[pt] Durante a vida produtiva de um poço de petróleo, problemas devido à produção de sólidos podem ocasionar gastos excessivos por danos nos equipamentos ou redução de produtividade do poço. Por causa destes problemas, a instalação de sistemas de contenção de sólidos na etapa de completação é uma das mais complexas e fundamentais fases na construção do poço. A alteração no estado de tensões atuante sobre a formação é uma das principais fontes de carregamento dos sistemas de contenção mecânica de sólidos. Este trabalho visa simular as tensões atuantes no sistema de contenção de sólidos (gravel packing e stand alone) instalados em uma formação com potencial de produção de sólidos, permitindo a otimização de projetos para este tipo de sistemas. Para isso foi utilizado o modelo de Mohr Coulomb solucionado numericamente no software comercial de elementos finitos Abaqus que foi escolhido devido a sua enorme capacidade de resolver problemas não lineares. Os resultados obtidos foram então comparados com ensaios experimentais que apresentaram comportamento bastante semelhante com os obtidos numericamente. Além disso, foi observada a capacidade do gravel packing de suportar as tensões até determinado estado de tensões. / [en] During the production steps of a petroleum well, issues regarding sand production may have hight costs due to damages in the equipment or reduction of the well’s productivity. Such problems make the application of sand control systems in the completion phase one of the most complex and essential parts in the construction of the well. This work aims to simulate the behavior of different sand control methods (gravel packing and stand alone) taking into account mechanical interaction between the formation and sand control screens. For the development of the present study, elastoplastic (Mohr Coulomb) models are used to represent granular materials with the commercial FEM software Abaqus, chosen due to its versality in the solution of non-linear problems named out previously. Numerical simulations were compared to experimental tests which presented similar behavior regarding the numerical analysis. In addition, it was observed the capability of the gravel packing to withstand the stresses up to a certain state of stress.

