PETE 625

Well Control

Lesson 10
Fracture Gradients
- cont’d
 Fracture Gradients - cont’d
 Radial and Tangential Stresses near the
Wellbore
 Stresses in Rock near Wellbore
 Effect of Anisotropic Stresses
 Onshore vs. Offshore Fracture Gradients
 Fracture Gradients in Inclined Wellbores
 Oil Based and Water Based Drilling Fluids
2
 Assignments

HW # 6: Ch 3, Problems 1- 10
due Wednesday, June 23

HW # 7: Ch 3, Problems 11- 20
due Monday, June 28

Read: Chapter 3
 Fracture Gradients
Read: Ch. 3, and also
“Fracture gradient prediction for the
new generation,” by Ben Eaton and
Travis Eaton. World Oil, October,
1997.
“Estimating Shallow Below Mudline
Deepwater Gulf of Mexico Fracture
Gradients,” by Barker and Wood.
4
Fig. 3.21 - Stress concentrations around a borehole
in a uniform stress field

Tension

Additional
compression
5
Fig. 3.22 - Induced stresses in the presence
of a biaxial-stress field 6
 Example 3.4
Given:
 Formation depth = 10,000’
 Poisson’s ratio = 0.22
 Pore pressure grad = 0.433 psi/ft
 Hole diameter= 9.0 in
 Mud density = 8.33 ppg
 Overburden stress grad. = 1.00 psi/ft
7
 Example 3.4 - Part 1
1. Estimate the horizontal stress if the
rock behaves in an elastic manner
 Solution:

H = (/(1-))*(ob- pp) + pp ….Eq 3.21b

H = (0.22/(1 - 0.22))

* (1*10,000 - 0.433*10,000) + 4,330
H = 5,929 psi
8
Example 3.4 – Part 1 - cont’d
 Effective horizontal stress

eH = H - *pp

If  = 1.0 and pp = 4,330 psig

Then, He = 5,929 – 4,330

eH = 1,599 psi

9
 Example 3.4 – Part 2
2. Estimate the tangential and radial stresses
at the borehole wall if the horizontal stresses
are equal.  r

r = pw … Eq. 3.24 pw

r = 4,330 psig

t = H1 + H2 - pw - 2(H1-H2) cos2Eq. 3.25

= 5,929 + 5,929 - 4,330 - 0 = 7,528 psig

10
 Example 3.4 – Part 2 – cont’d

 The corresponding effective stresses

are:

re = 4,330 - 4,330 = 0 psi

te = 7,528 - 4,330 = 3,198 psi

11
 Example 3.4- Part 3
3. What are the radial and tangential stresses
2.0 ft from the wellbore centerline?
 rw2  rw2
r,2 ft  H 1  2   2 p w Radial Stress: Eq. 3.31
 r  r
 4 .5 2  4 .5 2
r,2 ft  5,9291   4,330  5,873 psig
 24.0 2  24.0 2
 

 rw2  rw2
 t,2 ft  H 1  2   2 p w Tangential Stress: Eq. 3.32
 r  r
 4 . 5 2  4. 5 2
 t,2 ft  5,9291   4,330  5,985 psig
 24.0  24.0 2
2
 

(far away, H  5,929 psig) 12

 Example 3.4 – Part 4
4. Estimate the tangential and radial
stresses at the borehole wall if 0.5 ppg
overbalance is provided by the mud
column.
 pw = 4,330 + 0.052 * 0.5 * 10,000

pw = 4,590 psig = r

t = H1 + H2 - pw -2(H1 - H2)cos2

= (2 * 5,929) - 4,590 = 7,268 psig

13
 Example 3.4 – Part 4 – cont’d
(0.5 lb/gal overbalance)

 The corresponding effective stresses

are:

re = 4,590 - 4,330 = 260 psi

te = 7,268 - 4,330 = 2,938 psi

14
 Example 3.4 – Part 5
( He1 = 3 * He2 )

5. What are the maximum and minimum

tangential stresses if

He2 =1,559 psi

He1 = 3 * 1,599 = 4,797 psi?

