Activating Shale to Form Well Barriers: Theory and Field Examples

Authors
Tron Golder Kristiansen (Aker BP) | Torill Dyngeland (Aker BP) | Sigurd Kinn (Aker BP) | Roar Flatebø (Aker BP) | Nils Andre Aarseth (Aker BP)
DOI
https://doi.org/10.2118/191607-MS
Document ID
SPE-191607-MS
Publisher
Society of Petroleum Engineers
Source
SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, 24-26 September, Dallas, Texas, USA
Publication Date
2018
Document Type
Conference Paper
Language
English
ISBN
978-1-61399-572-3
Copyright
2018. Society of Petroleum Engineers
Disciplines
1.2.7 Geosteering / reservoir navigation, 2.1.3 Completion Equipment, 5.1 Reservoir Characterisation, 1.6 Drilling Operations, 1.6.12 Plugging and Abandonment, 3 Production and Well Operations, 5 Reservoir Desciption & Dynamics, 3 Production and Well Operations, 5.1.1 Exploration, Development, Structural Geology
Keywords
Activating, Shale, Barriers, well
Downloads
13 in the last 30 days
514 since 2007
Show more detail
View rights & permissions
SPE Member Price: USD 8.50
SPE Non-Member Price: USD 25.00
Abstract

Shale is a general term used for argillaceous (clay-rich) rocks which are the most abundant sediment on the earth. It is believed that clay rich rocks comprise more than 50-75% of the geologic column. Shale has very varying petrophysical and mechanical properties. Shale is in the most cases acting as a trap or seal for hydrocarbon migration, but has also in more recent years been targeted as a reservoir target in some basins. In some wells it has been observed on cement bond logs that shales in uncemented intervals have moved in and closed the annulus. Pressure communication testing has been performed on these sections and the sections has been qualified as well barrier elements (Williams et al., 2009) for plug and abandonment (P&A) purposes. The main mechanism behind the deformation process is believed to be shale creep.

In this paper we will discuss shale creep and other shale deformation mechanisms and how an understanding of these can be used to activate shale that has not contacted the casing yet to form a well barrier. We have developed a numerical model based on first order principles to better understand the mechanical deformation process. We are also supporting the modeling results with laboratory experiments, before we discuss a couple of field cases where shale intervals have been activated and verified to have formed a well barrier as part of the well construction process in new wells.

File Size  2 MBNumber of Pages   23

Augustesen, A., Liingaard, M., and Lade, P.V.: Evaluation of Time-Dependent Behavior of Soils, International Journal of Geomechanics, September 2004.

Bandis, S.C., Lumsden, A.C. and Barton, N.R., 1981. Experimental Studies of Scale Effects on the Shear Behavior of Rock Joints. Int J. Rock Mech. Min. Sci. and Geomech. Abstr. 18 (1): 1–21.

Barton, N., Bandis, S.C. (1990). "Review of predictive capabilities of JRC-JCS model in engineering practice". In: Barton, N., Stephansson, O. (Eds.), Rock Joints. Balkema, Rotterdam, pp. 603–610.

Bauer, A., Stenbråten, J.F., Li., L., and Fjær, E., 2017, Can heating-induced creep result in shale barriers for P&A applications?, ARMA 17-818.

Boutéca, M.J., Sarda, J.-P., Vincké, O. (2000). "Constitutive law for permeability evolution of sandstones during depletion". SPE58717, presented at the 2000 SPE International Symposium on Formation Damage, Lafayette, LA, 23–24 February.

Chu, M.S. and Chang, N.Y. (1989), "Uniaxial Creep of Oil Shale Under Elevated Temperature", Proc. Of the 21st U.S. Rock Mech. Symp., pp. 207–216.

Davis, D., 2614 Shale Barrier Prediction Tool, Rockfield Document Ref: PFR2614_1 Issue: 1, Date: 16/10/2015

Delabroy, L., Rodrigues, D., Norum, E., Straume, M., and Halvorsen, K.H.. 2017, Perforate, wash and cement PWC Verification Process and an Industry Standard for Barrier Acceptance Criteria, SPE-185938-MS

Di Maio, C., and Fenelli, G.B.: Residual strength of kaolin and bentonite: the influence of their constituent pore fluid, Geotechnique, 44 No. 4, 1994

Denis, J.H., Keall, M.J., Hall, P.L., Meeten, G.H. (1991). "Influence of potassium concentration on the swelling and compaction of mixed (Na, K) ion-exchanged montmorillonite". Clay Minerals 26, 255–268.

