Geomechanical Model Calibration Using Field Measurements for a Petroleum Reserve

Journal Article · Fri Jan 19 00:00:00 EST 2018 · Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-017-1370-4· OSTI ID:1420770

Park, Byoung Yoon ^[1]; Sobolik, Steven R. ^[1]; Herrick, Courtney G. ^[1]

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1. Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

A finite element numerical analysis model has been constructed that consists of a mesh that effectively captures the geometries of Bayou Choctaw (BC) Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) site and multimechanism deformation (M-D) salt constitutive model using the daily data of actual wellhead pressure and oil–brine interface location. The salt creep rate is not uniform in the salt dome, and the creep test data for BC salt are limited. Therefore, the model calibration is necessary to simulate the geomechanical behavior of the salt dome. The cavern volumetric closures of SPR caverns calculated from CAVEMAN are used as the field baseline measurement. The structure factor, A₂, and transient strain limit factor, K_o, in the M-D constitutive model are used for the calibration. The value of A₂, obtained experimentally from BC salt, and the value of K_o, obtained from Waste Isolation Pilot Plant salt, are used for the baseline values. To adjust the magnitude of A₂ and K0, multiplication factors A₂F and K_oF are defined, respectively. The A₂F and K0F values of the salt dome and salt drawdown skins surrounding each SPR cavern have been determined through a number of back analyses. The cavern volumetric closures calculated from this model correspond to the predictions from CAVEMAN for six SPR caverns. Therefore, this model is able to predict behaviors of the salt dome, caverns, caprock, and interbed layers. In conclusion, the geotechnical concerns associated with the BC site from this analysis will be explained in a follow-up paper.

• Research Organization: Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
• Grant/Contract Number: NA0003525
• OSTI ID: 1420770
• Report Number(s): SAND2017-1917J; 653988
• Journal Information: Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, Vol. 51, Issue 3; ISSN 0723-2632
• Publisher: Springer
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
02 PETROLEUM