Methods To Determine Insitu Stress: A. Field Techniques B. Lab Techniques C. Calculate From Elastic Properties

Methods to determine insitu stress
A. Field techniques
B. Lab techniques
C. Calculate from elastic properties
Stimulation hydraulic fracturing
Copyright, 2011
Idealized surface pressure during hydraulic fracture treatment
(Allen & Roberts, 1982)
Net fracture pressure
pressure in fracture in excess of closure pressure
A
p
= P
f
- P
c

P
r
e
s
s
u
r
e

Time
Pad Volume Sand Placement in Fracture
Frac
Closure Time
B
r
e
a
k
d
o
w
n

S
t
a
r
t

S
a
n
d

S
a
n
d

t
o

p
e
r
f
o
r
a
t
i
o
n
s

S
h
u
t

d
o
w
n

p
u
m
p
i
n
g

F
r
a
c
t
u
r
e

c
l
o
s
e
d

Tubing friction pressure loss
Fracture Closure Pressure-Hydrostatic
Reservoir Pressure-Hydrostatic
Constant pump rate, increasing sand concentration
Pressure rise reflecting normal frac extension
Breakdown Pressure
the pressure required to initiate the fracture
Must exceed the minimum stress at the borehole and the tensile
strength of the rock.
Extension or propagation pressure
the pressure required to extend the existing fracture
Closure pressure
the pressure required to hold the fracture open
Equivalent and counteracts the minimum principal
insitu stress; pc ~ o
hmin
Approximated by P
ISIP
~ Pc.
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Summary of Pre- and post-fracturing tests for determining
extension and closure pressures SPE Monograph Vol 12(1989)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
1. Hydraulic Fracture Stress-Test Procedure or Microhydraulic fracturing test
Objective: Method to measure insitu, minimum, horizontal stress
Procedure: 5 to 10 gals injected at a constant rate in a packed off interval.
Record p = f(time) for both pumping and falloff.
Factors:
1. tested zone uniform, thick
formations
2. perforations open, undamaged
path to formation
3. pressure measurement system
4. type of fluid
5. flow rate, volume injected
6. interpretation identification and
reproducibility of ISIP
Microhydraulic fracture record
Economides and Nolte (1980)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Analysis:
Assume one principal stress is parallel to borehole axis, i.e., o
v
.
Must overcome the strength of the rock and the insitu stress concentrations

upper bound due to no fluid penetration assumption.

lower bound accounts for fluid seepage prior to breakdown
x y
for T
p
p
y x
3
upper
b
p o > o +
|
.
|
\
|
o o =
( )
( )
( ) v
v o
= q
q
+ q o o
=
1 2
2 1
, where
1 2
T
p
p 2
y x
3
lower
b
p
)
`
+
)
`
)
`
=
)
`
rock of strength
tensile
pressure
pore
stress borehole
induced
pressure
breakdown
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Analysis:
after pumping the p
isip
~ o
x
slightly greater than minimum principal stress
(assuming negligible borehole effect)

Repeat a second cycle difference is loss of tensile strength due to presence
of fracture. Resulting in 3 equation and 3 unknowns (o
x
, o
y
, T)

Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Example:

Ideal stress test data with obvious ISIP
SPE Monograph Vol 12(1989)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Example:
From the ideal stress test the breakdown pressure, p
b

was observed to be 8620 psi and the minimum horizontal
stress, o
hmin
= o
x
was measured to be 8225 psi. Other
parameters are:

Pore pressure, p
p
= 6800 psi
Vertical stress, o
v
= 8465 psi
Biots constant, o = 1
Poissons ratio, v = 0.229
Tensile strength, T = 215 psi

Calculate an upper and lower bound for the maximum horizontal stress,
o
hmax
= o
y

( )
psi
y y
T
p
p
y x
upper
b
p
9475 215 6800 ) 8225 * 3 ( 8620
3
= + =
+ =
o o
o o
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
Example:
Calculate an upper and lower bound for the maximum
horizontal stress, o
hmax
= o
y

