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

摘要

The scope of applied geomechanics in the petroleum industry has been on the rise over the past decade. Geomechanics analysis has shown to increase the overall value to various projects and create positive technical synergies between various groups involved with project development. This paper highlights a comprehensive geomechanics study carried out on a deepwater Gulf of Mexico (GoM) field for optimizing field development with respect to critical drilling, completion and reservoir issues. A detailed and well-calibrated wellbore stability model applied to the Medusa field has shown to reduce the drilling operational costs by enhanced well planning. The log-based geomechanics models used to evaluate sand production and pressure dependent pore volume compressibility have aided in reducing project risks and increasing project life. The intent of the paper is to show the practical risk reduction and cost savings that are possible through geomechanics analyses in high-cost, high- risk projects in deepwater arenas such as the Gulf of Mexico.