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Stability analysis of inclined boreholes including moisture adsorption process

Conference ·
OSTI ID:170170
;  [1];  [2]
  1. Univ. of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, Anhui (China). Dept. of Modern Mechanics
  2. Maurer Engineering Inc., Houston, TX (United States)
Some types of rocks may dilate when moisture is adsorbed, thus the moisture effect must be considered in the stability analysis of boreholes drilled in the formations containing these rocks. In the authors` model, the moisture adsorption process is uncoupled with other mechanical aspects and governed by a diffusion equation. The moisture in the medium may produce additional strains and decrease the Young`s moduli of the rock. Under the complete plane strain condition, the stress distributions around an inclined borehole can be calculated using the finite element method. Applying the Mohr-Coulomb criterion for compressive failure and the Maximum Tensile Stress criterion for tensile failure, the instability of the borehole can be determined. The results show that the stability of the boreholes drilled in the moisture sensitive formations is drastically influenced by the moisture adsorption process.
OSTI ID:
170170
Report Number(s):
CONF-950116--; ISBN 0-7918-1288-X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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