-order
equation in terms of V2p . Except for the notations, Eq. 52
agrees with Biot's3 result derived from the method of stress
functions. It should be emphasized that constant value or
small change of porosity is implied in deriving Eq. 52. The
exception is when· ~Ct 11=0 corresponding to incompressible
fluid and solid (see ne~t section); Our intention of presenting
Eq. 52 is to highlight the nature of the pressuresolutibn for a
deformable medium.
From Eq. 52, the fluid pressure is the sum of two
functions, P=Pl +P2 where PI and Pz have to satisfy,
respectively, 3,4
V 2pl =; ~Ct,III apl and V 2p2 =; o. .. (53)
k/ ~ at
Thus the commonly used diffusion equation is only a subset
of the entire true set. Same implication also· can be inferred
from Eq. 50. The fluid pressure, however, follows a
homogeneous diffusion equation if P2=;0 (Le., P=Pl)' Whether
P2 vanishes or not will primarily depend on the boundary
conditions.
Note that anyone of the following variables, fluid
pressure p, volume strain e, and mean normal stress am' may
SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE
be expressed in tenns of the other two according to Eq. 24.
Therefore, relations similar to Eq. 34 also can be established
for pairs of V 2e and V2 aw and V2p and V2 am . In other
words, V2p , V2 e, and V2 am are related to each other linearly.
Thus, Eq. 52 may be expressed as
~Ct,III av
2
'1 2 '12 (-) = (.) . (.) == p, e, am'
kl J.t at ' rock) model is evolved from the conventional porous fluid-
Specifically, all p, e, and am satisfy the same fourth order
equation with the same diffusivity. This implies that p, e, and
am may share the same fundamental solution. They may be
different only through the initial-boundary conditions.
Incompressible Fluid and Solid. For incompressible fluid
and solid (c=O, cs=O), we obtain ~Ct,I=Cb (see Eq. 18), ~Ct,II=O
(see Eq. 32), and ~Ct,III=a2cb' (see Eq. 51). Note that a=1 if
its explicit fonn given by Eq. 41 is used. Above limiting
conditions may be applied to appropriate equations presented
before. Two decoupled equations are discussed next.
Eq. 31 with ~Ct,II=O and constant k/J.t reduces to
v.(:v ~a p) :;
It can be shown that Eq. 55 is exact (within our assumptions)
if ae/at is replaced by de/dt. Eq. 55 reduces to the Laplace
equation V2p =0 if de=O (nondefonnable) and constant k/J.t.
Applying Eq. 34 to Eq. 55 with constant k/J.t results in l ,2
2 _ a 2 cbI ae
V e---,
k/ J.t at
where cb' is given by Eq. 35. Note that a2cb'==~Ct,III if c=o
and cs=O. By Eq. 39, Eq. 56 is also satisfied by the effective
mean stress am e. Thus, the bulk dilatation e and the effective
mean stress am e obey the homogeneous diffusion equation if
both solid and fluid phases are incompressible. The limitation
of Eq. 56 is that penneability and viscosity must be constant.
However, no assumption is made concerning the stress state.
If we further assume the mean nonnal stress is constant,
i.e., dam=O, in addition to c=o and cs=O, Eq. 16 reduces to
v t VP) = Cb :
in which dp/dt=ap/at is also assumed. Eq. 57 is a limiting
form of Eq. 47 which is valid for compressible fluid and
solid. In fact, cs=O can be relaxed to obtain the form of Eq.
9
57. While constant mean normal stress is assumed, Eq. 57
presents a simple model to consider variable permeability.
Note that both Eqs. 56 and 57 do not involve porosity. Also,
the compressibility terms in Eqs. 56 and 57 are different.
Conclusions
The major contribution of this paper is showing how Biot's
(54) isothermal, linear poroelastic, coupled two-phase (fluid and
flow modeling. Our primary goal is to preserve the
commonly used systematic fluid-flow modeling so that future
modeling of complex reservoir situations involving
geomechanical issues (e.g., naturally fractured reservoirs,
stress-sensitive reservoirs) can be formulated more
systematically and easily. The presented approach offers an
alternative avenue (especially to non-geomechanical
engineers) to recognize the relationship between the fluid-
flow in a nondeformable field and Biot's coupled flow-
defonnation field equations. In addition to the coupled field
equations, some decoupled equations are identified under
various assumptions. These decoupled equations have
potential to be solved independently of the stress field.
Major conclusions drawn from this study are:
(1) Consistent interpretation of rock compressibilities
(55) and the effective stress law are the two most important steps
required to couple fluid-flow and deformation fields.
(2) At the fundamental level the fluid-flow governing
equation is the same for both deformable and nondeformable
media, except that the former requires a total derivative
interpretation of the rate of change of fluid density and pore
volume (see Eq. 11), whereas the latter only requires a partial
derivative (see Eq. 42).
(3) Whether the fluid density (or pressure) satisfies a
decoupled diffusion equation or not depends on the boundary
(56)
conditions of the problem at hand (see Eqs. 45, 47, and 50).
(4) The fluid density satisfies a decoupled diffusion
equation under two conditions: (i) nondeformable medium,
and (ii) constant mean normal stress (see Eqs. 45 and 47).
(5) The "rock compressibility" involved in a given field
equation also depends on the boundary conditions of the
problem. This is important for a consistent interpretation
between laboratory, field, and simulation results.
(6) Under the simplest case (isotropic homogeneous
material properties), the fluid pressure satisfies a fourth-order
equation (see Eq. 52) instead of the conventional second-
order diffusion-type equation. The solution of the former
(57)
includes that of the latter as a subset (see Eq. 53).
(7) The volume strain satisfies a homogeneous diffusion
equation if the fluid and solid phases are incompressible and
the medium is isotropic homogeneous (see Eq. 56).
(8) The fluid pressure satisfies a decoupled diffusion
equation if the fluid is incompressible and the mean normal
stress is constant (see Eq. 57).
515
10 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY SPE 30752

