Analysis on the multi-phase flow characterization in cross-measure borehole during coal hydraulic slotting

Hydraulic slotting in a gas drainage borehole is an effective method of enhancing gas drainage performance. However, it frequently occurs that a large amount of slotting products(mainly the coal slurry and gas) intensely spurt out of the borehole during the slotting, which adversely affects the slotting efficiency. Despite extensive previous investigations on the mechanism and prevention-device design of the spurt during ordinary borehole drilling, a very few studies has focused on the spurt in the slotting process. The slotting spurt is mainly caused by two reasons: the coal and gas outburst in the borehole and the borehole deslagging blockage. This paper focuses on the second reason, and investigates the hydraulic deslagging flow patterns in the annular space between the drill pipe and borehole wall.Results show that there are six deslagging flow patterns when the drill pipe is still: pure slurry flow, pure gas flow, bubble flow, intermittent flow, layering flow and annular flow. When the drill pipe rotates, each of those six flow patterns changes due to the Taylor vortex effect. Outcomes of this study could help to better understand the slotting-spurt mechanism and provide guidance on the anti-spurt strategies through eliminating the borehole deslagging blockage.

Investigation of Groundwater Quality with Borehole Depth in the Basin Granitoids of the Ashanti Region of Ghana

The dependence of groundwater quality on borehole depth is usually debatable in groundwater studies, especially in complex geological formations where aquifer characteristics vary spatially with depth. This study therefore seeks to investigate the relationship between borehole depth and groundwater quality across the granitoid aquifers within the Birimian Supergroup in the Ashanti Region. Physicochemical analysis records of groundwater quality data were collected from 23 boreholes of public and private institutions in the Ashanti Region of Ghana, and the parametric values of iron, fluoride, total hardness, pH, nitrate, and nitrite were used to study the groundwater quality-depth relationship. The results showed that the depth-to-groundwater quality indicated a marginal increase in water quality in the range of 30 to 50 m, which is mathematically represented by the low-value correlation coefficient (r2 = 0.026). A relatively significant increase occurs in the depth range of 50 to 80 m, which is given by a correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.298. The mean percent parameter compatibility was 74%, 82%, 89%, and 97% at 50, 60, 70, and 80 m depths, respectively. The variations in groundwater quality per depth ratio ranged from 1.48, 1.37, 1.27, and 1.21 for 50, 60, 70, and 80 m depth, respectively. The recommended minimum borehole depth for excellent groundwater quality is suggested with a compatibility per meter depth ratio of 1.37. This results in a range between 50 and 70 m as the most desirable drilling depth for excellent groundwater quality within the granitoids of the Birimian Supergroup of the Ashanti Region in Ghana.

Fracture geometry and breakdown pressure of radial borehole fracturing in multiple layers

Radial borehole fracturing that combines radial boreholes with hydraulic fracturing is anticipated to improve the output of tight oil and gas reservoirs.This paper aims to investigate fracture propagation and pressure characteristics of radial borehole fracturing in multiple layers.A series of laboratory experiments with artificial rock samples(395 mm×395 mm×395 mm)was conducted using a true triaxial fracturing device.Three crucial factors corresponding to the vertical distance of adjacent radial borehole layers(vertical distance),the azimuth and diameter of the radial borehole are examined.Experimental results show that radial borehole fracturing in multiple layers generates diverse fracture geometries.Four types of fractures are identified based on the connectivity between hydraulic fractures and radial boreholes.The vertical distance significantly influences fracture propagation perpendicular to the radial borehole axis.An increase in the vertical distance impedes fracture connection across multiple radial borehole layers and reduces the fracture propagation distance along the radial borehole axis.The azimuth also influences fracture propagation along the radial borehole axis.Increasing the azimuth reduces the guiding ability of radial boreholes,which makes the fracture quickly curve to the maximum horizontal stress direction.The breakdown pressure correlates with diverse fracture geometries observed.When the fractures connect multi-layer radial boreholes,increasing the vertical distance decreases the breakdown pressure.Decreasing the azimuth and increasing the diameter also decrease the breakdown pressure.The extrusion force exists between the adjacent fractures generated in radial boreholes in multiple rows,which plays a crucial role in enhancing the guiding ability of radial boreholes and results in higher breakdown pressure.The research provides valuable theoretical insights for the field application of radial borehole fracturing technology in tight oil and gas reservoirs.