H1(max) = He1 + pp = 4,797 + 4,330

= 9,127 psig
15
 Example 3.4 – Part 5 – cont’t
t,max = 3 H1 - H2 - pw Eq. 3.26

= 3 * 9,127 - (1,599 + 4,330) - 4,330

= 17,122 psig

t,min = 3 H2 - H1 - pw Eq. 3.27

= 3 * 5,929 - 9,127 - 4,330

= 4,330 psig
16
te,max = 17,122- 4,330
= 12,792 psi

te,min = 4,330 – 4,330

= 0 psi

17
 From example 3.4
The effective radial stress will be zero if
the wellbore and formation pressures
are balanced

The effective radial stress will increase

in compression as the wellbore
pressure increases

18
 From example 3.4
An underbalanced situation will lead to
inward tensile stress which may tend to
destabilize the walls of the hole.

A positive differential pressure reduces

the induced circumferential stress, while
a negative differential pressure increases
the compression.
19
 From example 3.4
In part (2) (isotropic), a wellbore
pressure in excess of 7,528 psi will
place the rock grains in tension and a
fracture will initiate if the tensile strength
is nil.
Being higher than the far field stress, this
fracture will propagate out into the rock

20
 From example 3.4
An effective horizontal stress ratio of
three exactly reduces the minimum
effective tangential stress to zero.
Any borehole pressure slightly over and
above the pore pressure in this case
would place the wellbore in tension and
likely create a fracture. No extension!

21
Stress anisotropies
Borehole caliper logs
may help in determining
significant stress
anisotropies.

22
23
Example 3.5 – Part 1 - fractures
 Eaton’s overburdent gradient at
12,000 ft = 0.961 psi/ft. ts = 0
 2  
g fi    
 g ob  g p  g p  ts Fracture Initiation
 1   D
Eq. 3.41
 2 * 0.19 
g fi    0.961  0.465   0.465  0  0.698 psi / ft
 1  0.19 

   Fracture Propagation
g fp    
 g ob  g p  g p Eq. 3.42
 1  
 0.19 
g fp    0.961  0.465   0.465  0.581 psi / ft
 1  0.19 
24
Example 3.5 – Part 2: gp = 0.779 psi/ft
 At 12,000 ft, gob = 0.961 psi/ft. ts = 0
 2  
g fi    
 g ob  g p  g p  ts Fracture Initiation
 1   D
Eq. 3.41
 2 * 0.19 
gfi    0.961  0.779   0.779  0  0.864 psi / ft
 1  0.19 

  
g fp    
 g ob  g p  g p Fracture Propagation
 1   Eq. 3.42

 0.19 
g fp    0.961  0.779   0.779  0.822 psi / ft
 1  0.19 
25
 Example 3.5 – Part 3:
gfi at 500 ft = ?

 At 500 ft, gob = 0.855 psi/ft. (Eaton)

 Shallow, so the fracture gradient is that

required to lift the overburden

g fi  g fp  g ob  0.855 psi / ft

26
Example 3.5 – Part 4: ts = 300 psig

Impact of tensile strength on gfi is what?

 2  
g  
fi  g  g   g 
ob p p
ts
1 
  D

 ts 300
 At 12,000 ft: 
D 12,000
 0.025 psi / ft

 ts 300
 At 500 ft, 
D 500
 0.60 psi / ft  gfi  1.46 psi / ft

 Predicted breakdown pressure at 500 ft is ~ 1.5

psi/ft! Lifting the overburden is probably easier…
27
 Offshore/On Land gob = s/D
gob = (psw+s)/D
= (psw+s)/(Da+Dsw+Ds) = s/(Da+ Ds)

Higher overburden gradient

Lower overburden gradient
Higher fracture gradient
Lower fracture gradient
See Eaton’s paper 28
 From Eaton’s paper
Fig. 3
Water Depth, ft
Try to duplicate this

