OilField Geomechanics Training Courses

Module 0. Introduction to Geomechanics

• A few words about Oilfield Geomechanics 
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance
• Petroleum vs. mining geomechanics

Module 1. Fundamentals of Geomechanics

• Introduction to the 4 components of geomechanics
• Stress, pressure, mechanical properties and geometry
• Effective stress concepts, role of pore pressure
• Field stress variations, structural effects

Module 2. Geomechanics in Drilling

• Stresses around a wellbore
• Basic concepts and causes of overpressure
• Wellbore failure
• Mud weight window

Module 3. Geomechanics in Hydraulic Fracturing

• Critical role of in-situ stress
• Complexity
• DFITs
• Role of rock fabric

Module 4. Geomechanics in Reservoir Development

• Critical role of formation pressure
• Stress-dependent permeability
• IOR/EOR geomechanics

Module 5. Geomechanics in Unconventionals

• Concepts and tools
• Myths and Magic
• Frac hits (FDI’s) and Casing Deformation

Module 6. Geomechanics Program Specification and Quality Control

• Defining the challenge
• ‘Nice-to-have’ vs. required data
• Questions to ask
• QC

Module 0. Introduction to Geomechanics

• A few words about Oilfield Geomechanics 
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance
• The Geomechanics Model (1D vs. 3D)
• Geomechanics workflow(s) – 1D & 3D models

Module 1. Mechanical Property Data from Lab Testing

• Elastic, elastoplastic and viscous (time-dependent) mechanical properties
• Rock mechanics testing on intact core – UCS, Triaxial, block tests, drained vs. undrained
• Acoustic emissions; lab dynamic vs. field dynamic vs. static properties
• Anisotropic behavior
• Characterizing rock fabric – natural fractures, bedding planes and laminations; Direct Shear Testing
• Building data correlations and calibrating models with lab data

Module 2. Geomechanics Data from Wireline Logs

• Basic geomechanics logs – density and sonic logs
• Elastic dynamic properties from logs
• Dynamic vs static properties – converting with correlations
• Anisotropic behavior from sonic logs

Module 3. Geomechanics Field Data

• Drilling event data – pore pressure and stress indicators
• DFIT’s, mini-fracs, XLOT’s – design and interpretation
• Seismic inversion for elastic properties – calibration and key issues
• Field data as calibration for well integrity and reservoir compaction

Modules 4. Geomechanics Monitoring Tools and Methods

• Wellbore / drilling data
• Seismic data
• Microseismics
• Tiltmeters
• Fiber optics

Module 5.  Model Validation with Field Data

• Incorporating field data in history matching
• Model updating

Module 0. Introduction to Unconventional Geomechanics

• A few words about Oilfield Geomechanics 
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance

Modules 1 – 2. Principles of Stress and Strain & Field Stress Measurements

• Basic of stress-strain and Mohr circles- applications on natural fractures
• Effective stress concepts, role of pore pressure
• Field stress variations, structural effects
• Stresses around boreholes
• Stress determinations

Module 3. Pore Pressure Evaluation

• Basic concepts and causes of overpressure
• Pore pressure analysis – Eaton, Bowers’, NCT, effective stress methods
• Analysis workflow
• Challenges in unconventional, field examples.

Modules 4 – 5. Mechanical Rock Behavior

• Mechanical properties, elasticity plasticity, poroelasticity, viscoelasticity.
• Failure in rocks, failure criteria
• Influence of faults and fracture, anisotropy
• Laboratory testing, measurements, interpretation
• Use of logs for mechanical properties, calibration, correlations.

