Exploring and developing oil and gas in deepwater field is an important trend of the oil and gas industry. Development of deepwater oil and gas fields from a platform always requires a number of directional wells or extended reach wells targeting to different depth of water in various azimuth. Drilling of these wells is mostly associated with a series of wellbore instability problems that are not encountered in onshore or shallow water drilling. In the past decades, a number of studies on wellbore stability have been conducted. However, few of the models are specific for wellbore stability of the inclined deepwater wellbores. In this work, a comprehensive wellbore stability model considering poroelastic and thermal effects for inclined wellbores in deepwater drilling is developed. The numerical method of the model is also presented. The study shows that for a strike-slip stress regime, the wellbore with a low inclination poses more risk of wellbore instability than the wellbore with a high inclination. It also shows that cooling the wellbore will stabilize the wellbore while excessive cooling could cause wellbore fracturing, and the poroelastic effect could narrow the safe mud weight window. The highest wellbore collapse pressure gradients at all of the analyzed directions are obtained when poroelastic effect is taken into account meanwhile the lowest wellbore fracture pressure gradients at all of the analyzed directions are obtained when both of poroelastic effect and thermal effect are taken into account. For safe drilling in deepwater, both of thermal and poroelastic effects are preferably considered to estimate wellbore stability. The model provides a practical tool to predict the stability of inclined wellbores in deepwater drilling.
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September 2018
Research-Article
A Comprehensive Wellbore Stability Model Considering Poroelastic and Thermal Effects for Inclined Wellbores in Deepwater Drilling
Xuyue Chen,
Xuyue Chen
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
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Deli Gao,
Deli Gao
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
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Jin Yang,
Jin Yang
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
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Ming Luo,
Ming Luo
Zhanjiang Branch of CNOOC Ltd.,
Zhanjiang 524057, China
Zhanjiang 524057, China
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Yongcun Feng,
Yongcun Feng
Department of Petroleum and Geosystems
Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, TX 78705
Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, TX 78705
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Xin Li
Xin Li
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
Search for other works by this author on:
Xuyue Chen
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
Deli Gao
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
Jin Yang
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
Ming Luo
Zhanjiang Branch of CNOOC Ltd.,
Zhanjiang 524057, China
Zhanjiang 524057, China
Yongcun Feng
Department of Petroleum and Geosystems
Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, TX 78705
Engineering,
The University of Texas at Austin,
Austin, TX 78705
Xin Li
MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering,
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
China University of Petroleum,
Beijing 102249, China
Contributed by the Petroleum Division of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENERGY RESOURCES TECHNOLOGY. Manuscript received January 9, 2018; final manuscript received April 2, 2018; published online April 26, 2018. Assoc. Editor: Ray (Zhenhua) Rui.
J. Energy Resour. Technol. Sep 2018, 140(9): 092903 (11 pages)
Published Online: April 26, 2018
Article history
Received:
January 9, 2018
Revised:
April 2, 2018
Citation
Chen, X., Gao, D., Yang, J., Luo, M., Feng, Y., and Li, X. (April 26, 2018). "A Comprehensive Wellbore Stability Model Considering Poroelastic and Thermal Effects for Inclined Wellbores in Deepwater Drilling." ASME. J. Energy Resour. Technol. September 2018; 140(9): 092903. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4039983
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