Skip to main content
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Subsidence as a result of petroleum production

Journal Article · · Earth Miner. Sci.; (United States)
OSTI ID:6717201
Subsidence in oil-producing areas is caused by the compaction of the producing layers of the underground reservoirs. Decline in the fluid pressure in the pores of the reservoir rock forces the formation to carry a larger portion of the overburden load. When the formation material fails to carry this load, compaction takes place and subsidence results at the surface. Compaction causes significant subsidence, especially when the formation material consists of clay and uncemented sand. Clay and sand layers compact almost to the same extent, the main difference being that the low permeability of the clay to water prevents instantaneous compaction and the time effect becomes an important factor. Additional factors that contribute to an appreciable delay in the subsidence noticed at the surface include creep, both in clay and sand, decrease in reservoir fluid pressure, and overburden which does not deform elastically.
OSTI ID:
6717201
Journal Information:
Earth Miner. Sci.; (United States), Journal Name: Earth Miner. Sci.; (United States) Vol. 47:8; ISSN EMISA
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

Similar Records

Subsidence and the petroleum industry: an overview
Conference · Sun Jan 31 23:00:00 EST 1988 · AAPG (Am. Assoc. Pet. Geol.) Bull.; (United States) · OSTI ID:6123088

Land subsidence caused by fluid removal
Conference · Thu Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1987 · OSTI ID:6544342

Physical processes of subsidence in geothermal reservoirs
Technical Report · Tue Jun 01 00:00:00 EDT 1982 · OSTI ID:6463623