Open Access

ARTICLE

Finite Element Method Simulation of Wellbore Stability under Different Operating and Geomechanical Conditions

Junyan Liu¹, Ju Liu¹, Yan Wang¹, Shuang Liu¹, Qiao Wang¹, Yihe Du^2,*

1 Oil & Gas Project Research Institute, PetroChina Tarim Oilfield Company, Korla, 841000, China
2 Petroleum Engineering School, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu, 610500, China

* Corresponding Author: Yihe Du. Email:

(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Solid, Fluid, and Thermal Dynamics in the Development of Unconventional Resources )

Fluid Dynamics & Materials Processing 2024, 20(1), 205-218. https://doi.org/10.32604/fdmp.2023.030645

Received 16 April 2023; Accepted 13 June 2023; Issue published 08 November 2023

Abstract

The variation of the principal stress of formations with the working and geo-mechanical conditions can trigger wellbore instabilities and adversely affect the well completion. A finite element model, based on the theory of poro-elasticity and the Mohr-Coulomb rock damage criterion, is used here to analyze such a risk. The changes in wellbore stability before and after reservoir acidification are simulated for different pressure differences. The results indicate that the risk of wellbore instability grows with an increase in the production-pressure difference regardless of whether acidification is completed or not; the same is true for the instability area. After acidizing, the changes in the main geomechanical parameters (i.e., elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and rock strength) cause the maximum wellbore instability coefficient to increase.

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Keywords

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