Fjær, E., Holt, R.M., Horsrud, P., Raaen, A.M., and Risnes, R., : Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics, Elsevier, 2008

Flatebø, R.E., Stability and Flow of Chalk Near Production Wells, Dr. Ing. Thesis, University of Stavanger, January 2006.

Horseman, Higgo, Alexander, 1996, Water, Gas and Solute Movement Through Argilaceous Media, Report CC-96/1, Nuclear Energy Agency, OECD

Horsrud, P., Bostrøm, B., Sønstebø, E.F., Holt, R.M. (1998). "Interaction between shale and water-based drilling fluids: Laboratory exposure tests give new insight into mechanisms and field consequences of KCl contents". SPE 48986. In: SPE Annual Technical Conference and Exhibition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 27–30 September.

Horsrud, P.: Estimating Mechanical Properties of Shale From Empirical Correlations, SPE Drilling & Completion, June 2001.

Jaeger, J.C. and Cook, N.G.W. (1979), "Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics", Chapman and Hall, London, Great Britain (1979).

Kristiansen, T.G.: "A Review of Completion Techniques and the Impact of Geomechanical Processes on Their Performance in the Valhall Field", paper presented at Fifth North Sea Chalk Symposium, October 7-9, 1996, Reims, France.

Kristiansen, T.G.: "Geomechanical Characterization of the Overburden Above the Compacting Chalk Reservoir at Valhall", SPE/ISRM 47348, presented at Rock Mechanics in the Petroleum Industry, EUROCK 98, Trondheim, Norway, 1998.

Kristiansen, T.G., 2015, Why shale could be used as a permeanent well barrier element, presentation at Plug & Abandonment Forum, 29 October 2015, Stavanger.

Lal, M.: Shale Stability: Drilling Fluid Interaction and Strength, SPE 54356, 1999

Lake, 1996 Reservoir Engineering, Amoco Petrophysics Class 30.

Lupini, J.F., Skinner, A.E. and Vaughan, P.R.: The drained residual strength of cohesive soils, Geotechnique, 31 No. 2, 1981

Mody, F.K., Hale, A.H. (1993). "Borehole stability model to couple the mechanics and chemistry of drilling fluid shale interaction". J. Petr. Tech. 45, 1093–1101.

NORSOK Standard D-010 Well integrity in drilling and well operations, Rev. 4, June 2013

Oil & Gas UK Guidelines on qualification of materials for suspension and abandonment of wells, 2012.

Shakir, H., Pak, A., Taiebat, M., and Jeremic, B., Evaluation of variation of permeability in liquefiable soil under earthquake loading, Computers and Geotechnique, Volume 40, March 2012, p. 74–88.

Sone, H and Zoback, M.D.: Visco-plastic properties of gas reservoir rocks, ARMA, 2011

Sinor, L.A.; Tybero, P.; Eide, O.; Wenande, B.C.,1998, Rotary Liner Drilling for Depleted Reservoirs,10.2118/39399-MS, Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE-39399-MS, SPE

Steiger, R.P. (1982). "Fundamentals and use of potassium/polymer drilling fluids to minimize drilling and completion problems associated with hydratable clays". J. Petr. Tech. 34, 1661–1669.

Williams, Stephen, Truls Carlsen, Kevin Constable, Arne Guldahl: Identification and Qualification of Shale Annular Barriers Using Wireline Logs during Plug and Abandonment Operations, SPE/IADC 119321, 2009.

Other Resources

Looking for more? 

Some of the OnePetro partner societies have developed subject- specific wikis that may help.


  

PetroWiki was initially created from the seven volume  Petroleum Engineering Handbook (PEH) published by the  Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE).







The SEG Wiki is a useful collection of information for working geophysicists, educators, and students in the field of geophysics. The initial content has been derived from : Robert E. Sheriff's Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Geophysics, fourth edition.