Nomenclature References
c compressibility, Lt2 /m 1. Biot, M.A.: "General Theory of Three-Dimensional
e volume strain, dimensionless Consolidation," J. Appl. Phys. (1941) 12, 155-164.
E = Young's modulus, mILt2 2. Biot, M.A.: "Theory of Elasticity and Consolidation for
f function defined by Eq. 49 a Porous Anisotropic Solid," J. Appl. Phys. (1955) 26,
G = shear modulus, mILt2 182-185.
3. Biot, M.A.: "General Solutions of the Equations of
k permeability, L2 , md
Elasticity and Consolidation for a Porous Material," J.
K modulus, m/Lt2 Appl. Mech. (1956) 27, 91-96.
M modulus, m/Lt2 4. Biot, M.A.: "Thermoelasticity and Irreversible
p pressure m/Lt2 Thermodynamics," J. Appl. Phys. (1956) 27, 240-253.
t time, t 5. Bio~, M.A. and Willis, D.G.: "The Elastic Coefficients of
u = displacement, m/Lt2 the Theory of Consolidation," J. Appl. Mech. (1957) 24,
v = velocity, Lit 594-601.
V volume, L3 6. Biot, M.A.: "Mechanics of Deformation and Acoustic
x, y, z distance, L Propagation in Porous Media," J. Appl. Phys. (1962) 33,
1482.,1498.
ex, = poroelastic constant (Eq. 41), dimensionless
7. Biot, M.A.: "Nonlinear and Semilinear Rheology of
P constant (Eq. A-B), dimensionless
Porous Solids," J. Geophys. Res. (1973) 78, 4924-4937.
8ij Kronecker's delta (8y=1 for i=j,8y=0 for i=-l:-j) 8. Geertsma, J.: "The Effect of Fluid Pressure Decline on
8 strain, dimensionless Volumetric Changes of Porous Rocks," Trans. AIME
~ porosity, fraction (1957) 210, 331-340.
Iv Lame's constant, mlLt2 9. Jaeger, J.C. and Cook, N.G.W.: Fundamentals of Rock
J..l viscosity, miLt Mechanics, 3rd Ed., Chapman and Hall, London (1979).
v Poisson's ratio; dimensionless 10. Verruijt, A.: "Elastic Storage in Aquifers," Flow
p density, miL 3 Through Porous Media, R.IM. De Wiest (ed.) ,
cr stress,mlLt2 Academic, San Diego, California (1969) 331-376.
11. Ragha-van, R.and Miller, F.G.: "Mathematical Analysis
Subscripts of Sand Compaction," Compaction of Coarse-Grained
Sediments, I, Chap. 8, G. V. Chilingarian and K. H. Wolf
b bulk
(eds.), Elsevier Scientific Publishing Co., Amsterdam
c confining
(1975) 403-524.
d differential 12. Rice, J.R. and Cleary, M.P.: "Some Basic Stress
m mean Diffusion Solutions for Fluid-Saturated Elastic Porous
p pore Media With Compressible Constituents," Rev. Geophys.
pb pore volume, with constant bulk volume and Space Phys. (1976) 14, 227-241.
pc pore volume, with constantconfming pressure 13. Rudnicki, IW.:"Effect of Pore Fluid Diffusion on
s = solid Deformation and Failure of Rock," Mechanics of
t total, system Geomaterials, Chap. 15, Z. Bazant (ed.), John Wiley &
o reference Sons (1985) 315-347.
14. Detoumay, E. and Cheng, A.H-D.: "Fundamentals of
Superscripts Poroelasticity," Comprehensive Rock Engineering:
Principles, Practice and Projects, Vol. 2, Chap. 5, J. A.
e effective
Hudson (ed.), Pergamon Press, Oxford (1993) 113-171.
uniaxial strain
15. Bear, 1 and Badllnat, Y.: Introduction to Modeling of
" biaxial strain Transport Phenomena in Porous Media, Kluwer
", = triaxial strain Academic Publishers, Boston (1990).
16. Cooper, H.IJI.: "The Equation of Groundwater Flow in
Acknowledgments Fixed and Deforming Coordinates," J. Geophys. Res.
The authors thank Phillips Petroleum, Union Pacific (1966) 71, 4785-4790.
Resources, Vastar, Conoco, and Amoco for their support of 17. Brown, R.IS. and Korringa, 1: "On the Dependence of
this study. Discussions with H. Ruistuen were most helpful the Elastic Properties of a Porous Rock on the
during the writing of this paper. Compressibility of the Pore Fluid," Geophysics (1975)
40, 608-616.

