Pore Pressure

PETE 625 Well Control
Lesson 5 Pore Pressure
Contents
Normal Pore Pressure Subnormal Pore Pressure Abnormal Pore Pressure Origins of Pore Pressure Origins of Pore Pressure Origins of Abnormal Pore Pressure Bulk Density and Porosity vs. Depth
2
Assignments
Homework # 3: Ch 2, Problems 1 - 10 due Wednesday, Sept 22, 2004 Read: Chapter 2 to p. 60
Normal and Abnormal Pore Pressures

Normal Pressure Gradients West Texas: 0.433 psi/ft Gulf Coast: 0.465 psi/ft Abnormal Pressure Gradients
Depth, ft
Subnormal
10,000
??
Pore Pressure, psig
Pore Pressure vs. Depth

0
0.433 psi/ft
Depth, ft
5,000
8.33 lb/gal 9.00 lb/gal
0.465 psi/ft
10,000
Normal
Abormal
15,000 5 10 15 20
Pore Pressure, lb/gal equivalent
Density of mud required to control this pore pressure 5
Lost Returns
Kicks
6
Pore Pressure
= formation pressure = formation fluid pressure = pressure in fluid contained in the pore spaces of the rock
Pore Pressure
Normal pressure gradients correspond to the hydrostatic gradient of a fresh or saline water column Example 2.1. Determine the pore pressure of a normally pressured formation in the Gulf of Mexico at 9,000 depth.
9
Pore Pressure
TABLE 2.1 -
pn = gnD = 0.465 psi/ft * 9,000 ft pn = 4,185 psig

10
Normal Pressure
11
Subnormal Pressures
Formation pressure gradients less than normal gradients for a given area. Lost circulation problems and differential sticking are common problems in these areas
12
Subnormal pressures due to faulting
8,000 9,000
13
Aquifer outcrops below rig
14
Production of oil or gas
15
Abnormal Pressures
Abnormal Pressures are formation pressures greater than normal pressures Can cause severe drilling problems There are many possible causes of abnormal pressure
16
Abnormal Pressure
All abnormal pressures require some means of sealing or trapping the pressure within the rock body. Otherwise hydrostatic equilibrium back to a normal gradient would eventually be restored.
17
Abnormal Pressure
Massive shales provide good pressure seals, but shales do have some permeability, so, given sufficient time, normal pressures will eventually be established. It may take tens of millions of years for a normal pressure gradient to re-occur.
18
Pressure Seals
19
Abnormal pressures
Dense rocks should always be a warning to a driller that the pore pressure may be changing Many abnormal pore pressure processes are simply the reverse of those which effect subnormal pressures
20
Abnormal pressures
For example, the converse to a low piezometric water level is abnormal pressure resulting from an Artesian source. A thick gas sand that is normally pressured at the bottom of the sand will be abnormally pressured at the top of the sand.
21
Pore pressures do not always increase with depth
22
Causes of abnormal pressure

TABLE 2.2 -
23
Aquifer
24
Thick gas sand

2 P = 605 - 0.05 * 300 = 605 - 15 = 590 psig 3 g = 590/1,000 = 0.590 psi/ft EMW = 0.590/0.052 11.3 ppg
1 p = 0.465 * 1,300 = 605 psig
25
Normal Faulting
9,000 ft
10,000 ft
4,650 0.052 * 9,000 = 9.94 ppg
0.465
psi * 10,000 ft ft = 4,650 psi 26
Downfaulting
Top of Transition Zone
Pressure may increase
27
Salt Diapirs
Salt diapirs plastically flow or extrude into the previously deposited sediment layers. The resulting compression can result in overpressure.
28
Salt formations
Normally pressured
Salt Pressure at the bottom of the salt is often extremely overpressured

29
Erosion
EMW =
p 0.052 * Depth
30
Caprock Mineral Deposition
Possible precipitation of carbonate and silica minerals

31
Man-Made Abnormal Pressures

Underground blowout Casing leaks Faulty cement job
32
Compaction Theory of Abnormal Pressure

Best fits most naturally occurring abnormal pressures In new areas, geologic and geophysical interpretations along with analogy to known areas are always important
33
Compaction Theory
During deposition, sediments are compacted by the overburden load and are subjected to greater temperatures with increasing burial depth. Porosity is reduced as water is forced out.
34
Compaction Theory
Hydrostatic equilibrium within the compacted layers is retained as long as the expelled water is free to escape If water cannot escape, abnormal pressures occur
35
Compaction Theory
Undercompacted Shales
Water is expelled from the shales
Pore water expelled because of increasing overburden
If the expelled water is not free to escape, abnormal pressures may result. Sufficient compaction cannot occur so the pore fluids carry more of the overburden
36
The overburden load is supported by the vertical stress in the grain framework and by the fluid pore pressure
Compaction Theory
+ pp
o b o b eV
eV
= overburden stress = matrix stress
pp = pore pressure
37
Compaction Theory
The average porosity in sediments, generally decreases with increasing depth - due to the increasing overburden This results in an increasing bulk density with increasing depth, and increasing rock strength
38
Compaction Theory
From a porosity log, we can construct a plot of bulk density vs. depth From this (or directly from a density log, we can calculate overburden stress vs. depth.
39
Compaction Theory
TABLE 2.4 -
40
Bulk Densities - Santa Barbara Channel

