Petrophysical and Geomechanical Modelling for Mud-Weight Window Prediction: A 1D-MEM Analysis of Well A in South Sumatra Field, Indonesia
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69714/b3b9hk79Keywords:
Petrophysical and geomechanical modelling, Mechanical Earth Model, mud weight window, wellbore stability, drilling optimizationAbstract
The optimization of drilling operations in increasingly complex geological environments, including conventional and unconventional oil and gas resources, demands geomechanical evaluations to mitigate costly non-productive time. Wellbore instability, primarily driven by inadequate mud weight design, remains a persistent operational challenge that can lead to catastrophic failures such as well collapse, tight hole conditions, and stuck pipe incidents. To address these mechanical risks, a 1-Dimensional Mechanical Earth Model (1D-MEM) provides a comprehensive analytical framework by synthesizing petrophysical measurements with localized stress profiles to determine the mechanical limits of the formation. Utilizing depth records and a suite of acoustic, density, and caliper well logs, this study constructs an integrated 1D-MEM for Well A. The analytical procedure quantifies dynamic elastic moduli and estimates rock strength parameters, specifically the uniaxial compressive strength and internal friction angle, along the wellbore trajectory. By superimposing the predicted in-situ principal stresses with the appropriate rock failure criterias, the study analytically determines the shear and tensile failure gradient. The central finding of this modelling effort establishes the precise mud weight window required to counterbalance the effective principal stresses and prevent wellbore breakouts. Establishing this optimized geomechanical parameter not only ensures operational safety and structural integrity for Well A but also yields a predictive analytical methodology that can be extrapolated to future drilling and well intervention programs within similar lithological settings.
References
[1] R. H. Allawi and M. S. Al-Jawad, "Wellbore instability management using geomechanical modeling and wellbore stability analysis for Zubair shale formation in Southern Iraq," Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, vol. 11, no. 11, pp. 4047–4062, 2021, doi: 10.1007/s13202-021-01279-y.
[2] M. Aslannezhad, A. Khaksar Manshad, and H. Jalalifar, "Determination of a safe mud window and analysis of wellbore stability to minimize drilling challenges and non-productive time," Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology, vol. 6, pp. 493–503, 2016, doi: 10.1007/s13202-015-0198-2.
[3] G. B. Asquith and D. Krygowski, Basic Well Log Analysis, 2nd ed. Tulsa, OK, USA: AAPG Methods in Exploration series No. 16, American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2004.
[4] Alexeyev, M. Ostadhassan, R. A. Mohammed, B. Bubach, S. Khatibi, C. Li, and L. Kong, "Well log based geomechanical and petrophysical analysis of the Bakken Formation," presented at the 51st U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, San Francisco, CA, USA, Jun. 2017.
[5] E. H. K. Alkamil, Y. Al-Asadi, H. Y. Ahmed, M. A. Abduljalel, Z. S. Sahib, and Z. H. Mtashar, "Enhancing wellbore stability and efficiency through geomechanical modeling and casing design optimization (Case study Southern Iraq)," presented at ADIPEC, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2024, doi: 10.2118/222682-MS.
[6] M. Azadpour and N. S. Manaman, "Determination of pore pressure from sonic log: A case study on one of Iran carbonate reservoir rocks," Iranian Journal of Oil & Gas Science and Technology, vol. 4, no. 3, pp. 37–50, 2015, doi: 10.22050/IJOGST.2015.10366.
[7] R. M. Bateman, Open-Hole Log Analysis and Formation Evaluation, 2nd ed. International Human Resources Development Corporation, 2012.
[8] M. G. Bishop, "South Sumatra Basin Province, Indonesia: The Lahat/Talang Akar–Cenozoic total petroleum system," U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, VA, USA, Open-File Rep. 99–50-S, 2001.
[9] M. A. Biot, "General theory of three-dimensional consolidation," Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 12, no. 1, pp. 155–164, 1941.
[10] T. Bourgoyne, M. E. Chenevert, K. K. Milheim, and F. S. Young, Applied Drilling Engineering, SPE Textbook Series, Vol. 2. Richardson, TX, USA: Society of Petroleum Engineers, 1991.
