Using Mohr-Coulomb Failure Criterion

You can create a Shear Failure Stress Gradient (SFG) dataset, as well as Maximum
Horizontal Stress Gradient (SHG), Friction Angle (FA) and Cohesive Strength (CS)
datasets with this criterion.

Select Analyze > Shear Failure Stress Gradient from the Predict menu bar. The Shear
Failure Stress Analysis dialog box displays.

Step 1 - Select a Method

1. Select the Mohr-Coulomb failure condition option and click Next.

Step 2 - Select a Well

2. Associate the analysis with the correct well. Click Next.

Step 3 - Collect Survey Parameter Information

Select an inclination and azimuth option:

o Use a constant inclination and azimuth. Calculations will use the

specified values for the entire wellbore.
o Use the well's survey data. Calculations will use well survey data.
o Use a constant azimuth and equal inclination interval. Calculations
will use the specified range of inclinations for the entire wellbore and
generate datasets at the specified intervals. For example, if the
interval entered is 15, then datasets will be generated for 0, 15, 30,
45 inclination.
3. Click Next.

Step 4 - Collect Parameter Information

The minimum mud weight required to prevent shear failure versus depth
along the well path is calculated based on the following defined input
parameters:

4. Choose the dataset from the drop-down list for the overburden (total vertical
stress). If the dataset cannot be found, click the Filter button to select the
datatypes for the desired dataset to display.

Note: To use the Filter button see Datatype Filter Button.

5. Choose the pore pressure dataset from the drop-down list.

6. Choose the minimum horizontal stress gradient (ShG or FG) dataset from
the drop-down list.
7. In the Maximum horizontal stress (SHG) option section choose either to
o Use a dataset - select a SHG dataset from the drop-down list.
o Select a formula from the drop-down list to calculate - if selected,
provide the stress increment factor, k.

If you choose to calculate the SHG, you may select the check box to
create a SHG dataset that can be displayed on a Predict track.

8. Enter the azimuth (direction of the maximum horizontal stress relative to

true North). The default value is zero.
9. After all the inputs are entered, click Advanced Settings

Advanced Settings for Shear Failure Stress Gradient Analysis

10. In the Poisson's ratio settings section choose either

o a constant - a default of 0.25 is appropriate for most shales.
o a dataset - choose a Poisson dataset from the drop-down list.
11. In the Near wellbore pore pressure settings section, choose one of the
following:
o Equal to far field pore pressure - This is the default setting and
assumes there is no pressure communication between the wellbore
mud pressure and the near wellbore formation pressure.
o Chemical effects - Use this option to account for near wellbore stress
changes induced by differences in the mud and pore fluid salinity.
You can specify Biots effective stress coefficient directly
(alphaor add values of Kb and KS. You can specify the value for
P directly (select the appropriate pressure unit) or add values to
account for mud and pore fluid activities (ADF and AwS) and the
membrane efficiency (q). Enter a temperature value and choose an
appropriate unit.
o Hydraulic communication effects - Use this option in cases where the
near wellbore formation pressures are higher than the far field pore
pressure due to invasion of drilling mud in the near wellbore
formation. You can specify Biots effective stress coefficient directly
(alpha ) or add values of Kb and KS to calculate.
12. In the Other settings section, enter a value for
o Breakout angle (degrees) - Enter the value in degrees of the amount
of wellbore circumference in shear failure on one-half of the
wellbore. See Specifying Breakout Angle for details.
o Make shear failure stress value no less than pore pressure value - If
the check box is cleared, the minimum mud weight required to
prevent shear failure will be recorded and displayed even if it is less
than the pore pressure.
13. When all the inputs are specified in the Advanced Settings dialog box, click
OK and you are returned to the the Step 4 Collect Parameter Information
dialog box.
14. Click Next.

