Mathematical Modelling of Stress Effects to Predict High-Performance Production Spots in Oilfields

Abstract

In oil reservoirs, the overburden pressure (vertical stress) results from the cumulative weight of soil layers over other lower layers. Opposed to this force, the pressure caused by fluids that fill the pore space of the reservoir rocks acts to produce an effective stress. Understanding how this resulting net stress affects the compressibility curve of the rocks, change the porous medium’s properties and cause volume variation is relevant to processes encompassing oil-in-place volume quantification, structural stability upkeep, production spot selection and well placement.[...]