[11] G. L. Bowers, "Pore pressure estimation from velocity data: Accounting for overpressure mechanisms besides undercompaction," SPE Drilling & Completion, vol. 10, no. 2, pp. 89–95, 1995, doi: 10.2118/27488-PA.
[12] J. P. Castagna, M. L. Batzle, and R. L. Eastwood, "Relationships between compressional-wave and shear-wave velocities in clastic silicate rocks," Geophysics, vol. 50, no. 4, pp. 571–581, 1985.
[13] C. Chang, M. D. Zoback, and A. Khaksar, "Empirical relations between rock strength and physical properties in sedimentary rocks," Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, vol. 51, no. 3, pp. 223–237, 2006.
[14] G. V. Chilingar, V. A. Serebryakov, and J. O. Robertson, Origin and Prediction of Abnormal Formation Pressures. Elsevier, 2002.
[15] S. Chopra and A. Huffman, "Velocity determination for pore pressure prediction," CSEG Recorder, vol. 31, no. 4, 2006.
[16] T. Darling, Well Logging and Formation Evaluation. Gulf Professional Publishing, 2005.
[17] B. Das and R. Chatterjee, "Wellbore stability analysis and prediction of minimum mud weight for few wells in Krishna-Godavari Basin, India," International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 93, pp. 30–37, 2017, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2016.12.018.
[18] G. L. De Coster, "The geology of the Central and South Sumatra Basins," in Proc. 3rd Annu. Conv. Indon. Petrol. Assoc., 1974.
[19] N. C. Dutta, "Geopressure prediction using seismic data: Current status and the road ahead," Geophysics, vol. 67, no. 6, pp. 2012–2041, 2002.
[20] B. A. Eaton, "The equation for geopressure prediction from well logs," Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE Paper 5544, 1975.
[21] D. V. Ellis and J. M. Singer, Well Logging for Earth Scientists, 2nd ed. Springer, 2007.
[22] E. Fjær, R. M. Holt, P. Horsrud, A. M. Raaen, and R. Risnes, Petroleum Related Rock Mechanics, Developments in Petroleum Science, Vol. 33. Elsevier, 2008.
[23] G. H. F. Gardner, L. W. Gardner, and A. R. Gregory, "Formation velocity and density—The diagnostic basis for stratigraphic traps," Geophysics, vol. 39, no. 6, pp. 2085–2095, 1974.
[24] R. Gholami, A. Moradzadeh, V. Rasouli, and J. Hanachi, "Practical application of failure criteria in determining safe mud weight windows in drilling operations," Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, vol. 6, no. 1, pp. 13–25, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.jrmge.2013.11.002.
[25] D. C. Ginger and K. Fielding, "The petroleum systems and future potential of the South Sumatra Basin," in Proc. 30th Indon. Petrol. Assoc. Annu. Conv., 2005, pp. 67–89.
[26] D. H. Han, A. Nur, and D. Morgan, "Effects of porosity and clay content on wave velocities in sandstones," Geophysics, vol. 51, no. 11, pp. 2093–2107, 1986, doi: 10.1190/1.1442062.
[27] E. Harsa, "Some of the factors which influence oil occurrence in the South Sumatera and Central Sumatera basins," presented at the Reg. Conf. Geol. Miner. Resour. Southeast Asia, Jakarta, Indonesia, 1975.
[28] E. Hottmann and R. K. Johnson, "Estimation of formation pressures from log-derived shale properties," Journal of Petroleum Technology, vol. 17, pp. 717–722, 1965 (SPE Paper 1110).
[29] M. K. Hubbert and D. G. Willis, "Mechanics of hydraulic fracturing," Petroleum Transactions, AIME, vol. 210, pp. 153–163, 1957.
[30] J. A. Hudson and J. P. Harrison, Engineering Rock Mechanics: An Introduction to the Principles. Pergamon, 1997.
[31] R. Huffman, "The future of pressure prediction using geophysical methods," in Pressure Regimes in Sedimentary Basins and Their Prediction (AAPG Memoir 76), A. R. Huffman and G. L. Bowers, Eds. Tulsa, OK, USA: American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 2002, pp. 217–233.
[32] J. C. Jaeger, N. G. W. Cook, and R. W. Zimmerman, Fundamentals of Rock Mechanics, 4th ed. Blackwell Publishing, 2007.
