Knowledge of In-situ Horizontal Stress Orientation for suitable Direction of Drilling

the Inclined and Horizontal Well for Well Placement and Well Completion

Muhammad Ali (ONGC)

Email address: muhammadali_nzr@yahoo.co.in

Key words

In-situ horizontal stress orientation, Borehole Breakouts, Drilling Induced tensile fracture, fast
azimuthal curve, Stress anisotropy

Abstract

For proper borehole trajectory to drill horizontal well, information of fault regime of a basin
and in-situ stress orientation are very important factors for well placement and well completion.
In normal faulted regime, the best direction to drill a horizontal well is in the orientation of
minimum in-situ horizontal stress. By doing so the horizontal well tends to be more stable
related well integrity. In thrust fault regime or strike slip fault regime, a horizontal well is to be
drilled in the orientation of maximum horizontal stress for more well stability. Hydro fracture
for well stimulation is a tensile fracture and it is in the orientation of maximum horizontal
stress. Sand cut from sand reservoir starts in the direction of minimum stress. To avoid sand
cut, it is advisable to do the oriented perforation in maximum horizontal stress direction. Hence,
knowledge of orientation of in-situ horizontal stress is essential not only for well placement
but also for well completion.
In-situ horizontal stresses orientation can be obtained from borehole breakouts and drilling
induced tensile fractures. These types of fractures are observed on the logs of Micro Resistivity
Image Tool and Acoustic Scanner tool. Crossed dipole acoustic tool provides the
maximum stress orientation through fast azimuthal curve (FACR).

Introduction

Rocks in the subsurface are subjected to compressive stresses due primarily to gravity and
tectonic forces. Maximum Horizontal stress (H), Minimum Horizontal stress (h) and
Overburden stress (v) are controlled by the weight of overburden, confinement, tectonic
forces, temperature, pore fluid pressure, digenesis etc.

Figure 1: Showing Principal stresses

Overburden stress is a principal stress that acts perpendicular to the earths surface. Three
principal stresses are orthogonal to each other as shown in figure 1.
These principal stresses are important for obtaining the best direction to drill a horizontal well
and to increase the well stability and integrity. As a rule of thumb, take a look at 3D in-situ
stresses and find the plane that has the smallest differential stress. The best drilling direction is
perpendicular to that plane. For example, we have X (Horizontal stress) as 10 MPa, y
(Horizontal stress) as 12 MPa, and Z (Vertical stress) as 15 MPa. Now we can see that Z - Y
is of 3 MPa and Z x is of 5 MPa. So, y-z plane has the smaller differential stress and
consequently smaller shear stress. Therefore, x direction that is perpendicular to y-z plane is
the best drilling direction. In this case, x direction is the minimum horizontal stress direction.
The same thumb rule is also applicable in normally faulted basin, strike-ship faulted basin and
thrust faulted basin as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Showing stress regime (Anderson 1951 stress regime)

In case of normal faulting, 1 = v which is overburden stress acting vertically and it is greater
than two horizontal stresses 2 & 3 i.e. v>Horizontalstress max>Horizontalstress min. So, in a normally
faulted regime, the best drilling direction for horizontal well is in the minimum stress direction
to avoid well instability. By doing so, another advantage obtained is that natural fractures
formed due to paleo stresses aligning to maximum horizontal stress directions are across the
borehole azimuth.
In strike-ship faulting, 2 = v, and as a result overburden stress (v) is between maximum
Horizontal stress and minimum horizontal stress. i.e. Horizontal stress max>v>Horizontalstress min. So
the best drilling direction for horizontal well in strike fault regime is in the orientation of
Maximum Horizontal stress tending to be more stable.
In thrusted fault regime, 3= v which indicates that overburden stress is of least value than any
horizontal stresses i.e. Horizontal max>Horizontalmin >v . The best drilling direction for horizontal
well in thrust fall regime is also the orientation of maximum horizontal stress for well stability.
So from the above discussion, it clearly indicates that for any drilling activity in any area to
drill a horizontal or inclined well, it is must to know the prevalent fault system and the
orientation of in-situ stresses for well placement and completion. In this discussion, we will
concentrate our studies for finding the orientation of in-situ stresses from micro resistivity
image and circumferential bore hole acoustic image logging tools. Also the crossed dipole
acoustic shear wave tool can be used for finding the in-situ stresses through anisotropy
analysis. When a borehole is drilled, then the material is removed from the subsurface. If the
mud weight within the borehole is not proper, then there is a chance of shear failure or tensile
failure as shown in figure 3.
Borehole breakouts (Shear failure) ---------------------------when borehole fluid pressure is low