Step 5 - Collect Strength Parameters

15. For the rock strength parameter option, choose one of the following
o Use a correlation dataset - If you choose this option you will need to
specify additional inputs.
o Use rock strength datasets - Choose a Friction Angle (FA) and
Cohesion Strength (CS) dataset from the drop-down lists. These
datasets are depth-dependent properties that are derived from
publicaly available correlations. Note that the properties will be
linearly interpolated as a function of depth.
o Use a constant - You can use assumed constant values related to
Mohr-Coulomb values for the Friction Angle (FA) and Cohesion
Strength (CS).
o Use a formation column - the system will use the appropriate
constant values for each formation in a selected lithology column
dataset. See Rock Strength Parameters in the Lithology Column for
details.
16. Enter a value for the Friction Angle calibration factor. The default is 1.
17. Enter a value for the Cohesion Strength calibration. The default is 1.

Note: The strength calibration factors provide a means of adjusting the

selected strength value (defined by the chosen option) by a constant ratio to
calibrate to local conditions. Calibration factors less than one reduce the
defined or predicted strength and vice versa.

18. Click Next.

Note: If you selected to use a correlation dataset in the Rock Strength

Parameter option in Step 15, the Step 6 dialog box is available. Otherwise
proceed to Step 7- Collect New Dataset Information

Step 6 - Collect Correlation Information

19. In the Options section, choose one of the following:

o Apply a single correlation to both shale and sand - The correlation
you choose is applied to both shale and sands.
o Apply correlation to shale only - If you choose this option, you will
need to choose additional inputs (a lithology-discriminating dataset).
o Apply different correlation laws to shale and sand - You will specify
inputs for each.
20. In the Inputs section
 o Shale correlation - Choose either Lals or Horsruds law from the
drop-down list.
o Sand correlation - Choose a dataset from the drop-down list. This
input is needed only for the different correlation laws option
o Choose a sonic/velocity dataset from the drop-down list. Requried
input for any option.
o If you choose to apply different correlation laws to sand and shale
you must choose a porosity dataset from the drop-down list.
21. In the Lithology-discriminating options section - (Not available if the single
correlation for both shale and sand is selected in step 19).

For the correlation to shale only

o Select a lithology-discriminating dataset from the drop-down list.

o Enter a value for the shale threshold for the lithology-discriminating
dataset. Any value above the entered value will be treated as shale.

To apply different correlation laws to shale and sand either

o Choose the Vsh option and select a lithology-discriminating dataset

from the drop-down list and enter a value for the shale threshold.
Any value above the entered value will be treated as shale.
o Choose to Use baselines - select a lithology-discriminating dataset
(e.g GR or Spontaneous Potential (SP)) from the drop-down list and
shale and sand baselines from the list boxes. See Analyzing Shale
Intervals with a Line Group for details of using line groups.
22. In the Friction angle section you may either choose a dataset from the drop-
down list or specify a constant. If you select to use a constant, this value will
be applied to the non-shale lithologies. This is available only if you choose
to apply different correlations to shale and sand.
23. Select or clear the check box to Create rock mechanical property datasets. A
Friction Angle (FA) and a Cohesive Strength (CS) dataset will be created
based on the above inputs. If in the Friction Angle section you select to
specify a constant, the FA dataset will will be a composite of the log-derived
FA in the shale, and the constant FA value is the non-shales.
24. Click Next.

Step 7- Collect New Dataset Information

25. The well name associated with the analysis is shown in the shaded field.
26. Enter a name for the Shear Failure Stress Gradient analysis dataset. The
default name for the dataset is a combination of the datatype (SFG) and the
Failure Criteria method used. The name can be changed.
27. Enter a description, if desired.
28. Choose an index type from the drop-down list, either True vertical depth or
Measured depth.
29. Take note of the datatype for the dataset, SFG.
30. If desired, change the color, lines and/or symbol of the display attributes.
31. Select the appropriate unit.
32. The value entered in the Depth Interval field sets the dataset datapoint
interval.
33. Click Next if you chose to create a SHG dataset in Step 7 (Maximum
Horizontal Stress Gradient Option). Otherwise, click Finish.