[33] T. Juhatta, A. M. Ramdhan, and Fatkhan, "Prediksi tekanan pori dengan data seismik 3D dan data log sumur menggunakan metode Eaton (Studi kasus di Cekungan Bonaparte Utara)," Bulletin of Geology, vol. 1, no. 2, pp. 107–122, 2017, doi: 10.5614/bull.geol.2017.1.2.4.
[34] R. P. Koesoemadinata, An Introduction into the Geology of Indonesia: Volume 1. ITB Press, 2025.
[35] M. Krief, J. Garat, J. Stellingwerff, and J. Ventre, "A petrophysical interpretation using the velocities of P and S waves (full-waveform sonic)," The Log Analyst, vol. 31, 1990.
[36] M. Lal, "Shale stability: Drilling fluid interaction and shale strength," Society of Petroleum Engineers, SPE Paper 54356, 1999.
[37] Y. K. Lee, S. Pietruszczak, and B. H. Choi, "Failure criteria for rocks based on smooth approximations to Mohr–Coulomb and Hoek–Brown failure functions," International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 56, pp. 146–160, 2012, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2012.07.032.
[38] Z. Lianyang, P. Cao, and K. C. Radha, "Evaluation of rock strength criteria for wellbore stability analysis," International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences, vol. 47, no. 8, pp. 1304–1316, 2010, doi: 10.1016/j.ijrmms.2010.09.001.
[39] S. M. Luthi, Geological Well Logs: Their Use in Reservoir Modeling. Springer, 2001.
[40] M. Mahetaji and J. Brahma, "Prediction of minimum mud weight for prevention of breakout using new 3D failure criterion to maintain wellbore stability," Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering, vol. 57, pp. 2231–2252, 2024, doi: 10.1007/s00603-023-03679-4.
[41] T. Marhaendrajana, Interpretasi Well Logging: Teori dan Aplikasi. ITB Press, 2018.
[42] S. Maleki, R. Gholami, V. Rasouli, A. Moradzadeh, R. G. Riabi, and F. Sadaghzadeh, "Comparison of different failure criteria in prediction of safe mud weight window in drilling practice," Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 136, pp. 36–58, 2014, doi: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2014.05.010.
[43] W. R. Matthews and J. Kelly, "How to predict formation pressure and fracture gradient," Oil & Gas Journal, vol. 65, pp. 92–106, 1967.
[44] M. R. McLean and M. A. Addis, "Wellbore stability analysis: A review of current methods and their field application," in Proc. SPE/IADC Drill. Conf. (SPE/IADC 19941), Houston, TX, USA, 1990, pp. 261–274.
[45] R. F. Mitchell and S. Z. Miska, Fundamentals of Drilling Engineering. Richardson, TX, USA: Society of Petroleum Engineers, 2011.
[46] M. Motahari, A. Hashemi, and A. Molaghab, "Successful mechanical earth model construction and wellbore stability analysis using elastic and plasticity solutions: A case study," Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment, vol. 32, p. 100357, 2022, doi: 10.1016/j.gete.2022.100357.
[47] G. Nmegbu, B. Kinate, and S. Nmezi, "Evaluation of optimum mud weight window for prevention of wellbore instability in Niger Delta wells," IOSR Journal of Engineering, vol. 10, pp. 61–66, 2020.
[48] Noah, "New pore pressure evaluation techniques for LAGIA-8 well, Sinai, Egypt as a case study," International Journal of Geosciences, vol. 7, pp. 32–46, 2016, doi: 10.4236/ijg.2016.71004.
[49] Nur and J. D. Byerlee, "An exact effective stress law for elastic deformation of rock with fluids," Journal of Geophysical Research, vol. 76, no. 26, pp. 6414–6419, 1971, doi: 10.1029/JB076i026p06414.
[50] Pertamina BPPKA (C. Caughey et al.), "Petroleum geology of Indonesian basins, X: South Sumatra Basin," in Petroleum Geology of Indonesian Basins: Principles, Methods, and Application, 1997.
[51] R. Plumb, S. Edwards, G. Pidcock, D. Lee, and B. Stacey, "The mechanical earth model concept and its application to high-risk well construction projects," presented at the IADC/SPE Drilling Conference, New Orleans, LA, USA, Feb. 2000, doi: 10.2118/59128-MS.
