How do we teach Geomechanics?
Manolis Veveakis, Thomas Poulet, Klaus Regenauer-Lieb
School of Petroleum Engineering
Unconventional Geomechanics Group
School of Petroleum Engineering
e.veveakis@unsw.edu.au
What is Geomechanics?
Solid
Mechanics
Landslides
Geomechanics
Fluid
Mechanics
Soil Mechanics
Rock
Mechanics
Geotechnics
Engineering
Geology
Seismology
Rock
properties
Tunnel design
Geophysics
Seismic
Core logging
The problem: Geomechanics seems to be loosely defined!
• Established in 1985 as a joint industry/UNSW initiative
• Image based petrophysical rock properties and EOR (ARC, Industry
Consortium) - $500k/year
• NMR Laboratory (ARC, consortium) - $1mil in 2012; $200k/year since
• CO2 sequestration (CO2CRC) - $200k/year
• Unconventionals – CBM, Tight Gas, Shale Gas, Fractured Basement
and Geothermal (ARC, DigitalCore, ONGC) - $2.2 mil in 2012 + $4.1 mil
in 2014
Teaching: Petroleum Engineering (Honours)
Consulting areas
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Reservoir appraisal
Field development geology
Reservoir characterisation
Conventional log analysis
Log analyses for complex reservoir
Formation evaluation
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Field development
Reservoir simulation
Reservoir engineering
Well test analysis
Drill string failure analysis
Improved oil recovery
Natural gas engineering
Drilling engineering
Integrated reservoir development studies
Carbon Capture and Storage
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Economic assessment and commercial activities
Reserves assessment and certification
Arbitration
Unitisation
Field development planning economics
Economic evaluation
Oil and gas company and property valuation
Oil and gas economic modelling
Engineering and Economics
Geo-mechanics vs. Geomechanics
in Petroleum Engineering!
But, do we need Geo-mechanics?
Petroleum Industry is interested in exploiting:
1. Conventional hydrocarbon reservoirs (Multi-phase flow, EOR,
permeability measures, core logging, rock typing, seismic inversion etc)
 (virtually) No mechanics are required at first order
2. Unconventional reservoirs (shale gas, CSG, CBM etc)
 Strong mechanics and multiphysics are required
• (Unconventional)2 =
unconventional in ductile environment
Applications to geothermal, shale gas,
resources…
Ductile
• Unconventional =
low permeability
stimulation to crack brittle rock
Brittle
Conventional reservoir modelling
• Conventional =
Darcy flow
in permeable rocks
Shell Scenario
Unconventional Energy:
US Report in Environmental and Energy Politics
Shale Gas
22nd of April 2015
Australia’s future: Deloitte ‘Oil and gas reality check 2013’
http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom-BruneiDarussalam/Local%20Assets/Documents/oil_gas_reality_check_2013.pdf
Geo-mechanics vs. Geomechanics
in Petroleum Engineering!
We need multi-physical Geomechanics!
Why multi-physics?
What skills we need to develop?
From Mathematics:
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Vector-Tensor algebra and analysis
ODE and systems
PDE and systems
Statistical analysis
Bifurcation methods
Eigenvalue problems
Numerical methods in continuum/stochastic framework
Numerical methods in discrete framework
…
What skills we need to develop?
From Mechanics:
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Constitutive modelling
Experimental verification
Solid mechanics: Elasticity and LEFM
Solid Mechancis: Plasticity and limit analysis
Poromechanics: Fluid flow through porous medium
Poromechanics: Poroelastoplasticity
Fluid mechanics: Navier Stokes and Viscoplasticity
Contact Mechanics/ micromechanics
…
What skills we need to develop?
From Physics:
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Reversible/Irreversible Thermodynamics
Statistical Physics
Material Science (spectrometry, thermography etc)
CT scanning
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) analysis
Wave analysis (seismic inversion etc)
Geochemistry
Petrology
…
What skills we need to develop?
From Experimental multi-physics (THMC):
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Mechanical deformation (triaxial etc)
Infrared measurements (Temperature)
Flow cells (Hydraulic processes)
Geochemical measurements
What skills we need to develop?
For the industry:
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Knowledge of the world of industry
HSE regulations
Project Management
Risk Analysis
Risk Assessment
Risk Management
Finance and Economics
Expertise in using dedicated FEM software packages
(Eclipse, Ansys, Abaqus etc)
• Seismic inversion
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The pyramid of knowledge
Create
Evaluate
Analyze
Apply
Understand - Explain
Knowledge - Remember
Atherton J S (2013) Learning and Teaching; Bloom's taxonomy
Clash of opinions!
Conclusions
• Highlight state-of-the-art and future research
(multiphysics)
• Equip students with sound basic knowledge, so that
they can walk the path by themselves
• Geo-Mechanics is the fundamental basis of
Multiphysics
Thank you!