Stress regimes in the Gulf Coast, offshore Louisiana: Data from well-bore breakout analysis

Journal Article · Sat Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1997 · AAPG Bulletin

OSTI ID:437308

Yassir, N A ^[1]; Zerwer, A ^[2]

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1. CSIRO Petroleum Resources, Victoria (Australia)
2. Univ. of Waterloo, Ontario (Canada)

Maximum horizontal stress (S{sub Hmax}) orientations were mapped for the northern Gulf of Mexico, offshore Louisiana, using borehole breakouts, which are commonly used by petroleum and drilling engineers to determine the stress regime for well-bore stability analyses and reservoir stimulation. The breakout signal is subtle, but indicates S{sub Hmax} orientations largely parallel to the strike of the progradational clastic sedimentary wedge, in a general northeast-southwest direction. However, significant anomalies exist in the breakout orientations, the main anomaly being orthogonal to the principal S{sub Hmax} direction. These anomalies were attributed to local perturbations around faults and salt structures and to the effect of the underlying salt. The correspondence among the orientation of faults, salt intrusions, and S{sub Hmax} from breakouts with the strike of the clastic wedge confirms the existence of stress anisotropy in the northern Gulf of Mexico shelf sediments. Stress anisotropy is caused by the geometry and orientation of the prograding wedge and its associated gravity-driven extension.

• OSTI ID: 437308
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin, Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 81; ISSN 0149-1423; ISSN AABUD2
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
EXPLORATION
LOUISIANA
OFFSHORE SITES
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
STRESS ANALYSIS
US GULF COAST
WELL DRILLING
WELL STIMULATION