Step 8 - Collect New SHG Dataset Information

34. The well name associated with the analysis is shown in the shaded field.
35. Enter a name for the Maximum Horizontal Stress Gradient dataset. The
default name for the dataset is a combination of the datatype (SHG) and the
method used. The name can be changed.
36. Enter a description, if desired.
37. Choose an index type from the drop-down list, either True vertical depth or
Measured depth.
38. Take note of the datatype for the dataset, SHG.
39. If desired, change the color, lines and/or symbol of the display attributes.
40. Select the appropriate unit.
41. The value entered in the Depth Interval field sets the dataset datapoint
interval.
42. Click Next if you opted to Create rock mechanical property (Friction Angle
and Cohesive Strength) datasets in Step 23 of the Step 5 dialog box above.
Otherwise, click Finish.

Step 9- Collect New FA Dataset Information

43. The well name associated with the analysis is shown in the shaded field.
44. Enter a name for the Friction Angle dataset. The default name for the dataset
is a combination of the datatype (FA) and the source dataset. The name can
be changed.
45. Enter a description, if desired.
46. Take note of the datatype for the dataset, FA.
47. If desired, change the color, lines and/or symbol of the display attributes.
48. Click Next.

Step 10 - Collect New CS Dataset Information

49. The well name associated with the analysis is shown in the shaded field.
50. Enter a name for the Cohesive Strength dataset. The default name for the
dataset is a combination of the datatype (CS) and the source dataset. The
name can be changed.
51. Enter a description, if desired.
52. Choose an index type from the drop-down list, either True vertical depth.
53. Take note of the datatype for the dataset, CS.
54. If desired change the color, lines and /or symbol of the display attributes.
Select the appropriate unit.
 55. Click Finish.

To display the results right-click on the desired track. From the pop-up menu choose Add
Last Dataset or Add Datasets to choose more than one dataset. See Working with Track
Menus for details of accessing pop-up menus.

See also

Determining Shear Failure Stress Gradient and Elastic Fracture Initiation Pressure

Choosing a Failure Criterion

Working with Lithology Columns

Friction angle FA

Creation method: User defined method

Well name: COROCORO 1A_2014

Dataset name: FA (Horsrud - Lutitas)_SHPTf201_2014

Datatype: FA

Reference type/Reference level: True vertical depth/Kelly-Bushing level

Depth range: 1110.00 - 5680.00 ft

Value range: 8.909 - 20.132 deg

Depth increment: 5.00 ft

Method name: FA (Horsrud - Lutitas)

if (1)

then
FA = (11*(304.8/DT)-10.2)*Factor

# Resultado en Grados #

DT ---> SHPT DTC_2014_MD TVD f201

Factor ---> 1.00000000

Date created: 07/05/2004

Date last modified: 22/05/2014

Number of valid data: 915

Mean: 13.616

Standard deviation: 3.139

Total reference line groups: 0

Total annotations: 0

Creation method: Shear failure stress gradient - use Mohr-Coulomb failure criteria

Well name: COROCORO 1A_2014

Dataset name: SFG Mohr-Coulomb_K05_UCS-FA-CS(Horous)_BkO 0_2014

Datatype: SFG
Reference type/Reference level: True vertical depth/Kelly-Bushing level

Depth range: 1110.00 - 5680.00 ft

Value range: 0.577 - 0.676 psi/ft

OBG Dataset: OBG rhob_2014_TVD

PPG Dataset: PPFinal2014

Fracture gradient dataset: FG EatonFinal_2014

Poisson Ratio Dataset: Poisson Ratio LOT_2014

Maximum horizontal stress formula: SHG = ShG + k * (OBG - ShG)

Maximum horizontal stress ratio k: 0.5000

Friction angle dataset:: FA (Horsrud - Lutitas)_SHPTf201_2014

Cohesion strength dataset:: CS (Horsrud - Lutitas)_Horsrud_SHPT_2014

Maximum horizontal stress azimuth: 135.0000

Friction angle calibration factor: 1.0000

Cohesion strength calibration factor: 0.0000

Breakout angle (degrees): 0.0000

Not allow SFG less than PPG

Near wellbore PP option: normal

Date created: 07/05/2004

Date last modified: 23/05/2004

Number of valid data: 915

Mean: 0.632

Standard deviation: 0.026

Total reference line groups: 0

Total annotations: 0