= 0.37e
K D
0.0001609 D
= 0 e = f ( )
41
GOM Bulk Densities
42
Pore Pressure Prediction

Overburden Pressure vs. Depth Porosity vs. Depth Pore Pressure Prediction
By Analogy By Seismic Methods From Drilling Rate Changes
Factors that Affect Drilling Rates

43
Overburden Stress
ob = b gdD ob = 0.052 [ ma (1 ) + f ]dD
0 D
setting setting
= 0 e ob
k D
and int egrating and integrating
( ma f )0 1 e k D = 0.052 ma D k
44
Example 2.5
Calculate the overburden stress at a depth of 7,200 ft in the Santa Barbara Channel. Compare to Eatons prediction. Assume o = 0.37 k
f m a
= 2.6 gm/cc
= 0.0001609 ft-1 = 1.044 gm/cc

45
Solution
ob
( f ) 0 1 e k D = 0.052 maD ma k
( 2.6 1.044 ) 8.33 * 0.37 ( 0.0001609*7,200 ) ob = 0.052 2.6 * 8.33 * 7,200 * 1 e 0.0001609 ob = 7,032 psig
Eatons Fig. 2.21 shows a value of : gob = 0.995 psi/ft So, (

o e to b an
= 0.995 * 7,200 = 7,164 psig { Difference = 132 psi or 1.9% }

46
Overburden stress depends upon porosity, and porosity depends on overburden stress Shales are more compactible than sandstones. Young shales are more compactible than older shales. Limestones and dolomites are only slightly compactible.
47
Rule of Thumb
A common assumption for sedimentary deposits is gob = 1.0 psi/ft This is not a good assumption in young sediments
Eaton predicts that an overburden stress gradient of 1 psi/ft be achieved at a depth of 20,000 ft in the GOM Eaton predicts that an overburden stress gradient of 1 psi/ft be achieved at a depth of 7,400 ft in the Santa Barbara Channel
48
0.84 psi/ft
0.89 psi/ft
Eatons ob stress gradient for GOM
Eatons ob stress gradient for Santa Barbara Channel 1 psi/ ft at 7,400
1 psi/ ft at 20,000
49
Shale porosity depends not only on depth e.g. At 6,000 depth varies from 3% to 18%
Note the ~ straight line relationship on semilog paper
50
Eatons porosities from the Santa Barbara Channel. The straight line is a plot of the equation: = 0.37e-0.0001609D At D = 0, = 0.37 At D = 10,000 ft = 0.074
51
52

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PETE 625 Well Control

Lesson 5 Pore Pressure

Normal and Abnormal Pore Pressures

Pore Pressure, psig

Pore Pressure vs. Depth

8.33 lb/gal 9.00 lb/gal

Pore Pressure, lb/gal equivalent

Density of mud required to control this pore pressure 5

pn = gnD = 0.465 psi/ft * 9,000 ft pn = 4,185 psig

Subnormal pressures due to faulting

Aquifer outcrops below rig

Production of oil or gas

Pore pressures do not always increase with depth

Causes of abnormal pressure

Thick gas sand

1 p = 0.465 * 1,300 = 605 psig

4,650 0.052 * 9,000 = 9.94 ppg

psi * 10,000 ft ft = 4,650 psi 26

Pressure may increase

Salt Pressure at the bottom of the salt is often extremely overpressured

Caprock Mineral Deposition

Possible precipitation of carbonate and silica minerals

Man-Made Abnormal Pressures

Compaction Theory of Abnormal Pressure

Water is expelled from the shales

Pore water expelled because of increasing overburden

= overburden stress = matrix stress

Bulk Densities - Santa Barbara Channel

GOM Bulk Densities

Pore Pressure Prediction

Factors that Affect Drilling Rates

and int egrating and integrating

= 0.0001609 ft-1 = 1.044 gm/cc

Eatons Fig. 2.21 shows a value of : gob = 0.995 psi/ft So, (

= 0.995 * 7,200 = 7,164 psig { Difference = 132 psi or 1.9% }

Eatons ob stress gradient for GOM

Eatons ob stress gradient for Santa Barbara Channel 1 psi/ ft at 7,400

Note the ~ straight line relationship on semilog paper

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