Effects of confining pressure and pore pressure on multipole borehole acoustic field in fluid-saturated porous media

In-situ stress is a common stress in the exploration and development of oil reservoirs. Therefore, it is of great significance to study the propagation characteristics of borehole acoustic waves in fluid-saturated porous media under stress.Based on the acoustoelastic theory of fluid-saturated porous media, the field equation of fluid-saturated porous media under the conditions of confining pressure and pore pressure and the acoustic field formula of multipole source excitation in open hole are given. The influences of pore pressure and confining pressure on guided waves of multipole borehole acoustic field in fluid-saturated porous media are investigated. The numerical results show that the phase velocity and excitation intensity of guided wave increase significantly under the confining pressure. For a given confining pressure, the phase velocity of the guided wave decreases with pore pressure increasing. The excitation intensity of guided wave increases at low frequency and then decreases at high frequency with pore pressure increasing, except for that of Stoneley wave which decreases in the whole frequency range. These results will help us get an insight into the influences of confining pressure and pore pressure on the acoustic field of multipole source in borehole around fluid-saturated porous media.

CO_(2)flooding in shale oil reservoir with radial borehole fracturing for CO_(2)storage and enhanced oil recovery

This study introduces a novel method integrating CO_(2)flooding with radial borehole fracturing for enhanced oil recovery and CO_(2)underground storage,a solution to the limited vertical stimulation reservoir volume in horizontal well fracturing.A numerical model is established to investigate the production rate,reservoir pressure field,and CO_(2)saturation distribution corresponding to changing time of CO_(2)flooding with radial borehole fracturing.A sensitivity analysis on the influence of CO_(2)injection location,layer spacing,pressure difference,borehole number,and hydraulic fractures on oil production and CO_(2)storage is conducted.The CO_(2)flooding process is divided into four stages.Reductions in layer spacing will significantly improve oil production rate and gas storage capacity.However,serious gas channeling can occur when the spacing is lower than 20 m.Increasing the pressure difference between the producer and injector,the borehole number,the hydraulic fracture height,and the fracture width can also increase the oil production rate and gas storage rate.Sensitivity analysis shows that layer spacing and fracture height greatly influence gas storage and oil production.Research outcomes are expected to provide a theoretical basis for the efficient development of shale oil reservoirs in the vertical direction.

Borehole stability in naturally fractured rocks with drilling mud intrusion and associated fracture strength weakening:A coupled DFN-DEM approach

Borehole instability in naturally fractured rocks poses significant challenges to drilling.Drilling mud invades the surrounding formations through natural fractures under the difference between the wellbore pressure(P w)and pore pressure(P p)during drilling,which may cause wellbore instability.However,the weakening of fracture strength due to mud intrusion is not considered in most existing borehole stability analyses,which may yield significant errors and misleading predictions.In addition,only limited factors were analyzed,and the fracture distribution was oversimplified.In this paper,the impacts of mud intrusion and associated fracture strength weakening on borehole stability in fractured rocks under both isotropic and anisotropic stress states are investigated using a coupled DEM(distinct element method)and DFN(discrete fracture network)method.It provides estimates of the effect of fracture strength weakening,wellbore pressure,in situ stresses,and sealing efficiency on borehole stability.The results show that mud intrusion and weakening of fracture strength can damage the borehole.This is demonstrated by the large displacement around the borehole,shear displacement on natural fractures,and the generation of fracture at shear limit.Mud intrusion reduces the shear strength of the fracture surface and leads to shear failure,which explains that the increase in mud weight may worsen borehole stability during overbalanced drilling in fractured formations.A higher in situ stress anisotropy exerts a significant influence on the mechanism of shear failure distribution around the wellbore.Moreover,the effect of sealing natural fractures on maintaining borehole stability is verified in this study,and the increase in sealing efficiency reduces the radial invasion distance of drilling mud.This study provides a directly quantitative prediction method of borehole instability in naturally fractured formations,which can consider the discrete fracture network,mud intrusion,and associated weakening of fracture strength.The information provided by the numerical approach(e.g.displacement around the borehole,shear displacement on fracture,and fracture at shear limit)is helpful for managing wellbore stability and designing wellbore-strengthening operations.

