Stress Arching in the Development of the Oil and Gas Reservoirs

WANG Fanliao;LI Xiangfang;QIAN Qihao;HE Xiangnan;ZHAO Jingjing;ZHANG Xin

Science & Technology Review ›› 2013, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (15) : 59-64.

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Science & Technology Review ›› 2013, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (15) : 59-64. DOI: 10.3981/j.issn.1000-7857.2013.15.010
Articles

Stress Arching in the Development of the Oil and Gas Reservoirs

Author information -
1. MOE Key Laboratory of Petroleum Engineering, China University of Petroleum, Beijing 102249, China;2. Research Institute of Petroleum Exploration and Development in China, Beijing 100083, China;3. No.1 Oil Production Plant of Jiangsu Oil Field Branch, Sinopec Co. Ltd., Yangzhou 225264, Jiangsu Province, China;4. Company of China Petroleum in Tuha Oilfield, Hami 839009, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Abstract

Similar to the situation in the mining engineering, there will be a non-uniform deformation in the reservoir and the overburden during the development of oil and gas from underground. A stress arching will occur in the overburden due to this deformation. This deformation is analyzed in this paper and the features of the stress arching are illustrated with field examples. The stress arching ratio is used to describe the degree of the stress arching. The stress arching effect cannot be neglected during the production, otherwise the stress sensitivity will be exaggerated and unreasonable measures will be taken during the development of the low permeability and tight gas reservoirs. For these reservoirs, a part of the weight of the overburden is transferred to the non-formation (i.e sideburden) though the stress arching, which can protect the formation from deforming and eliminate the influence of the stress sensitivity. The range of the arching will increase with the increase of the pressure conductive ability and it will enhance the nature fracture conductive ability inside and outside the arching to improve the productivity and the recovery factor. Therefore, it is possible to use a large pressure drop to develop the low permeability and tight gas reservoir with a large stress arching ratio.

Key words

stress arching effect / stress arching raito / the theory of inclusion / the theory of inhomogeneity / overburden pressure / stress sensitivity

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WANG Fanliao;LI Xiangfang;QIAN Qihao;HE Xiangnan;ZHAO Jingjing;ZHANG Xin. Stress Arching in the Development of the Oil and Gas Reservoirs[J]. Science & Technology Review, 2013, 31(15): 59-64 https://doi.org/10.3981/j.issn.1000-7857.2013.15.010
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