Induced fracture (Tensile failure) ----------------------------when borehole fluid pressure is high

Figure 3: Showing the evidence of borehole failure

Borehole breakouts (Shear failure)

Borehole breakouts are stress enhancement at the well bore cross section. When a well bore is
drilled, the material removed from the subsurface is no longer supporting the surrounding rock.
As a result, the stresses become concentrated in the surrounding rock. i.e. wellbore wall.
Borehole breakout occurs when the stresses around the borehole exceed that required to cause
compressive failure/ shear failure of the borehole wall. The enlargement of the well bore is
caused by the development of intersecting conjugate shear planes that cause pieces of the
borehole wall to spall of.

Breakout took place in the minimum horizontal stress (h). Hence, the long axes of borehole
breakouts are oriented approximately perpendicular to the maximum horizontal compressive
stress direction as shown in figure 3.

Drilling Induced fracture (Tensile failure)

Drilling induced tensile fractures (DITF) are created when the stresses are concentrated around
a borehole exceed that required to cause tensile failure of the wellbore wall. DITFS typically
develop as narrow sharply defined features that are sub parallel or slightly inclined to the
borehole axis in vertical wells and are generally not associated with significant borehole
enlargement in the fracture direction. The stress concentration around a vertical borehole is at
a minimum in H (Maximum stress direction). Hence, DIFS develop approximately parallel to
the orientation of maximum horizontal stress. Hydro fracture is an example of tensile failure
and occurs in the orientation of maximum horizontal stress.
Figure 4: Resistive image of vertical well Figure 5: Image of inclined well

Examples of Breakouts and Induced tensile fractures observed on resistive logs

Both these features of Borehole Breakouts and Induced fractures are observed clearly in micro
resistivity image tool as shown in figure 4 and figure 5 respectively. Figure 4 implies that in
vertical well, drilling induced fractures observed are thin vertical line whereas borehole
breakouts are thick vertical line. Both of them are 180 apart. DIFS are oriented toward 450-
2250 N indicating orientation of maximum horizontal stress is NE-SW. Breakouts are 1350-
3150 N indicating minimum horizontal stress orientation NW-SE. Both the in-situ horizontal
stresses are orthogonal also. Figure 5 represents the micro resistive image logs in an inclined
well which shows the tensile fracture are of inclined.

Demerit of micro resistivity tool

Borehole coverage in micro resistivity image tool is an important factor to avoid the missing
of breakouts or induced fracture for poor coverage. Borehole coverage depends on number of
pads, number of button electrodes, hole size, tool size etc.
Borehole breakouts and DIFs sometimes may not appear on image log of micro resistivity
based on two reasons. First reason is they may fail to appear depending on used mud weight,
differential in-situ horizontal stresses and rock mechanical strength etc. even though the stress
anisotropy exists. Second reason is due to poor pad coverage of micro resistivity image tool
as shown in figure12. It is known fact that six arm padded tool has 60% borehole coverage
whereas eight arm padded tool has 75% borehole coverage.

Figure 6 showing missing of breakout

Figure 7 is image log of ultrasonic tool Figure 8 is image log of Televiewer

Fractures observed on acoustic logs

Examples of breakouts and DIFs observed, on acoustic logs as shown in Figure7 and Figure8
respectively. Figure 7 shows the borehole breakouts observed on ultra-sonic borehole image
log. Borehole breakouts are broad zones of high borehole radius and to a lesser extent, low
reflection amplitude oriented towards 950 2750 N. The borehole breakouts indicate that the
present-day maximum horizontal stress oriented approximately N-S. Figure 8 shows the DIFs
observed on borehole tale viewer image log. DIFs oriented towards 165 -345 N as zone of low
amplitude (left image) and to a lesser extent Higher radius (right image). The DIFs indicate
that the present-day maximum horizontal stress is oriented approximately SSE-NNW.
Borehole coverage is 100% as it is scanner.