Performance assessment of borehole arrangements for the design of rectangular shallow foundation systems

This study proposes a framework to evaluate the performance of borehole arrangements for the design of rectangular shallow foundation systems under spatially variable soil conditions. Performance measures are introduced to quantify, for a fixed foundation layout and given soil sounding locations, the variability level of the foundation system bearing capacities in terms of their mean values and standard deviations. To estimate these measures, the recently proposed random failure mechanism method (RFMM) has been adopted and extended to consider any arrangement of rectangular foundations and boreholes. Hence, three-dimensional bearing capacity estimation under spatially variable soil can be efficiently performed. Several numerical examples are presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed framework, including diverse foundation arrangements and different soil correlation structures. Overall, the proposed framework represents a potentially useful tool to support the design of geotechnical site investigation programs, especially in situations where very limited prior knowledge about the soil properties is available.

Borehole deformation based in situ stress estimation using televiewer data

The knowledge of in situ stress is critical in safe and optimised extraction of minerals and energy resources.In situ stresses are either measured directly(e.g.overcoring)or estimated indirectly(e.g.borehole breakouts).Borehole breakout analysis for in situ stress estimation is considered a relatively simple and cost-efficient technique.This technique,however,poses certain limitations such as complexities with progressive formation of breakouts and it requires inputs such as rock failure parameters that are not often available.As a result,significant effort has been made to develop new indirect methods for in situ stress estimation.Borehole deformation analysis using four-arm caliper has been recently proposed for in situ stress estimation and has shown promising results.In this study,we demonstrate a new methodology that analyses the borehole televiewer data with the technique of borehole deformation analysis to estimate the in situ stresses through a field case study.The advantages and challenges of using borehole televiewer data for stress estimation based on borehole deformation analysis are discussed and the best practice to obtain the reliable results is explained.The limitations of using fourarm caliper and borehole deformation analysis for in situ stress estimation are also discussed and it is shown how televiewer data can overcome such limitations.Finally,the in situ stress results obtained from televiewer data and borehole deformation analysis are compared with independent in situ stress measurements to show the robustness and reliability of the proposed methodology.

Formulation and procedure for in situ stress back-analysis from borehole strain changes measured during nearby underground excavation

Estimation of in situ stresses based on back-analysis of measured stress changes and displacements has become an alternative to the direct stress measurement methods.In order to help users conduct own measurement and analysis,this paper presents in detail a field stress back-analysis approach directly from borehole strain changes measured during nearby underground excavation.Essential formulations in major steps and the procedure for the entire analysis process are provided to allow users to follow.The instrument for borehole strain change measurement can be the CSIR or CSIRO stress cells and other borehole strain cells that can measure strains on borehole walls.Strain changes corresponding to the stress changes at a borehole location are calculated in borehole environment.The stress changes due to nearby excavation can be calculated by an analytical model for a single circular opening and simulated by a numerical model for non-circular and multiple openings.These models are based on isotropic,homogeneous and linear elastic assumptions.The analysis of borehole strain changes is accomplished by multiple linear regression based on error minimization and an integrated process provides the best-fit solution directly to the in situ stresses.A statistical technique is adopted for screening outliers in the measurement data,checking measurement compatibility and evaluating the reliability of analysis results.An application example is included to demonstrate the practical application and the analysis procedure.