Module 6.  Geomechanical Modeling and Workflows

• Concepts and tools
• 1D, 2D and 3D models
• Geomechanics workflows in unconventionals

Modules 7 – 8. Hydraulic Fracturing Fundamentals

• Basic, objectives, parameters
• Frac containment, net pressure
• Injection testing, DFITs
• Horizontal wells
• Perforating, Proppants – 100 mesh and proppant transport, 
• Fracturing fluids
• Role of natural fractures. Injection zone selection

Module 9. Stress Shadows: Single Frac & Multi-stage, Multi-well Effects

• Mechanics of stress shadows
• Effect on multi stages and clusters
• Multi-well stress shadows
• Tip shear stresses, Modeling examples

Module 10. Rock Fabric Characterization

• Description and quantification of rock fabric attributes – cores
• Mechanical behavior, hydraulic behavior, testing in unconventionals
• Stresses – critically stress fractures and hydraulic conductivity
• Geometry and spatial occurrence, DFN models.
• Examples of evaluation in unconventional plays

Module 11. Shale Geomechanics 

• Unconventional shale plays – shale types – challenges, critical issues
• Geological scenarios for completions
• Geomechanics of interfaces – HF interaction with interfaces, effect of fracture toughness
• HF models: traditional and advanced models
• Shale properties static and dynamics examples from different plays – elastic parameters, time dependency, frictional properties
• Shale and Shale like behavior – mineralogic content, shale and flow.
• Myths to debunk – brittleness, complexity, SRV and microseismic, sand volume per lateral length

Module 12. Hydraulic Fractures (HFs) and Natural Fractures (NFs)- Operational Effects

• HFs propagation with NFs – effect of NF orientation
• Dual HF propagating in a fractured media
• Pressure Diffusion – coupled effects – stimulation benefits
• Interaction HF – NF – crossing rules.
• Influence of NF characteristics – Dense vs sparse DFN, stress anisotropy, NF connectivity, parametric studies. Modeling examples.
• Influence of operational parameters, effects of fluid viscosity, injection rates – injection time,  
• Influence of the stress field and insitu pore pressure on HF behavior.
• Microseismicity response with anisotropic stresses – dry and wet MS events. Effect of initial aperture of the NFs.

Module 13. Depletion Effects & Refracs

• Depletion effects on HFs, depletion and in situ stresses.
• Parent -child evaluations, Cluster efficiency, drainage volumes
• Frac hits – types. 
• Microseismic depletion delineation, Cube evaluations
• Refracturing – candidates, case histories, lessons.
• Geomechanics of refracs.
• Refracs economics, refrac activity, examples. 
• Refracs methods, engineered refracs.

Module 14. Multi-well Completions

• Zipper fracs, stress perturbations, induced shear around zipper fracs
• Interaction of HFs, overlapping HFs, models
• Zipper fracs stress shadows.
• Effect of multiple well completion in fractured rock mass – sheared fabric – friction angle effect, geometry of zipper fracs. Effect on fabric stimulation.
• Sheared length, pressure diffusion.

Module 15.  HF Monitoring and HF Models (extra session)

• Temperature Logs, strengths and weaknesses, procedures. Effect of wellbore and completion.
• RA logging procedures, strength and weaknesses, tracer applications
• Micro seismic monitoring – MS as a geomechanics issue. Events, field data, MS imaging, passive seismology, triggered or induced seismicity, array design, surface vs downhole, source mechanisms, SRV from MS and drainage volume.
• Tiltmeters- direct fracture monitoring, measurements, patterns, cases.
• DAS/DTS Basics, production estimations, cluster efficiency, integrated analysis.
• HF Models – advanced models fundamentals, input data, 2D models, pseudo (planar) 3D, Cell/Grid based models, lumped pseudo 3D, Fully 3D, HF reservoir simulators.

