The project is centered on development of rock mechanics related to high pressure and high temperature (HP/HT) conditions in the subsurface. The issue will be addressed experimentally and theoretically including numerical modeling.
Hydrocarbon reservoirs deeply buried under the central North Sea are not only subjected to high temperatures and a stress-field corresponding to depths of 5 km or more. They are also situated at a depth with high regional overpressure. This gives rise to
three key challenges, which apply not only in the North Sea but world-wide: 1. Safety during drilling operations due to the extreme pressure and stresses. 2. Well life – the danger of well collapse under extreme stress conditions. 3. Controlling the drilling operation
due to narrow drilling windows, in particular during infill drilling. This latter challenge must be met in order to maximize recovery.
In order to address these challenges we must develop methods to determine how the effective stress field responds to changes in pore pressure under these extreme conditions. The effective stress field is primarily a function of the weight of the overburden
and how much of the load, the fluids in the rock carry. It also depends on the elastic properties of the rock at a given depth.
Supervisor: Prof. Ida Lykke Fabricius, ilfa@byg.dtu.dk
co-supervisor: Ass. Prof. Katrine Alling Andreassen, kall@byg.dtu.dk