METHOD FOR MULTI-SCALE GEOMECHANICAL MODEL ANALYSIS BY COMPUTER SIMULATION

摘要

A method of predictingearth stresses in response to changesin a hydrocarbon-bearing reservoirwithin a geomechanical system includesestablishing physical boundaries forthe geomechanical system, acquiringlogging data from wells drilled, andacquiring seismic data for one or morerock layers. The well and seismic dataare automatically converted into athree-dimensional digital representationof one or more rock layers within thegeomechanical system, thereby creatingdata points defining a three-dimensionalgeological structure. The method alsoincludes (a) applying the data pointsfrom the geological structure to derivea finite element-based geomechanicalmodel, and (b) initializing a geostaticcondition in the geomechanical model,and then running a geomechanicssimulation in order to determinechanges in earth stresses associatedwith changes in pore pressure or otherreservoir characteristics within the oneor more rock layers.