516
SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE 11

18. Matthews, C.S. and Russell, D.G.: Pressure Buildup and
Flow Tests in Wells, Monograph Series, Society of
Petroleum Engineers, Dallas (1967) 1, 4-7.
19. Terzaghi, K.: Theoretical Soil Mechanics, Wiley, New
York (1943).
20. Nur, A. and Byerlee, J.D.: "An Exact Effective Stress
jacketed tests. The experimental conditions (boundary
conditions) of these two tests are described next.
Unjacketed Bulk Compressibility. The unjacketed bulk
compressibility is defined as

:b (a~ Jpd
Law for Elastic Deformation of Rock With Fluids," J.
Geophys. Res. (1971) 76,6414-6419. Cs =- (A-3)
21. Timoshenko, S.P. and Goodier, J.N.: Theory of
Elasticity, 3rd Ed., McGraw-Hill Kogakusha, Ltd.,
Tokyo (1970). Here, as shown by Eq. A-3, the experimental condition is a
22. Robin, P.-Y.F.: "Note on Effective Pressure," J. constant differential pressure Pd which is Pd=P c-p where Pc
Geophys. Res. (1973) 78, 2434-2437. and p are the confining pressure and fluid pressure,
23. Berryman, J.G.: "Effective Stress for Transport respectively. The measurements are the changes of bulk
Properties of Inhomogeneous Porous Rock," J. Geophys. volume as p changes. Note that the cond~tion of constant p d
Res. (1992) 97, 17409-17424. means dprO or dPc=dp, i.e., the change of confining
24. Warpinski, N.R. and Teufel, L.W.: "Determination of pressure is equal to the change of fluid pressure. Cs reflects
the Effective Stress Law for Permeability and the compressibility of the solid phase. .
Deformation in Low-Permeability Rocks," SPE Geertsma, 8 Biot and Willis, 5 Brown and Korringa,17
Formation Evaluation (June,1992) 123-131. among others, argued that the porosity remains constant
25. Warpinski, N.R. and Teufel, L.W.: "Laboratory during an unjacketed test only if the solid phase is
Measurements of the Effective-Stress Law for Carbonate homogeneous. From d~=O (constant ~) and Eqs. A-I and A-2,
Rocks Under Deformation," Int. J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. the following relation can be derived:
& Geomech. Abstr. (1993) 30, 1169-1172.
26. Muskat, M.: The Flow of Homogeneous Fluids Through dV dVp dV
Porous Media, McGraw-Hill, New York (1937) 121-136. - b =- = - s; (~ = const.) (A-4)
Vb Vp ~,
Appendix A -.Solid, Bulk and Pore Compressibilities
This appendix describes the physical interpretation of the With Eq. A-4, Eq. A-3 also can be written as
unjacketed bulk compressibility Cs (=lIKs) and the drained
jacketed bulk compressibility cb (=lIKb). Bulk, pore, and
1 (8V:~ J 1 (8Vp J 1 (8Vb J .
solid volume changes are described. The connection of Cs and
cb to solid mass balance equation (Eq. 10 or 28), Biot's
C
s
= - Vs l 8p Pd = - Vp l 8p Pd = - Vb l 8p Pd'

