|
Core Laboratories' Rock and Soils Mechanics
Testing Laboratory provides problem-solving data to support a wide
variety of drilling, completion and recovery-optimizing
applications.
Supporting
geologists, log analysts, engineers and geophysicists around the
world, the state-of-the-art geomechanics facility is part of Core
Laboratories newest Advanced Technology Center, which opened in 2000
in Houston, Texas.
Our Advanced
Technology Centers form a global network of testing, analysis and
research resources for reservoir optimization.
Advanced Testing and Analysis Tools
The Rock and Soils Mechanics Testing Laboratory
is one of the most extensive geomechanics facilities in the
world. Its testing and
analysis equipment includes:
- A 400,000
pounds of force (lbf), computer-controlled load frame with
triaxial cells for testing core samples of 1" - 4" diameter at
confining stresses up to 20,000 psi
- A 100,000 lbf
load frame with triaxial cells for testing 1" and 1.5" diameter
unconsolidated and soft cores at confining pressures up to 10,000
psi and temperatures up to 300 F.
- Acoustic
velocity equipment for testing a variety of core sizes at confining
stresses up to 15,000 psi and temperatures up to 300 F.
- Hydrostatic (HPVC) and Uniaxial strain pore volume compressibility (UPVC) apparatus.
- Unconfined
compressive strength and thick wall cylinder
equipment
- Brinell hardness
tester
- Proppant
embedment equipment
- Fracture azimuth
and sonic velocity anisotropy equipment
- A new computer-controlled 250,000 lbf load frame with triaxial cell that uses all digital electronics for testing 1" and 1.5" diameter samples at confining and pore pressures up to 20,000 psi
Applications for Rock Mechanics Data
The geomechanics data developed by the Rock and
Soils Mechanics Testing Laboratory provides critical problem-solving
information used to:
- Evaluate
stresses and borehole stability of deviated and horizontal
wells
- Determine the
azimuth angle for maximum horizontal stress direction and direction
of natural formation fractures
- Evaluate
reservoirs by pore volume compressibility
testing
- Develop
sand-control and gravel-packing strategies using mechanical
properties data
- Optimize
hydraulic and acid-fracturing designs
- Select proppants
to reduce embedment and flowback
- Calibrate and
correct dipole sonic logs
- Fine-tune and calibrate 3D and 4D seismic surveys using low- frequency lab data
Testing Capabilities for Rock, Soil and Proppant Mechanics
Using its array of advanced equipment, the Rock
and Soils Mechanics Testing Laboratory is able to apply a broad
range of problem-solving tests and procedures.
These tests
include:
- Triaxial and
uniaxial testing for Young's Modulus, Poisson's Ratio, and
compressive strength
- Sonic velocity
testing for dynamic Young's Modulus and Poisson's
Ratio
- Mohr-Coulomb
envelope analysis and construction
- Sonic velocity
and acoustic impedance testing at stress
- Sonic velocity
in crude oils and brines
- Seismic velocity
testing at 10Hz
- Hydrostatic and
uniaxial pore volume compressibility
- Calibration of
sonic and dipole log
- Fracture azimuth
and max stress azimuth (sonic velocity
anisotropy)
- Evaluation of
natural fracture conductivity
- Thick wall
cylinder test to determine onset of sand
production
- Fracture
toughness analysis
- Brinell hardness
test for closure stress analysis
- Proppant
embedment testing vs. closure stress
- Brazil tensile
strength for wellbore stability analysis
- Point load
tensile test for wellbore stability analysis
- Computer
analysis and field recommendations
- Borehole
stability analysis
- Critical
drawdown pressure
- Sand control and
perforation stability
- Data extension
from dry to wet conditions Sonic velocities, Young's Modulus, and
Poisson's Ratio estimation from x-ray data
- Dipole sonic
analysis and calibration
- Biot's
poroelastic constant
- Acid fracture
conductivity analysis
- Proppant
embedment and conductivity analysis
- Sonic velocity testing at 0.001 to 1,000,000 Hz
- Biot's poroelastic testing and horizontal stress analyses
|
