Geomechanical Analysis of Wellbore Stability in High-Pressure, High-Temperature Formations

To satisfy the growing worldwide demand in hydrocarbons and energy, more hostile oil and gas fields in terms of pressure and temperature are under drilling and development in recent years. Modified technologies, materials and precise planning are essential requirements for successful drilling, completion and development of such fields. Wellbore stability studies are required to mitigate the problems related to the failure of the rock around the drilled borehole. This work aims to present a thermo-poro-elastic model and investigate the effects of elevated temperatures and pressures on the well stability. The outputs of the model are used to define the optimal well trajectory and the minimum mud weight required to prevent the well failure. The results show that the temperature has the major effect on the instability issues in comparison with the pressure.