Geomechanical model and wellbore stability analysis utilizing acoustic impedance and reflection coefficient in a carbonate reservoir

Abstract

One of the most important oil and gas drilling studies is wellbore stability analysis. The purpose of this research is to investigate wellbore stability from a different perspective. To begin, vertical stress and pore pressure were calculated. The lowest and maximum horizontal stress were calculated using poroelastic equations. The strike-slip to normal fault regime was shown by calculated in situ stress values. The 1-D geomechanical model was utilized to investigate the failure mechanisms and safe mud window estimation using the Mohr–Coulomb failure criterion. Using density and sonic (compressional and shear slowness) logs, the acoustic impedance (AI) and reflection coefficient (RC) logs were determined subsequently. The combination of layers with different AI indicates positive and negative values for the RC, zones prone to shear failure or breakout, and the mud weight in these zones should be increased, according to the interpretation of the AI and RC readings and the results of the geomechanical model. Furthermore, the zones with almost constant values of AI log and values close to zero for RC log are stable as homogeneously lithologically, but have a lower tensile failure threshold than the intervals that are sensitive to shear failure, and if the mud weight increases, these zones are susceptible to tensile failure or breakdown. Increased porosity values, which directly correspond with the shear failure threshold and inversely with the tensile failure threshold, cause AI values to decrease in homogenous zones, but have no effect on the behavior of the RC log. This approach can determine the potential zones to kick, loss, shear failure, and tensile failure in a short time.