constitutive strain-stress relation (Eq. 21), and the effective (~ = const.) (A-5)
stress concept are also discussed.
Two well-known basic relations relating various volume Eq. A-5 indicates that Cs is a solid, or pore, or bulk
changes of a porous medium are compressibility defined under unjacketed condition if the
porosity is indeed constant. (c s is equivalent to Geertsma's
dVb dVp dVs cr ) Eq. A-5 allows the change of solid or pore volume to be
-=~-+(l-~)-, (A-l) inferred by measuring the change of bulk volume.
Vb Vp Vs
and Drained Jacketed Bulk Compressibility. The drained
jacketed bulk compressibility is defmed as 8 ,17
d~

(:;:)p =- :b (:; L
dV dV
- =-p- - b, (A-2)
~ Vp Vb
Cb =- :b ~ (A-6)

where Vb' Vs' and V are the bulk, solid, and pore volume,
respectively, ~ is the porosity, ~=V/Vb' and Vb=Vs+Vp '
Geertsma8 showed that the interpretations of dVb, dVp ' dVs'
and d~ in Eqs. A-I and A-2 may be achieved through two
basic compressibility experiments: unjacketed and drained
where fluid pressure is maintained constant (i.e., dp=O)
during the test and the confining pressure is hydrostatic.
From dp=O, it follows that dprdp c' The measurements are
the changes of bulk volume and cb reflects the
compressibility of the rock frame structure.

517
12 COUPLED FLUID FLOW AND GEOMECHANICS IN RESERVOIR STUDY SPE 30752

Bulk Volume Change. Following the approach given by

Refs. 8 and 17, an incremental confining pressure dp c is
expressed as dPc=dPatdp where PrPc-p. The change of bulk where crm=-Pc'
volume d Vb due to an imposed dp c thus can be considered as Eq. A-12 also can be expressed as
the sum of two incremental pressures, dPd and dp, i.e.,
dV ac C
.-.1!.... = _ b (dcr m + ~dp); ~ =1- _ _ 8 - (A-13)
Vp ~ aCb I~

Eq. A-13 is an effective stress law similar to Eq. A-9 but

Applying Cs (Eq. A-3) and cb (Eq. A-6) to Eq. A-7 and noting from the pore volume point of view. 23 Note that the physical
that dprdPc~dp results in interpretation of aCb/~ is given by Eq. A-II.

Solid Volume and Porosity Changes. Given dVb and dVp

(Eqs; A-8, A-9, A-12 and A-13), dVs and d~'can be obtained
easily from Eqs. A-I and A-2, respectively.
where a=l-c/cb (see Eq. 41). Eq. A-8 relates Cs and cb to the
App~ndix B - Uniaxial, Biaxial, and Triaxial Strain
change of bulk volume. From Eqs. A-8 and 28 (de=dVbIVb),
Generalized equations for uniaxial, biaxial (plane), and
it follows that
triaxial strain are presented in this Appendix.

