Quantifying the Effect of Rock Strength Criteria on Minimum Drilling Mud Weight Prediction Using Polyaxial Rock Strength Test Data
Publication: International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 6, Issue 4
Abstract
In engineering practice, a linear poroelasticity stress model in combination with a rock strength criterion is commonly used to determine a minimum mud weight for stable well drilling. Rock strength criterion therefore plays a key role in minimum mud weight prediction. There are a variety of rock strength criteria available in the literature. It is well known that all those criteria fall into two categories: intermediate principal stress dependent ( dependent) criteria and intermediate principal stress independent ( independent) criteria. To identify if a specific rock failure is dependent or independent, a polyaxial (true triaxial) rock strength test is essential. Similarly, to study the effect of rock strength criteria on wellbore stability and minimum drilling mud weight prediction, polyaxial rock strength test data are most useful. In this paper, we present a systematic approach to quantify the effect of three most commonly used rock strength criteria on minimum drilling mud weight prediction using polyaxial rock strength test data for Yuubari shale and Dunham dolomite.
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Acknowledgment
The writers would like to thank the managements of Baker Altas and the Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M University for permission to publish this paper.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
International Journal of Geomechanics
Volume 6 • Issue 4 • July 2006
Pages: 260 - 268
Copyright
© 2006 ASCE.
History
Received: Jul 30, 2004
Accepted: Nov 9, 2004
Published online: Jul 1, 2006
Published in print: Jul 2006
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