Numerical simulation of an acoustic field generated by a phased arc array in a fluid-filled cased borehole

Transducers that are widely applied in cement bond evaluation tools, such as cement bond logs and variable density logs, cannot radiate acoustic energy directionally because of the characteristics of monopole sources. A phased arc array transmitter, which is a novel transducer that differs from monopole and dipole transducers, is presented in this study. To simulate the acoustic field generated by a phased arc array in a fluid-filled cased borehole with different channelings, a 3D finite-difference time-domain method is adopted. The acoustic field generated by a traditional monopole source is also simulated and compared with the field generated by the phased arc array transmitter. Numerical simulation results show that the phased arc array radiates energy directionally in a narrow angular range in the borehole, thereby compressing the acoustic energy into a narrow range in the casing pipe, the cement, and the formation. We present the analyses of first-arrival waveforms and the amplitudes of casing waves at different azimuthal angles for the two different sources. The results indicate that employing a directional source facilitates azimuthal identification and analysis of possible channeling behind the casing pipe.

Mechanism and control of water seepage of vertical feeding borehole for solid materials in backflling coal mining

To solve the problem of water seepage of vertical feeding borehole for solid materials,we established the fluid-solid coupling dynamic model of groundwater flowing in rock mass adjacent to the vertical feeding borehole.Combining with the engineering geological conditions,we built a numeral model to study the influence rule of the aquifer hydraulic pressure and seepage location of feeding borehole on the amount of seepage with fnite element numerical method.The results show that the nonlinear relationship is presented among the amount of seepage,the seepage location and aquifer hydraulic pressure.The higher the aquifer hydraulic pressure is,the closer the distance between seepage location and aquifer is,and the faster the harmful levels of aquifer will grow.In practice,we calculated the allowable seepage of feeding borehole by the optimum moisture content and natural moisture content of backflling materials,and then determined the protection zone of feeding borehole,so the moisture content of backflling materials can be controlled within the scope of optimum moisture content.

Abnormal strain changes observed by a borehole strainmeter at Guza Station before the Ms7. 0 Lushan earthquake

Several days before the MsT. 0 Lushan earthquake, the YRY-4 borehole Strainmeter at Guza Station recorded prominent abnormal changes. The strain anomalies are very striking on the smooth background of several years＇ recording after the Wenchuan earthquake. However, because construction in the town of Guza has been undergoing rapid development in recent years, many factors have interfered with observations at the station. Whether or not the observed strain changes before the Lushan earthquake were affected by any of the sources of interference becomes a question that must be answered. Among the likely sources of interference, apartment construction, sportsground reconstruction, and tunnel cutting can be excluded by analyzing the morphological characteristic of the anomalies. The two remaining most possible sources are road construction in front of the station and the water level change of the nearby Dadu River caused by water filling into and discharging from an upstream reservoir. Through field investigation, comparison of the correlation between the strain and the seismographic recordings, comparison of the correlation between the strain and the Dadu River flow recordings, and analysis of the strain anomaly characteristics, we conclude that the abnormal changes observed at Guza Station cannot be attributed to either of these two sources but should be related to the Lushan earthquake.

Borehole stability in naturally fractured reservoirs luring production tests

Based on the plane of weakness theory, a model for predicting borehole stability in fractured reservoirs under different stress states was estiblisted and the equations for solving borehole stability were developed. The minimum downhole pressures required to maintain borehole stability under different natural fracture occurrences were calculated by using the data from a well in the Tazhong （central Tarim） area, Tarim Basin, west China. Several conclusions were drawn for naturally fractured reservoirs with a dip angle from less than 10° to greater than 30°. Application in three wells in the Tazhong area indicates that this model is practically useful.

The Southward Extension of Cathaysia Block: Evidence from Zircon UPb Dates of Borehole Volcanics in the Northern South China Sea