1,
00
TVD below RKB, 1,000 ft

0
TVD Water ob
Depth
7,0
0 0

11,000 1,000 0.9

11,000 7,000 0.6

0.9 psi/ft = 17.3 lb/gal

0.6 0.9 0.6 psi/ft = 11.5 lb/gal

29
Overburden Gradient, psi/ft
 Deep Water

Poisson’s Original

ratio

TVD below RKB, 1,000 ft

from
Eaton

30
Poisson’s Ratio
 Inclined wellbores
The prior induced stress equations are
valid only if the wellbore axis is parallel
to the maximum principal stress axis.

Some vertical wellbores, and most

inclined and horizontal wellbores do not
satisfy this criterion.

31
 Inclined wellbores
In general, such wellbores tend to have
lower fracture gradients.

They often have more compressive

stability problems than comparable,
near-vertical wells in the same area.

32
Max. prin. Stress dir.
Wellbore direction

33
E

34
 Example 3.6
 Inclination = 70 deg  Pore Pressure
 Azimuth = N88E = 12.0 ppg
 TVD = 14,000’  Poisson’s ratio = 0.25
 Maximum in situ stress  Assume elastic
is vertical behavior
 Minimum horiz. Stress
grad. = 0.739 psi/ft
 Estimate the
 Salt dome intrusion has
created an incremental fracture pressure
horizontal stress of 0.061
psi/ft in the S42E direction

35
 Example
3.6

AWELL = N88E

IWELL = 70 deg

 = 50 deg

S42E

36
Example 3.6

37
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.47

38
Example 3.6 – cont’d
Eq. 3.48

Eq. 3.49

39
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.50

40
Example 3.6 – cont’d

Eq. 3.51

Eq. 3.52

41
Example 3.6 – cont’d

 is the hole position (Fig. 3.28)

42
*

43
Continued iterations show that gfi = 0.695 psi/ft
In a vertical well gfi = 0.794 psi/ft 44
Vary  to find the minimum value of 3 45
Next, gradually increase the wellbore pressure
until the effective minimum principal stress at
the wellbore vanishes.
46
 Borehole Lost
instability circulation

Maximum (theoretical) safe inclination

47
Effect of mud filtrate loss
Pore Pressure near wellbore is increased
Effective tangential stress is reduced

Therefore fracture initiation

pressure is reduced
48
Effect of mud filtrate 1. Most of the p
occurs across the filter
cake
2. Lower pore
pressure than in high
flow case
3. Effective hoop
stress is higher
4. Fracture
resistance is higher
5. High quality mud is
important

49
 Oil Base Muds
Are more prone to lost circulation than
water based muds!

Why?

50
 Oil Base Muds
Rheology - Oil base muds tend to be
more viscous at low shear rates than
comparable water base muds, thus
yielding higher ECD

Oil muds tend to be more compressible,

thereby yielding higher densities and
higher pressures

51
 Oil Base Muds
 But…
 oil muds also have higher relative
thermal expansions
 temperature changes when circulation
stops
 so, wellbore pressures change
52
Mud Temperature > Rock Temperature
in upper part of hole

Mud
Temperature in
Annulus

Mud Temperature < Rock Temperature

in lower part of hole
53
As the oil mud heats up, the density drops

This results in a drop in BHP

54
Better filter cake increases the
fracture resistance of the rock.

55
 Example 3.7
At 80 oF formation temperature the
fracture gradient is 0.864 psi/ft
 = 0.19 D = 500’
While drilling deeper, the temperature in
the vicinity of the wellbore increases to 90
deg F.
What is the new fracture gradient?
Assume E = 2.5* 106 -6 o
 = 8.0*10 / F
56
 Example 4.7
(et)T = ET/(1-) Eq. 3.62

(et)T =(2.5*106)(8.0*10-6)(90-80)/(1-0.19)

(et)T = 247 psi

New gfi = 0.864+(247/500) = 1.358 psi/ft

This helps explain why gfi may increase with

time.
57