Estimating fluid pressures that can induce reservoir failure during hydrocarbon depletion

Abstract

<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title> <jats:p>A Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is applied to estimate fluid pressures that may cause fault reactivation during the depletion of hydrocarbon reservoirs. The estimates incorporate the decline in total minimum horizontal stress that accompanies fluid pressure depletion in hydrocarbon reservoirs. Such pore pressure/stress coupling must be incorporated in predictions of depletion-induced failure because it significantly influences the fluid pressures at which faulting occurs. A new algorithm for failure incorporating the coupled decrease in pore pressure and stress is derived to calculate the fluid pressures that can cause slip on normal faults during ongoing production. The algorithm is applied to the Ekofisk reservoir, Norway, using various friction coefficients for chalk and incorporating the observation that the minimum horizontal stress decreased at 80% the rate of pore pressure depletion in the field. A friction coefficient of 0.6 yields realistic results when modelling the depletion period 1975 to 1990. A fluid pressure decrease from the initial 45 MPa to 38 MPa is required to activate optimally oriented faults with dip angles of approximately 60°. This fluid pressure level (38 MPa) was attained in 1978-1980 and marks the onset of significant subsidence in the Ekofisk field. Ongoing fluid pressure depletion from 38 MPa to the present level of approximately 25 MPa is sufficient for sliding on faults with dip angles of 48° to 73°. Preexisting fractures in the Ekofisk reservoir fall in this range, as they exhibit predominantly steep dip angles (65°). Slip events recorded during seismic monitoring that was conducted in 1994, are likely to represent the reactivation of such steeply dipping faults and possibly the formation of new fractures. The modelling technique presented for predicting induced reservoir and fault failure is an essential requirement for the long-term planning of hydrocarbon field depletion.</jats:p>