Abstract: Fractured reservoirs are known to exhibit changes in their characteristics during the production life cycle. Attempts to explain this behaviour using simple rules are usually not successful, and ultimately they are doomed, because the rules are based on assumptions that are physically impossible. Moving to the next level requires a change of mindset that involves abandoning the notion that geomechanical processes are governed by a constant state of stress. Using simple models and realistic conditions, and considering fractured rock masses and their contained fluids, we can understand how the coupled systems interact, leading to realistic upscaled responses . Many real-world fractured reservoirs may have large parts where the fracture distribution and flow conditions never provoke any major surprises, so this is a comforting result and we can make sensible predictions. Other parts of those reservoirs, and larger portions in some cases, can exhibit confusing responses that can only be explained by considering the geomechanics/fluid interactions. Some parts of some reservoirs seem determined to scare us by their seemingly-unreasonable behaviours. By gaining an understanding of the process interactions that occur in fractured reservoirs, we can protect ourselves from the fear of the unknown - and we may be able to use this knowledge to be more effective in planning our reservoir management tasks. Biography: Gary Couples is Professor of Geomechanics at Heriot-Watt's Institute of Petroleum Engineering where he works at the engineering-geology interface. He holds a MA from Rice University and a PhD from Texas A&M. He was employed at Cities Service (Tulsa) and Amoco (Denver), and then ran a consultancy, before joining the academic world in 1989, first at Glasgow University in Scotland, before moving to Heriot-Watt (Edinburgh) in 1998. He teaches on four Master's programmes at Heriot-Watt (lecturing to both engineers and geoscientists), and also on a geomechanical Master programme at the Universite of Grenoble in France, along with delivering industrial short courses around the world. His geomechanical research activities range from experimental work (and apparatus development) through to numerical simulation at many scales. His approach links geomechanical effects to their consequences: predicting flow and other properties. Textural analysis and digital rocks play a key role in this activity. He has been an invited keynote speaker at many conferences, and he enjoys talking about challenging topics.