( )
psi
y y
T
p
p
y x
upper
b
p
9475 215 6800 ) 8225 * 3 ( 8620
3
= + =
+ =
o o
o o
( )
( )
( )
35 . 0
1 2
2 1
,
8955
) 35 . 1 ( 2
215 ) 6800 )( 35 (. 2 8225 * 3
8620
1 2
2 3
=
=
=
+
=
+
=
v
v o
q
o
o
q
q o o
where
psi
y
y
T
p
p
y x
lower
b
p
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
2. Steprate test
Objective:
1. finds upper bound for minimum stress (closure
pressure?),
2. determines range of pump rates for fracture extension

Procedure:
1. Fluid rate is progressively increased and a stabilized
pressure recorded.
2. Performed after first cycle to eliminate borehole
effects,e.g., breakdown pressure
3. Pressure measurement location: surface, downhole in
annulus

Analysis:
1. A change in slope identifies the fracture extension
pressure > closure pressure because of fluid friction in
fracture and the fracture toughness.
2. Extrapolation to zero rate should coincide with
reservoir pressure
Step rate injectivity test
Earlougher (1977)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
2. Steprate test
Example:
Given a reservoir with the following properties:
B
w
= 1.0 RB/STB
w
= 0.45 cp
h = 270 ft | = 0. 186
c
t
= 1.5 x 10-5 psi
-1
r
w
= 0.25 ft
Depth = 7,260 ft
Injected-fluid pressure gradient = 0.433 psi/ft

Determine the fracture gradient.
The break in the data indicates a surface
fracture pressure of about 1,000 psi. The
fracture gradient is estimated by dividing the
bottom-hole fracture pressure by the depth.
The fracture gradient is:
[(0.433)(7,260) + 1,000]/7,260 = 0.57 psi/ft

Step rate injectivity test
Earlougher (1977)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
2. Steprate/Flowback test
Objective:
preferred for determining closure
pressure.measures entire interval

Procedure:
Inject fluid and create fracture
flowback at constant rate
Trial and error to find appropriate
rate, 1/10 to of average injection rate

Analysis:
Pressure decline exhibits characteristic reversal in slope at closure pressure.
Caused by flow restriction introduced when the fracture closes.

Application of step-rate and pumpin/flowback tests
SPE Monograph Vol 12(1989)
Copyright, 2011
A. Field Techniques
2. Shutin/decline test
Objective:
Closure pressure from slope change on plot.not easily identified or unique

Procedure: Record pressure decline vs time function after injection.
No flowback, hence shutin
Example of post-frac pressure decline to
determine closure stress (Allen & Roberts, 1982)
Copyright, 2011
B. Lab Techniques
1. Anelastic Strain Recovery (ASR)
Objective: Obtains orientation of principal
stress.
Procedure:
Sensitive strain measurements are
obtained on retrieved oriented core.
Measures the volume change of core as
pulled from the surface.
Analysis:
The strain orientation is assumed the
same as the principal axes of the insitu
stresses.
The time-dependent strain and total
strain are directly proportional.
(Economides & Nolte, 1980)
Copyright, 2011
B. Lab Techniques
2. Differential Strain Curve Analysis
(DSCA)
Objective:
Obtains orientation of principal stresses.
Analysis:
Based on strain relaxation as an imprint
of the stress history
Relies on the assumption that the
resulting microfracturing is directly
proportional to the stress reduction the
core has sustained
(Economides & Nolte, 1980)
Copyright, 2011
C. Calculate from elastic properties
Objective:
Obtain minimum, insitu stress magnitude, stress profile

Procedure:
a. core triaxial tests under various confining pressures
b. combine sonic and density log measurements

Analysis: Obtain elastic properties, v and E and calculate the minimum
horizontal stress from the following equation
p
p
p
p
v
1
min , h
o +
|
.
|
\
|
o o
v
v
= o

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