Geomechanics for Wellbore Stability

Date: Thursday, 13th of December 2018
Speaker: Amy Fox, President at Enlighten Geoscience Ltd.
Location: Calgary Petroleum Club (329- 5th Ave SW)
Time: 7:30am – 9:30am  
Cost:
$45 SPE Member, $55 Non-Member, $15 Students 

Abstract:

Wellbore stability studies were one of the earliest applications of geomechanics in oil and gas. Despite today’s focus on completions, stability issues continue to be a problem in many plays, resulting in large “hidden” costs for operators. Published studies indicate that geomechanical wellbore instability during drilling can account for up to half of documented non-productive time (NPT).

The Western Canada Sedimentary Basin isn’t the Gulf of Mexico, obviously. But neither is it the U.S. Permian Basin. And the Duvernay isn’t the Montney. Simply put, every play in every basin of the world is geomechanically unique, with rocks that have different mechanical properties, fluid pressures that can be simple or complex, and earth stresses that are driven by the same forces driving and resulting from global plate tectonics. If you don’t understand these parameters, you don’t really understand your asset.

Through case studies and examples, this talk will guide the audience through the workflow for building a geomechanical model and then will discuss how that model can be used to optimize wellbore stability while drilling. It will dispel (or try to, anyway) several persistent myths that have permeated the drilling world, leading to unnecessary extra costs. It will also make the case that a well that is mechanically “healthy” when it is drilled is a better candidate for successful completions and better production.

Speaker Bio:

Amy Fox, Amy earned an undergraduate degree in Geology from the University of New Hampshire and a Ph.D. in Geophysics (specializing in geomechanics) from Stanford University. She has been involved in geomechanical consulting since 1998 and has been in Canada since 2011. She enjoys “spreading the geomechanics gospel” through giving talks, publishing articles, teaching courses and volunteering.

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