La cataclase est un processus de déformation efficace en termes de réduction de porosité et de perméabilité dans les grès poreux, constituant des aquifères et réservoirs d’hydrocarbures classiques. Un enjeu majeur concernant la déformation dans les grès consiste à identifier les processus contrôlant l’évolution des structures cataclastiques et reconnaitre les paramètres influençant l’expression de la déformation à l’échelle microscopique et à l’échelle du bassin.Dans cette étude, nous nous concentrons sur l’analyse structurale des amas (« clusters ») de bande de déformation cataclastiques afin de considérer une déformation suffisamment localisée représentant un potentiel rôle de barrière sur les fluides. Nous choisissons sept sites d’étude présentant des clusters formés en tectonique extensive et contractive, dans différent régimes Andersoniens, à différentes profondeurs d’enfouissement, et dans des grès aux lithologies variées. Nous utilisons une approche analytique afin d’estimer l’évolution de l’état de contrainte des grès jusqu’à la déformation. L’utilisation de modèles numériques permet d’analyser l’influence de certains paramètres physiques sur la structuration de la déformation.Nous montrons que la position de l’enveloppe de rupture du grès (dépendant de sa lithologie) semble déterminer la morphologie de la déformation. D’autre part, les clusters formés en régimes Andersoniens normal, décrochant et inverse semblent respectivement couramment se former sur la même partie de l’enveloppe.Les clusters formés en régime normal montrent des épaisseurs fines à moyennes, des densités de bande importantes et forment, avec d’autres clusters, des réseaux d’échelle kilométrique souvent localisés à proximité d’une faille majeure. Ils représentent une barrière potentielle pour les fluides. Les clusters formés en régime décrochant ont des épaisseurs et des densités de band moyennes. Parce qu’ils semblent éparses, ces clusters ne forment probablement aucun frein pour les fluides. Les clusters formés en régime inverse ont des épaisseurs et des densités de bande moyennes si la rupture est atteinte sur la partie fragile de l’enveloppe. Ils semblent potentiellement plus épais avec des densités de bands faibles voire deviennent de simples réseaux de bandes distribuées si l’enveloppe de rupture est atteinte sur sa partie ductile. Parce qu’ils sont courts et éparses, ces clusters ne représentent pas de frein pour les fluides.Nous relions le développement des clusters et leur morphologie à l’agencement microscopique des clasts dans le matériel déformé. La faible compaction du matériel déformé des clusters créés en régimes normal et décrochant semble être à l’origine de l’étroite localisation des bandes à cause de la présence de plans de faiblesse dans le matériel déformé. Pour le même degré de déformation, la compaction plus élevée du matériel en régime inverse favoriserait la distribution des bandes.Le passage à la faille tel qu’observé dans les clusters en régime normal est permis par la présence entre les grès de niveaux incluant des minéraux fragiles. Ces niveaux permettent l’initiation et la propagation d’une surface de glissement majeure dans les grès adjacents. L’initiation d’une faille est aussi favorisée lorsque des grès poreux sont juxtaposés contre une lithologie indurée.Notre étude montre que la cimentation de quartz des parties les plus déformées des clusters est fréquente, même dans le cas de clusters ayant été enfouis à des profondeurs inférieures à 800 m. Cette cimentation est catalysée par l’intense degré de cataclase, semble être précipitée par « self-healing » et altère les propriétés pétrophysiques des clusters. / Deformation through cataclasis, which corresponds to grain crushing, is an effective process of porosity and permeability reduction in porous sandstones, classical aquifers and hydrocarbon reservoirs at depth. A major stake concerning the deformation in sandstone is to understand what processes govern the growth of the cataclastic structures and to recognize what parameters influence the expression of the deformation at microscopic scale and at basin scale.In this study, we focus on the analysis of cataclastic deformation band clusters in order to consider a significantly concentrated deformation regarding the potential of fluid flow baffling. We select seven study sites presenting clusters formed in extensional and contractional tectonics, under different Andersonian regimes, at various burial depths and in sandstones of varying lithologies. To complement the structural analysis, we use an analytical approach to estimate the stress-state evolution of the sandstones leading to deformation. Numerical modeling allows the analysis of the influence of physical parameters on the structuring of the deformation.We show that the position of failure along the failure envelope of the sandstone (which depends on its lithology) seems to determine the morphology of deformation. On the other hand, normal, strike-slip and thrust Andersonian regime clusters respectively seem to form frequently on the same part of the envelope.Normal regime clusters (favorably formed in extensional tectonics) have thin to medium thickness, with high band density and form, with other clusters, networks of km-scale length - often localized near a major fault. They are likely to baffle fluid flow. Strike-slip regime clusters (favorably formed in contractional tectonics) have medium thickness with medium band densities. Due to their sparseness, they seem unlikely to form a baffle for fluids. Thrust regime clusters (favorably formed in contractional tectonics) have medium thickness and medium band density if failure is attained on the brittle part of the envelope. They seem potentially thicker, with low band density and tend to form arrays of deformation bands if failure is attained on the cap of the envelope. Because they are short and sparse, they do not represent an effective baffle for fluid flow.We relate the process of cluster growth and their resulting morphology to the microscopic arrangement of the clasts in the deformed material. The minor compaction in the deformed material of normal and strike-slip regime clusters seems to be at the origin of the dense localization of the bands through the presence of weaker planes in the deformed material. For the same degree of deformation, the more compacted material in thrust regime clusters would favor the distribution of the bands.Faulting of normal regime clusters is enhanced by the presence of layers including weak minerals between the sandstones. These weak layers are responsible for the initiation and propagation of major slip-surfaces in the adjacent sandstone from small displacements. The initiation of major slip-surfaces is also favored when porous sandstone is juxtaposed with a hard lithology.We find that the quartz cementation of the most deformed parts of the clusters is common, even in clusters that were never buried below 800 m. This cementation is promoted by an intense degree of cataclasis, seems to form by “self-healing”, and may reduce the petrophysical properties of clusters.