Module 0. Introduction to Drilling & Completion Geomechanics

• A few words about Oilfield Geomechanics 
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance
• The Geomechanics Model (1D vs. 3D)
• Geomechanics Workflow(s) – 1D and 3D model development

Module 1. Geomechanics Fundamentals

• The geomechanics model: stress, pressure, mechanical properties and geometry
• Basics of stress-strain (deformation)
• Effective stress concepts, role of pore pressure
• Lab, log and field geomechanics data
• Field stress variations, structural effects
• Stresses around boreholes
• Stress determinations

Module 2. Geological Scenarios for Drilling and Completions

• Stress regimes and in-situ stress variation with structural position; geobodies
• Geological models vs. a geomechanical model (“Mechanical Earth Model”)
• Drilling in tectonically complex environments (field examples)
• Hydraulic fracturing in shales and formations with rock fabric

Module 3. Role of Rock Fabric

• Defining geomechanics rock fabric
• Natural fractures, bedding planes and laminations: weak planes
• Rock fabric in drilling and completions
• Characterization of rock fabric from a Drilling and Completions view point: what is relevant and why

Module 4. Seismic and Petrophysics in Drilling and Completions

• Seismic-derived elastic parameters and calibration
• Seismic data and in situ stresses
• Petrophysics as a key tool in geomechanical characterization
• Correlations

Module 5. Workflows and Actions to Support Drilling & Completion Operations

• Drilling decisions and completions decisions that G&G and RE professionals can impact
• Coupled fluid flow and geomechanics analyses – key aspects
• Geomechanics in waterflooding

Module 0. Introduction to Geomechanics for Hydraulic Fracturing

• A few words about Oilfield Geomechanics 
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance

Module 1. Geomechanics Fundaments

• Basic of stress-strain; effective stress concepts, role of pore pressure
• Field stress variations, structural effects
• Stress determinations
• Basic concepts and causes of overpressure; pore pressure analysis
• Mechanical properties: elasticity, plasticity, poroelasticity, viscoelasticity
• Failure in rocks; failure criteria
• Laboratory testing, measurements, and interpretation.
• Use of logs for mechanical properties, calibration, correlations

Module 2. Hydraulic Fracturing Basics: Fracture Mechanics Concepts

• Critical concepts – net pressure, tip shear stresses, fracture conductivity
• Fluid leakoff
• Fracture toughness and stress intensity factors
• Fracture propagation and fracture geometry – key drivers
• Viscosity-dominated vs. toughness dominated fracture propagation
• Injection test – concepts
• LOT setup and interpretation; XLOT concepts and value
• DFIT’s and mini-fracs

Module 3. Geomechanical Parameters and Their Influence on HF Propagation

• Role of in-situ stress
• Biot’s coefficient
• Elastic moduli
• Toughness
• Rock Fabric

Module 4. Fracturing Tight Sands vs. Shales

• HF design in tight sands – pressure signatures, HF optimization and HF modeling
• HF in shales – differences, rock heterogeneity, anisotropy and rock fabric
• Multistage HF; Stress Shadows
• Perforations – clusters and stages
• Proppant transport
• Landing location

Module 5. Hydraulic Fracturing in Formations with Rock Fabric

• Interactions between hydraulic fractures and rock fabric
• HF – NF (natural fracture) crossing rules
• Importance of pressure diffusion; coupled effects
• Influence of NF characteristics – dense vs sparse DFN, stress anisotropy, NF connectivity
• Influence of NF aperture
• Influence of operational parameters – effects of fluid viscosity, injection rate and injection time
• Influence of the stress field and in-situ pore pressure
• Microseismicity response with anisotropic stresses – dry and wet MS events

Module 6. HF Design Tools and Modeling

• 2D models – PKN, KGD
• Pseudo-3D models; lumped vs. cell models
• Gridded models
• “Fully” 3D models and Out-of-the-Plane models
• DEM models
• Advanced, new-generation models
• Modeling depletion effects on HF propagation – modeling Parent-Child effects
• Cluster efficiency, limited-entry design, Stress Shadows and proppant transport
• Modeling frac hits 
• Cube / bench developments

Module 7. Hydraulic Fracturing Optimization

• Basic HF economics and optimization
• Type curves vs. fracture/fluid flow modeling
• Workflows and monitoring as a tool for optimization

Module 0. Introduction to Geomechanics

• A few words about OilField Geomechanics
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance

