Determining a limit of failure in a wellbore wall

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9646115-B2
Application number	US-201313863572-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 16, 2013
Priority date	Apr 17, 2012
Publication date	May 9, 2017
Grant date	May 9, 2017

Abstract

A method to determine a drilling fluid density limit involves obtaining a geomechanical model of a target borehole, generating a depth of damage model of the target borehole to describe a relationship between a drilling fluid pressure and a depth of damage representing a modeled amount of yielded rock surrounding the target borehole, where the modeled amount of the yielded rock is calculated using a stress model according to a pre-determined failure criterion, and calculating, using the depth of damage model and the geomechanical model, the drilling fluid density limit as a function of the subterranean formation depth, where the drilling fluid density limit maintains the depth of damage at a target level for the target borehole, where the drilling fluid density limit corresponds to a depth gradient of the drilling fluid pressure, where the target borehole is drilled based at least on the drilling fluid density limit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method to determine a drilling fluid density limit for maintaining a target amount of rock failure in a drilling operation, comprising:
obtaining a geomechanical model of a portion of a subterranean formation traversed by a target borehole, wherein the geomechanical model comprises a formation pressure dependent on subterranean formation depth;
generating, by a computer processor using a stress model dependent on the formation pressure, a depth of damage model of the target borehole based at least in part on a yield factor, wherein the depth of damage model describes a relationship between a drilling fluid pressure and a depth of damage resulting from the drilling fluid pressure, and the yield factor is representative of a ratio between applied stress and resistant stress,
wherein the depth of damage represents a radial distance across a modeled amount of yielded rock surrounding the target borehole, and
wherein the modeled amount of the yielded rock is calculated using the stress model according to a pre-determined failure criterion, the pre-determined criterion including the yield factor; and

calculating, by the computer processor using the depth of damage model and the geomechanical model, the drilling fluid density limit as a function of the subterranean formation depth,
wherein the drilling fluid density limit maintains the depth of damage at a target level for the target borehole, and
wherein the drilling fluid density limit corresponds to a depth gradient of the drilling fluid pressure,

wherein the target borehole is drilled based at least on the drilling fluid density limit.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, based on the drilling fluid density target, a mud weight for drilling the target borehole,
wherein the drilling fluid pressure in the target borehole is dependent on an integral sum of the mud weight in the target borehole.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the target level of the depth of damage is within a range of 5 percent to 30 percent of a wellbore radius.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying a plurality of drilled wells traversing the portion of the subterranean formation;
analyzing non-productive drilling events of the plurality of drilled wells to identify historical drilling fluid densities associated with the non-productive drilling events and historical formation pressures associated with the non-productive drilling events;
estimating, using the depth of damage model and based on the historical drilling fluid densities and the historical formation pressures, a historical level of the depth of damage corresponding to the non-productive drilling events; and
identifying, based on the historical level of the depth of damage, the target level of the depth of damage for preventing the non-productive drilling events in the target borehole.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-productive drilling events comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of a caliper increase, a breakout in an image log, and a radial change in a sonic velocity.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the stress model is at least one selected from a group consisting of an elastic stress model, a poroelastic stress model, and a non-linear stress model.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the failure criterion is at least one selected from a group consisting of a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, a Mogi-Coulomb failure criterion, and a Modified-Lade failure criterion.

8. A system for performing a drilling operation with a target amount of rock failure, comprising:
a drilling system having a drill string for drilling a target borehole in the field, wherein the drill string is configured to provide a circulation path for drilling fluid in the target borehole during drilling; and
a surface unit comprising:
a computer processor;
a depth of damage application executing on the computer processor and configured to:
obtain a geomechanical model of a portion of the subterranean formation traversed by the target borehole, wherein the geomechanical model comprises a formation pressure dependent on subterranean formation depth;
generate, using a stress model dependent on the formation pressure, a depth of damage model of the target borehole based at least in part on a yield factor,
wherein the depth of damage model describes a relationship between a drilling fluid pressure and a depth of damage resulting from the drilling fluid pressure, and
wherein the depth of damage represents a radial distance across a modeled amount of yielded rock surrounding the target borehole, and the yield factor is representative of a ratio between applied stress and resistant stress, wherein the modeled amount of the yielded rock is calculated using the stress model according to a pre-determined failure criterion, the pre-determined criterion including the yield factor; and

calculate, using the depth of damage model and the geomechanical model, a target drilling fluid density as a function of the subterranean formation depth,
wherein the target drilling fluid density maintains the depth of damage at a target level for the target borehole, and
wherein the target drilling fluid density corresponds to a depth gradient of the drilling fluid pressure; and

a repository for storing the geomechanical model, the depth of damage model, and the target drilling fluid density as the function of the subterranean formation depth,

wherein the target borehole is drilled based at least on the target drilling fluid density.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the depth of damage application is further configured to:
determine, based on the drilling fluid density target, a mud weight for drilling the target borehole,
wherein the drilling fluid pressure in the target borehole is dependent on an integral sum of the mud weight in the target borehole.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein the target level of the depth of damage is within a range of 5 percent to 30 percent of a wellbore radius.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the depth of damage application is further configured to:
identify a plurality of drilled wells traversing the portion of the subterranean formation;
analyze non-productive drilling events of the plurality of drilled wells to identify historical drilling fluid densities associated with the non-productive drilling events and historical formation pressures associated with the non-productive drilling events;
estimate, using the depth of damage model and based on the historical drilling fluid densities and the historical formation pressures, a historical level of the depth of damage corresponding to the non-productive drilling events; and
identify, based on the historical level of the depth of damage, the target level of the depth of damage for preventing the non-productive drilling events in the target borehole.

12. The system of claim 8 , wherein the non-productive drilling events comprise at least one selected from a group consisting of a caliper increase, a breakout in an image log, and a radial change in a sonic velocity.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the stress model is at least one selected from a group consisting of an elastic stress model, a poroelastic stress model, and a non-linear stress model.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein the failure criterion is at least one selected from a group consisting of a Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion, a Mogi-Coulomb failure criterion, and a Modified-Lade failure criterion.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions for determining a drilling fluid density li

Assignees

• Schlumberger Technology Corp

Inventors

• Frydman Marcelo

Classifications

• G06F2119/02

  Reliability analysis or reliability optimisation; Failure analysis, e.g. worst case scenario performance, failure mode and effects analysis [FMEA] · CPC title

• G06F30/20 Primary

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• G06F17/5009 Primary

  Physics · mapped topic

• E21B47/10 Primary

  Locating fluid leaks, intrusions or movements · CPC title

• E21B21/08

  Controlling or monitoring pressure or flow of drilling fluid, e.g. automatic filling of boreholes, automatic control of bottom pressure (valve arrangements therefor E21B21/10) · CPC title