[pt] Com o aumento do preço do barril de petróleo nos anos 2000 e acrescente demanda por essa commoditie, tornou-se mais atrativa a exploração de petróleo em águas profundas, favorecendo oportunidades em plays subsal e pré-sal em diversas áreas do mundo. Como consequência desta tendência, os desafios da indústria de petróleo se tornaram cada vez maiores. Um dos desafios na perfuração de poços em evaporitos é minimizar a fluência deste tipo de rocha, a qual pode fechar o poço ou colapsar um revestimento ao longo do tempo. Além disso, cenários geológicos com presença de estruturas de sal podem ocasionar problemas de instabilidade mecânica, também, durante a perfuração de poços nas rochas adjacentes ao sal. Os principais problemas associados a esse cenário são causados pela mudança em magnitude e a rotação das tensões principais em torno dessas estruturas salinas, principalmente nas interfaces entre o sal e as rochas adjacentes, coloquialmente denominada de rubble zones. O presente trabalho propõe uma avaliação geomecânica do estado de tensões em região subsal onde foi constatada a instabilidade mecânica durante a perfuração de um poço. Essa avaliação foi feita a partir de simulações numéricas do estado plano de deformação de uma seção geológica 2D da área, onde foi imposto um comportamento viscoplástico para os evaporitos; e elastoplástico com critérios de plasticidade CamClay e MohrCoulomb para região abaixo do sal. Como resultado serão discutidas as trajetórias de tensão obtidas na simulação com os dois tipos de materiais elastoplásticos, evidenciando uma abordagem metodológica para subsidiar a previsão da janela de estabilidade de poços em regiões com estruturas de sal alóctone, uma vez que as tensões in situ nessas regiões se encontram significativamente alteradas, sendo impossível predizer com acurácia a magnitude dessas tensões a partir de modelos analíticos convencionais. Uma melhor previsão das tensões in situ se traduz em uma melhor previsão da janela operacional, com consequente diminuição os riscos operacionais e melhoria na segurança e economicidade dos projetos de poços. / [en] The rise in the price of a barrel of oil in the 2000s and the increasing demand for this commodity, deepwater oil exploration became more attractive, favoring opportunities in subsalt and pre-salt plays in several areas of the world. As a consequence of this trend, the challenges of the oil industry have become ever greater. One of the challenges in drilling wells in evaporites is to minimize the creep to avoid the well collapse. In addition geological scenarios with the presence of salt structures can cause problems of mechanical instability also during drilling of wells in the rocks adjacent to the salt. The main problems associated with this scenario are caused by the change in magnitude and the rotation of the principal stresses around these salt structures, mainly at the interfaces between the salt and the adjacent rocks, colloquially called rubble zones. The present work proposes a geomechanical evaluation of the state of stresses in subsal region where the mechanical instability was verified during the drilling of a well. This evaluation was made from numerical simulations of the plane deformation state of a 2D geological section of the area, where a viscoplastic behavior was imposed for the evaporites; and elastoplastic with Cam-Clay and Mohr- Coulomb plasticity criteria for the region below the salt. As a result, we will discuss the voltage trajectories obtained in the simulation with the two types of elastoplastic materials, evidencing a methodological approach to subsidize the prediction of the well stability window in regions with allochthonous salt structures, since the stresses in situ in these regions are significantly altered and it is impossible to accurately predict the magnitude of these voltages from conventional analytical models. Better prediction of in-situ stresses translates into better forecasting of the operating window, thereby reducing operational risks and improving the safety and cost-effectiveness of well designs.

Geothermal energy is being explored as a supplement to traditional fossil fuel resources to meet growing energy demand and reduce carbon emissions. Geothermal energy plants harvest heat stored in the Earth’s subsurface by bringing high temperature fluids to the surface and generating steam to produce electricity. Development of geothermal resources is often inhibited by large upfront risk and expense. Successful mitigation of those costs and risks begins with efficient characterization of the resource before development. A typically successful geothermal reservoir consists of a fractured reservoir that conducts hydrothermal fluids and a cap rock seal to limit convective heat loss through fluid leakage. The controls on the system include the density and orientation of fractures, mechanical rock properties, and the local stress field acting on those rocks. The research presented in this dissertation utilizes diverse data sets to characterize core, wireline borehole logs, and laboratory data to describe the distribution of fractures, rock properties, and the orientation and magnitude of stresses acting on the borehole. The research demonstrates there is a potential resource in the region and describes the controls on the vertical extent of the hydrothermal fluids. The distribution of fractures is controlled by the distribution of elastic rock properties and rock strength. A cap rock seal is present that limits hydrothermal fluid loss from a fractured artesian reservoir at 1,745 m (5,726 ft). In addition to characterization of the resource, this research demonstrates that an equivalent characterization can be used in future exploration wells without the expense and risk of collecting core. It also demonstrates that multiple methods of analysis can be utilized simultaneously when some data are not available. Data collection from deep wellbores involves risk and data loss or tool failure is a possibility. In these cases, our methods show that successful characterization is still possible, saving time and money, and minimizing the financial risk of exploration

La thèse a pour objet la simulation numérique de divers problèmes fortement non linéaires de la mécanique des milieux continus, en particulier en formage des métaux et en géomécanique. Le formalisme théorique puis numérique de la mécanique non linéaire des milieux continus, des couplages hydromécaniques et thermomécaniques et des modèles de comportement élastoplastique et élastoviscoplastique est développé étape par étape, permettant la construction du code aux éléments finis LAGAMINE. Celui-ci est ensuite utilisé pour simuler quelques problèmes spécifiques.

