Utilization of Geomechanics for Medusa Field Development, Deepwater Gulf of Mexico

摘要

The scope of applied geomechanics in the petroleum industryrnhas been on the rise over the past decade. Geomechanicsrnanalysis has shown to increase the overall value to variousrnprojects and create positive technical synergies betweenrnvarious groups involved with project development. This paperrnhighlights a comprehensive geomechanics study carried out onrna deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM) field for optimizing fieldrndevelopment with respect to critical drilling, completion andrnreservoir issues. A detailed and well-calibrated wellborernstability model applied to the Medusa field has shown tornreduce the drilling operational costs by enhanced wellrnplanning. The log-based geomechanics models used tornevaluate sand production and pressure dependent pore volumerncompressibility have aided in reducing project risks andrnincreasing project life. The intent of the paper is to show thernpractical risk reduction and cost savings that are possiblernthrough geomechanics analyses in high-cost, high- riskrnprojects in deepwater arenas such as the Gulf of Mexico.