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This paper was prepared for presentation at the 44 US Rock Mechanics Symposium and 5
Symposium, held in Salt Lake City, UT June 2730, 2010.
This paper was selected for presentation at the symposium by an ARMA Technical Program Committee based on a technical and
critical review of the paper by a minimum of two technical reviewers. The material, as presented, does not necessarily reflect any
position of ARMA, its officers, or members. Electronic reproduction, distribution, or storage of any part of this paper for commercial
purposes without the written consent of ARMA is prohibited. Permission to reproduce in print is restricted to an abstract of not more
than 300 words; illustrations may not be copied. The abstract must contain conspicuous acknowledgement of where and by whom
the paper was presented.
ABSTRACT:
During the planning phase of an exploratory well, the evaluation of geopressures is used to set the depth of casing shoes
and to avoid operational problems during the execution phase such as: wellbore stability, circulation losses, stuck pipe,
kicks and blowouts, among others.
The main mechanism of abnormal pore pressure generation in sedimentary basins is undercompaction, due to loss of
balance during the expulsion of the pore fluids during the compaction process. This may happen in situations where the
remaining fluids have no migration options due to the presence of impermeable rocks.
The secondary mechanisms of abnormal pore pressure generation may also be present and impossible to quatify.
Amongst these mechanisms, we can identify: tectonics, salt dome intrusions, high temperatures, etc. High Pressure High
Temperature (HPHT) wells are a class of wells that present a bottom hole temperature (BHT) equal or higher than 300F
(150C) and bottom hole pressures (BHP) above 10,000 psi or pressure gradient over 0.8 psi/ft (2.6 psi/m).
The lateral pressure transfer is another abnormal pore pressure generation mechanism, in which the migration of pore
fluids may occur due to geometric elevation difference within the same layer, or the presence of a connecting geological
fault.
This paper presents a study of an area where the overpressure can be generated by all four mechanisms. The post mortem
analysis of the drilling of four HP and HT wells in the southeast of Brazil will provide data to identify the contribution of
the primary and secondary mechanisms to the levels of pore pressure found.
1.
INTRODUCTION
2. GEOPRESSURE GENERATING
MECHANISMS IN BRAZIL
2.1. Undercompaction
In a normal pressure zone, the balance of rock fluid
pressure (oil, water or gas) and the weight of the
overlying sediments can be established considering the
expulsion of fluids contained in the rock pores during
the burial phase and compaction process. When no fluid
escapes, the fluid gets confined in the porous rock
supporting part of the sediment weight adding to the
pore-fluid pressure. This process leads to an increase in
pore pressure and is considered the primary mechanism
of abnormal pore pressure generation, the so called
disequilibrium compaction or undercompaction.
3. CASE STUDY
For this case study four wells were analyzed, well A, B,
C and D. Figure 2 shows wells relative position and
Table 1 shows their characteristics.
Well
TVD/MD (m)
A
B
C
D
202
217
200
178
4394
4470
4513
5202
Well
Depth (m)
Pore Pressure
Gradient
(ppg)
Pressure (psi)
A
B
C
D
4383
4065
4283
5000
14.00
14.38
15.04
12.21
10,456
9958
10,978
10,400
Well
A
B
C
D
Depth (m)
Temperature
(C)
Temperature
(F)
4370
4445
4484
5176
140.0
140.5
149.8
152.0
284.0
284.9
301.7
305.6
4. CONCLUSIONS
In all wells analyzed with the Eaton method,
undercompaction was identified in its final intervals,
having as a maximum pore pressure value of 11.8lb/gal
(well C). Predominance of shales was identified at these
depths.
In the analyzed region, under 4000 meters, the
generation of hydrocarbons has contributed to pore
pressure increase, due to high temperatures and the
organic substance in the shales between the sandstones
above the salt layer.
The salt dome could have modified the stress state of
rocks in the final interval of the wells and also could
have been responsible for the pore pressure increment in
this area. In this paper four mechanisms of abnormally
high pore pressure generation were identified.
These analyses proved the difficulty of abnormal pore
pressure prediction and demonstrated the contribution of
the primary and secondary mechanisms separately. The
complexity of the estimation is caused by simultaneous
contribution of the primary and secondary mechanisms
to the abnormal pore pressure generation.
REFERENCES
1. Seymour, K.P. and G. Rae. 1993. Drilling close to
salt diapirs in the North Sea. In Offshore European
Conference, Aberdeen - Scotland, 7-10 September
1993.
2. Swarbrick, R. S. and M. J. Osborne. 1998.
Mechanisms that generate abnormal pressures: an
overview. In Abnormal pressures in hydrocarbon
environments: AAPG Memoir 70, ed. Law, B.E.,
G.F. Ulmishek, and V.I. Slavin, 13-34.
3. Yardley, G.S., and R.E. Swarbrick. 2000. Lateral
transfer: a source of additional overpressure?. In
Marine and Petroleum Geology 17 (2000) 523-537.
4. Yoshida, C., S. Ikeda, and B.A. Eaton. An
investigative study of recent technologies used for
prediction, detection, and evaluation of abnormal
formation pressure and frature pressure in north and
south America. In Asia Pacific Drilling Technology
Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 9-11
September 1996.
5. Rocha, L. A. S., and C. T. Azevedo. 2009. Oil well
Projects: geopressure and Casing set. 2nd ed. Rio de
Janeiro: Intercincia.