Module 1. Geomechanics Fundamentals

• Introduction to the four components of geomechanics
• Stress, pressure, mechanical properties and geometry
• Effective stress concepts, role of pore pressure
• Field stress variations, structural effects

Module 2. Geomechanics in Geothermal Applications

• Geomechanical effects of high temperatures and pressure
• Application of hydraulic fracturing
• Role of rock fabric
• Stress-dependent permeability effects

Module 3. Carbon Capture and Storage Geomechanics

• Concepts behind caprock integrity
• Stress path and influence of depletion
• Critical role of rock fabric
• Seismicity
• Salt and time-dependent rock

Module 0. Introduction to Geomechanics

• What is geomechanics?
• The Geomechanical Model: 1D vs. 3D
• Geomechanics Workflow(s) – 1D and 3D models

Module 1. Geomechanics Fundamentals

• Stress-strain (deformation) concepts
• The geomechanical model: stress, pore pressure, mechanical properties and geometry
• Effective stresses and the role of formation pressure
• Lab, log and field geomechanics data

Module 2. Wellbore and Reservoir Monitoring

• Drilling data and Drilling Event Analyses
• Pressure monitoring and evaluations
• Stress measurements (DFIT’s, LOT’s, XLOT’s)
• Casing deformation analyses – multi-finger caliper data
• Passive seismic monitoring
• Subsidence evaluations (GPS, InSar, bathmetry)

Module 3. Seismic/Microseismics

• Microseismic fundamentals and challenges
• Surface vs. downhole
• Inversion for the stress tensor
• Passive seismic and microseismic

Module 4. Tiltmeters

• Concepts, precision
• Surface vs. downhole deployment
• Applications to hydraulic fracturing monitoring

Module 5. Fiber Optics

• Concepts and deployment
• DAS
• DTS
• Interpretation
• Operational challenges

Module 6. InSar

• Concepts, technology and precision
• Challenges
• Applications to earth deformations (subsidence)

Module 0. Introduction to Drilling Geomechanics

• A few words about OilField Geomechanics LLC
• What is geomechanics? Definitions, history, relevance

Module 1. Geomechanics Fundamentals

• Basics of stress-strain
• Effective stress concepts and the role of pore pressure
• Field stress variations & structural effects
• Stress measurements
• Pore pressure prediction
• Mechanical properties from lab and logs

Module 2. Building a Wellbore-Based Geomechanics Model

• Workflows – data availability in the area
• Building the geomechanical parameters from multiple sources of data
• Image log analysis for stress indicators
• Validation/calibration of a geomechanical model

Module 3. Drilling Event Analyses – Pressure and Stress Indicators

• Key drilling report and drilling parameter data
• Creating a drilling event analysis plot
• Instantaneous and time dependent events
• Integration with G&G data

Module 4. Stresses Around A Wellbore: Elastic and Elastoplastic Solutions

• Kirsch equations – analytical solutions for elastic, elastoplastic circular boreholes
• Stress and wellbore failure worksheet
• Parametric evaluations
• Why a numerical model?
• Types of tools/software
• Data requirements / time / expense

Module 5. Wellbore Failure

• Failure types; causes of failure
• Key field data
• Failure along bedding or rock fabric
• Failure criteria and tolerance

Module 6. Wellbore Stability Analyses

• Safe Mud Window – the critical deliverable
• Critical mud weight and Fracture Gradient
• Polar plots for safe mud window
• Optimum well trajectory
• Parametric analyses
• Casing point criteria

Module 7. Fluid/Rock Interaction Effects

• Mud activity and lab testing for compatibility
• Criteria for fluid design to improve wellbore stability
• Raising the mud weight isn’t always the right answer

Module 8. QRA in Wellbore Stability Analyses

• Results of a wellbore stability risk assessment analysis
• Parametric analyses
• Sources of uncertainty in drilling geomechanics data
• Properly incorporating uncertainty

Module 9. Real Time Geomechanics in Drilling Operations

• RT data and tools
• RT wellbore stability modeling