General Equations. Assume that the strains (and

displacements) occur in one axis only (say, z-axis, uniaxial
strain), or in two axes (say, y- and z-axis, biaxial or pijule
where crm=-pc' Eq. A-9 is the differential form of Eq. 24, strain), or in all three axes (triaxial strain). These can be
e=(crm+ap)IKb, which evolved from Biot's constitutive described as9
strain-stress relation (Eq. 21a). One can easily verify that Eq.
A-9 reduces to Eq. A-6 when dp=O (or p::::const.), and reduces Uniaxial: f: xx = f:yy = 0, f: zz = e * 0, (B-la)
to Eq. A-3 when dPc=dp (or dprO, Prconst.). The
derivations of Eqs. A-8 and A-9 provide the fimctional form Biaxial: f: xx :::: 0, f:yy + f:zz = e * 0, (B lb)
of effective stress law from the bulk volume point of view. 23
Triaxial: f: xx + f:yy + f:zz = e * 0, (B-lc)
Pore Volume Change. Similar to Eq. A-7, the following
expression can be written for dV/Vp ' in which the definition of e=f:xx+~yy+f:zz is always followed.
The case of uniaxial strain is a commonly adopted
assumption, e.g., no lateral movements due to horizontal
crustal constraint. Biaxial (plane) strain is frequently invoked
in studying stresses around a deep wellbore. Triaxial strain
simply means no constraints are imposed on the strains, as
The last partial derivative is assumed to be Cs (see Eq. A-5). was. assumed in the derivations presented in the main text.
Through the reciprocal theorem of elasticity the first partial These three cases given by Eq. B-1 are considered
derivative can be expressed in terms of Cs (Eq. A-3) and cb simultaneously to highlight some systematic features caused
(Eq. A-6) as 8 by the imposed strain dimension.

-:J:;; t ~ [:;~)p
From Eqs. B-1 and 21, it can shown that

=- = Cb;C
S
= 7' . . ( A.ll) e = c;(cr~ +ap);
where
(n =', ", "'), (B-2)

where a=I-(c/cb)' Therefore, Eqs. A-10 maybe written as Uniaxial:

, , I l+v
am =cr zz ; cb =- - = cb' (B-3a)
A +2G 3(l-v)

518
SPE 30752 H.Y. CHEN, L.W. TEUFEL, R.L. LEE 13

Biaxial:
" cr yy +cr zz " 1 2 From Eq. B-5, the following bounding and limiting cases can
crm = ; cb = - - = -(1 +v)cb' ... (B-3b) be obtained:
2 'A,+G 3
(i) cb, ~ cb" ~ CbIII.clor a11 v,
Triaxial:
cr +cr +cr 1 (ii) Cb = c'f/2 = chl3 as v -+ 0, and
cr 11/_
- ZZ yy zz., cb"'-
- -- cb' (B3)
- C (iii) cb, and" cb -+ cbIII = cb as v -+ 0 .5 .
m 3 'A,+(2/3)G

Here, the superscripts, " ", and "', represent uniaxial, biaxial, Thus, all three compressibilities approach the same value as
the Poisson's ratio v approaches the upper bound of 0.5.
and triaxial strain condition, respectively. cr ~ (n=: " ", "')
represents a mean total stress where averaging is taken only 81 Metric Conversion Factors
for the stress with which the strain is not vanishing. Eq. B-2 cp x 1.0* E-03= Pa·s
for the triaxial case is Eq. 23. Note that cr ~ =crm and ch =cb' ft x 3.048* E-Ol= m
In terms of effective stress form, Eq. B-2 becomes ft2 x 9.290304* E-02= m 2
ft3 x 2.831 685 E-02= m 3
n en
e=cbcrm; amen =crm+ap;
n ( n=',","' ) (4)
B- in x 2.54* E+OO= cm
md x 9.869233 E-04= IJ.m2
The three compressibilities in Eqs. B-3 are related by psi x 6.894757 E+OO= kPa

, 1 " l+v 11/ *Conversion factor is exact.

cb = cb = cb' (B-5)
2(1- v) 3(1 - v)

UNJACKETED JACKETED
COMPRESSIBILITY TEST COMPRESSIBILITY TEST

Confining Pressure Confining Pressure

* ,
* ,
Impermeable
Container Fluid Pressure Jacket

Change of confininig pressure Constant fluid pressure

= change of fluid pressure
Fig. 1 - Schematic of unjacketed and jacketed compressibility test.

519