How can the suitability of a clay to act as a barrier to the flow of a specified fluid be determined? This question is directly related to the different mechanical and chemical stresses to which a clay barrier will be exposed. In spite of these mechanical and chemical stresses it must be guaranteed that the clay will fulfil its barrier function during the entire required containment period. This required technical life could be very long in engineering terms: 100-10000 years. During this period the clay barrier can neither be repaired nor maintained. Therefore it must be known which chemical or physical reactions will occur and how these reactions will influence the geomechanical properties of the clay. Because there was no standard approach to test the suitability of natural clays as barrier on the long-term, this had to be developed. Based on literature it was shown that the reactions between clays and fluids could be decomposed in reactions on the particle level, the interlayer level and the TOT/TO level of clay minerals: - Micrometer: Reactions on the particle level are the most frequent, the fastest to accomplish (instantaneous when leachate arrives) and have the least impact on the geomechanical properties of clays. It was shown that the double layer theory presents a valuable framework to analyse the changes in geomechanical properties upon clay-leachate contact. The properties of the fluid that are taken into account are the concentration of cations and the relative dielectric constant. Other processes on the particle level not captured by the double layer theory are e.g. the dissolution of calcitic cement and the oxidation of pyrites. The acids produced by the latter process influence reactions on the lower interlayer and TOT/TO level as well. It was shown that the natural clays possess themselves a rich variety of cations. These concentrations must be included in the analysis. New tools developed on the particle level were: - Integration of the chemical composition of the natural fluid contained in the clay in further analyses. - The discretisation of clay samples into a discontinuous but homogeneous assembly of discrete clay particles (finite element mesh) with the use of information from petrographical studies of thin sections and oedometer tests. - The implementation of a constitutive law into a numerical code to simulate the interparticle distance to interparticle fluid chemistry and mechanical stress. - Nanometer: Reactions on the interlayer level include clay mineral alteration processes. To link these processes to geomechanical properties, the clay mineral sample preparation was modified to include all clay minerals and not only the fraction smaller than two micrometers. Next a method was developed to link clay mineralogy to geomechanical properties (equivalent basal spacing). New tools developed on the interlayer level were: - The equivalent basal spacing (EBS) - Relation between the equivalent basal spacing and the liquid limit With these tools a link can be made between the clay mineralogy and geomechanical properties. Leachate - clay interactions can be analysed as well as other processes like the mixing of clays and the reactions of clays upon heating etc. - Ångström: Reactions on the TO/TOT level include the disintegration of TO arrangements, which will result in a complete destruction of a clay mineral. Of all three levels considered, changes on the TO/TOT level will cause the greatest change in geomechanical properties. Fortunately the processes on this TOT/TO level take a long history of subsequent physical and chemical reactions (hundreds to thousands of years in situ). Because changes on this level fail to be reproduced in the laboratory one must rely on natural analogues. New tools developed on the TO/TOT level were: - The link between the clay leached in the laboratory to natural analogues using thin sections and XRD diffraction analysis. Examples are shown that the aforementioned approach can be applied in any geomechanical problem involving clays.

The surface roughness of unfilled rock discontinuities has a major influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of discontinuous rock masses. Although it is widely recognized that surface roughness is comprised of large-scale (waviness) and small-scale (unevenness) components, most investigations of surface roughness have been restricted to small fracture surfaces (<1m2). Hence, the large-scale components of roughness are often neglected. Furthermore, these investigations typically define roughness using two-dimensional profiles rather than three-dimensional surfaces, which can lead to biased estimates of roughness. These limitations have led to some contradictory findings regarding roughness scale effects. This thesis aims to resolve some of these issues. The main findings indicate that discontinuity roughness increases as a function of the sampling window size contrary to what is commonly assumed. More importantly, it is shown that the estimated roughness significantly decreases as the resolution of surface measurements decrease, which could lead to the under estimations of roughness and, consequently, discontinuity shear strength.