[52] H. Rabia, Well Engineering and Construction. Entrac Consulting Limited, 2002.
[53] M. Rider, The Geological Interpretation of Well Logs, 2nd ed. Rider-French Consulting Ltd., 1996.
[54] O. Serra, Fundamentals of Well-Log Interpretation: 1. The Acquisition of Logging Data, Developments in Petroleum Science, Vol. 15A. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., 1984.
[55] Serasa, A. G. Rafek, W. Harun, M. Abdurrahman, K. E. Lee, H. Nguyen, T. Xuan, R. Roslee, and M. Zhang, "Correlation of dynamic and static Young’s modulus for limestone," IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci., vol. 1103, p. 012032, 2022, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/1103/1/012032.
[56] K. Su, A. Onaisi, and S. Vidal-Gilbert, "Comparison of different approaches of 1D mechanical earth model used in geomechanics," presented at the 56th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Santa Fe, NM, USA, 2022, doi: 10.56952/ARMA-2022-0749.
[57] R. Suhendan, "Middle Neogene depositional environments in Rambutan area, South Sumatra," in Proc. 13th Indon. Petrol. Assoc. Annu. Conv., vol. 1, 1984, pp. 63–73, doi: 10.29118/ipa.15563.73.
[58] Y. Syukri, B. R. Permana, P. D. Heppard, A. M. Ramdhan, and L. M. Hutasoit, "Pore pressure analysis in the Corridor Block, South Sumatra Basin: Distribution, mechanism, and prediction," in Proc. 43rd Indon. Petrol. Assoc. Annu. Conv. & Exhib., 2019.
[59] H. L. Ten Haven and C. F. Schiefelbein, "The petroleum systems of Indonesia," in Proc. 24th Indon. Petrol. Assoc. Annu. Conv., vol. 1, 1995, pp. 443–459, doi: 10.29118/ipa302.443.459.
[60] Terzaghi, R. B. Peck, and G. Mesri, Soil Mechanics in Engineering Practice, 3rd ed. John Wiley & Sons, 1996.
[61] D. Tiab and E. C. Donaldson, Petrophysics: Theory and Practice of Measuring Reservoir Rock and Fluid Transport Properties, 4th ed. Gulf Professional Publishing, 2015, doi: 10.1016/C2014-0-03707-0.
[62] Vernik, M. Bruno, and C. Bovberg, "Empirical relations between compressive strength and porosity of siliciclastic rocks," International Journal of Rock Mechanics and Mining Sciences & Geomechanics Abstracts, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 677–680, 1993, doi: 10.1016/0148-9062(93)90004-W.
[63] H. B. Wibowo, C. Julianto, A. Buntoro, and P. Subiatmono, "Mud weight evaluation based on safe mud window in drilling well “X-1” to overcome caving and partial loss problems in the oil field," IOP Conf. Ser.: Earth Environ. Sci., vol. 830, no. 1, p. 012074, 2021, doi: 10.1088/1755-1315/830/1/012074.
[64] R. J. Wyllie, A. R. Gregory, and L. W. Gardner, "Elastic wave velocities in heterogeneous and porous media," Geophysics, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 41–70, 1956.
[65] R. J. Wyllie and W. D. Rose, "Some theoretical considerations related to the quantitative evaluation of the physical characteristics of reservoir rock from electrical log data," Journal of Petroleum Technology, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 105–118, 1950.
[66] Yoshida, M. Ikeda, and B. A. Eaton, "An investigative study of recent technologies used for prediction, detection, and evaluation of abnormal formation pressure and fracture pressure in North and South America (IADC/SPE 36381)," in IADC/SPE Conf. Proc., Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 1996.
[67] J. J. Zhang, "Pore pressure prediction from well logs: Methods, modifications, and new approaches," Earth-Science Reviews, vol. 108, pp. 50–63, 2011.
[68] J. J. Zhang, Applied Petroleum Geomechanics. Gulf Professional Publishing, 2019.
[69] D. Zoback, Reservoir Geomechanics. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2007.
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Jurnal Ilmiah Multidisiplin Ilmu
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
