The Geomechanics of Drilling Weakly Bedded Shale in Conventional & Unconventional Wells. Free Pizza!!!!
Julie Kowan
Abstract:
The energy industry has a responsibility to drill wells as safely and efficiently as
possible. We have made enormous progress toward this goal in recent decades,
yet geomechanics-related incidents still account for significant non-productive time
(NPT) and cost. In order to do even better, there must be a concerted effort to derisk drilling programs. A geomechanical model comprises a thorough
understanding of the local stress field and geology and is a means to diagnose the
root cause of previous drilling problems. A geomechanical model should be
considered an essential tool in challenging drilling environments because we must
first understand the mechanism for failure before we can determine appropriate
de-risking and mitigation measures.
One example of a challenging drilling environment is when bedding planes lack
the strength to remain intact during drilling, sometimes resulting in severe borehole
instability. This phenomenon is called weak bedding and has been observed in
conventional and unconventional wells drilled all over the globe. The
geomechanics and rock mechanics communities have studied weak bedding
planes for decades and have developed several effective mitigation techniques
that vary somewhat depending on the local environment. The key takeaways of
this presentation are an understanding of what comprises a geomechanical model,
what weak bedding planes are, where they have been observed and how
geomechanical models have been employed to reduce wellbore instability while
drilling through these weak planes, thus driving an increase in drilling safety and
efficiency.
Biography:
As a Geomechanics Advisor at Baker Hughes, Julie Kowan enables operators to
drill safer, more cost-effective wells by reducing non-productive time (NPT) from
wellbore instability. Julie earned a BS in Geology from Rutgers University and a
MS in Geology from Brown University, after which she joined GeoMechanics
International (GMI) in 2005. Since then Julie has performed over 125
geomechanics studies worldwide, and has held various positions at both GMI
and Baker Hughes as well as operated her own consulting company for two
years. Julie has volunteered for SPE and SPWLA and served as a SPWLA
Distinguished Speaker for 2020-2021.