A drilling operation leads to thermal disturbances in the near-wellbore stress, which is an important cause of many undesired incidents in well drilling. A major cause of this thermal disturbance is the temperature difference between the drilling fluid and the downhole formation. It is critical for drilling engineers to understand this thermal impact to optimize their drilling plans. This thesis develops a numerical model using partially coupled thermoporoelasticity to study the effects of the temperature difference between the drilling fluid and formation in a drilling operation. This study focuses on the thermal impacts at the bit/formation interface. The model applies the finite-difference method for the pore pressure and temperature solutions, and the finite-element method for the deformation and stress solutions. However, the model also provides the thermoporoelastic effects at the wellbore wall, which involves wellbore fractures and wellbore instability. The simulation results show pronounced effects of the drilling fluid temperature on near-wellbore stresses. At the bottomhole area, a cool drilling fluid reduces the radial and tangential effective stresses in formation, whereas the vertical effective stress increases. The outcome is a possible enhancement in the drilling rate of the drill bit. At the wellbore wall, the cool drilling fluid reduces the vertical and tangential effective stresses but raises the radial effective stress. The result is a lower wellbore fracture gradient; however, it benefits formation stability and prevents wellbore collapse. Conversely, the simulation gives opposite induced stress results to the cooling cases when the drilling fluid is hotter than the formation.

The surface roughness of unfilled rock discontinuities has a major influence on the hydro-mechanical behaviour of discontinuous rock masses. Although it is widely recognized that surface roughness is comprised of large-scale (waviness) and small-scale (unevenness) components, most investigations of surface roughness have been restricted to small fracture surfaces (<1m2). Hence, the large-scale components of roughness are often neglected. Furthermore, these investigations typically define roughness using two-dimensional profiles rather than three-dimensional surfaces, which can lead to biased estimates of roughness. These limitations have led to some contradictory findings regarding roughness scale effects. This thesis aims to resolve some of these issues. The main findings indicate that discontinuity roughness increases as a function of the sampling window size contrary to what is commonly assumed. More importantly, it is shown that the estimated roughness significantly decreases as the resolution of surface measurements decrease, which could lead to the under estimations of roughness and, consequently, discontinuity shear strength.

It is widely known in oil industry that changes in fluid flow conditions such as water breakthrough or unsteady flow due to well shut-in can lead to sand destabilization, with a possible consequent sand production. In this research, different flow situations are incorporated into stress and stability analysis for the region around a wellbore producing oil from weak or unconsolidated sands, and the analyses involve strength weakening, stress redistribution, and decrease of rock stiffness. Two main mechanisms, chemical reactions of rock with formation water and variations of rock capillary strength, are identified and analyzed to study strength weakening after water breakthrough, both qualitatively and quantitatively. Using theories from particle mechanics, rock mechanics, and interfacial science, four novel capillarity models are developed and verified to analytically capture the physical behaviors of capillary strength at the grain scale. Based on model calculations, significantly better understanding of strength behavior in two-phase fluid environments is achieved. Based on a simplified model that can conservatively but efficiently quantify capillary strength with only two input parameters (i. e. particle radius and water saturation), a verified new method that physically calculates pore pressure in a multiphase environment, and a coupled poro-inelastic stress model, the redistributions of effective stresses with water saturation around a wellbore are solved. In terms of stress changes and growth of a plastic radius defining shear-failure zone, the effects of different stability factors, including capillarity through water-oil menisci, pore pressure changes due to the variations of fluid relative permeabilities, and loss of strength through chemical reactions of water-sensitive cementation materials, are quantified and compared in order to clarify when and how they contribute to sand production after water breakthrough. The nonlinearities of rock elastic properties in stressed and biphasic fluid environments is analytically addressed, based on an improved nonlinear theory that considers both a failure-based mechanism and a confining-stress-based mechanism, the strength model, and the coupled stress model. The calculations demonstrate the redistributions of stress-dependent rock stiffness around a wellbore and its evolution with increase of water saturation, clarify the relative importance of each mechanism in reducing rock stiffness, and fundamentally explain why current predictive technologies are invalid when water appears in a flowing wellbore. To quantify the effect of well shut-down on rock stability, the redistributions of fluid pressure in reservoir are analytically solved and coupled with the stress model, while the water hammer equations provide a boundary condition for the bottom-hole pressure. This approach allows direct solution of the relationships among fluid properties, rock properties and production parameters, within the context of rock stability. The proposed new approaches and models can be applied to evaluate sand production risk in multiphase and unsteady fluid flow environment. They can also serve as points of departure to develop more sophisticated models, or to develop more useful constitutive laws for numerical solutions.