Five Paleogene volcanics sampled from the northern South China Sea were analyzed via LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating, including basalt and andesite from Borehole SCSVI and volcanic agglomerate from Borehole SCSV2, respectively. A total of 162 zircon U-Pb dates for them cover an age range from Neoarchean to Eocene, in which the pre-Paleocene data dominate. The Paleogene dates of 62.5±2.2 Ma and 42.1±2.9 Ma are associated with two igneous episodes prior to opening of South China Sea basin. Those pre-Paleocene zircons are inherited zircons mostly with magmatogenic oscillatory zones, and have REE features of crustal zircon. Zircon U-Pb dates of 2518-2481 Ma, 1933- 1724 Ma, and 1094-1040 Ma from the SCSV1 volcanics, and 2810-2718 Ma, 2458-2421 Ma, and 1850-993.4 Ma from the SCSV2 volcanics reveal part of Precambrian evolution of the northern South China Sea, well comparable with age records dated from the Cathaysia block. The data of 927.0±6.9 Ma and 781±38 Ma dated from the SCSV2 coincide with amalgamation between Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks and breakup of the Rodinia, respectively. The age records of Caledonian orogeny from the Cathaysia block are widely found from our volcanic samples with concordant mean ages of 432.0±5.8 Ma from the SCSV1 and of 437±15 Ma from the SCSV2. The part of the northern South China Sea resembling the Cathaysia underwent Indosinian and Yanshannian tectonothermal events. Their age signatures from the SCSV1 cover 266.5±3.5 Ma, 241.1±6.0 Ma, 184.0±4.2 Ma, 160.9±4.2 Ma and 102.8±2.6 Ma, and from the SCSV2 are 244±15 Ma, 158.1±3.5 Ma, 141±13 Ma and 96.3±2.1 Ma. Our pre-Paleogene U-Pb age spectra of zircons from the borehole volcanics indicate that the northern South China Sea underwent an evolution from formation of Precambrian basement, Caledonian orogeny, and Indosinian orogeny to Yanshannian magmatism. This process can be well comparable with the tectonic evolution of South China, largely supporting the areas of the northern South China Sea as part of southward extension of the Cathaysia.

Impact of elliptical boreholes on in situ stress estimation from leak-off test data

We developed an inversion technique to determine in situ stresses for elliptical boreholes of arbitrary trajectory. In this approach, borehole geometry, drilling-induced fracture information, and other available leak-off test data were used to construct a mathematical model, which was in turn applied to finding the inverse of an overdetermined system of equations.The method has been demonstrated by a case study in the Appalachian Basin, USA. The calculated horizontal stresses are in reasonable agreement with the reported regional stress study of the area, although there are no field measurement data of the studied well for direct calibration. The results also indicate that 2% of axis difference in the elliptical borehole geometry can cause a 5% difference in minimum horizontal stress calculation and a 10% difference in maximum horizontal stress calculation.

STABILITY OF BOREHOLES IN A GEOLOGIC MEDIUM INCLUDING THE EFFECTS OF ANISOTROPY

An analytical formulation is developed to investigate the stability of a deep, inclined borehole drilled in a geologic medium and subjected to an internal pressure and a non_hydrostatic stress field. The formulation consists of a three_dimensional (3_D) analysis of stresses around a borehole, combined with internal pressurization of the borehole to obtain an approximate solution of the overall stress distribution. The orientation of the borehole, the in_situ stresses and bedding plane can all be arbitrarily related to each other to represent the actual field situations. Both tensile failure and shear failure potentials of a borehole are investigated. The failure criteria applied assume that when the least principal stress exceeds the strength of the formation in tension, a tensile failure occurs. Shear failure is represented using the modified Drucker_Prager failure criterion for anisotropic materials. A parametric study is carried out to assess the effect of material anisotropy, bedding plane inclination and in_situ stress conditions on borehole stability. Results of the parametric study indicate that wellbore stability is significantly influenced by a high borehole inclination, high degree of material anisotropy, in_situ stress conditions and high formation bedding plane inclination. The stability of a borehole in an elasto_plastic medium is also investigated. In order to evaluate the extent of the plastic zone around a borehole and the effect of anisotropy of the material on this plastic zone, a mathematical formulation is developed using theories of elasticity and plasticity. The borehole is assumed to be vertical, subjected to hydrostatic stresses, and drilled in a transversely isotropic geologic medium. A parametric study is carried out to investigate the effect of material anisotropy on the plastic behavior of the geologic medium. Results indicate that the stress distribution around a borehole, the extent of the plastic zone, and the failure pressure are influenced by the degree of material anisotropy and value of in_situ overburden stresses. It was observed that the borehole becomes less stable as the degree of anisotropy of the geologic medium increases.

China’s component borehole strainmeter network

In 2004, China＇s digital seismic observation network project began to deploy 40 sets YRY-4 four-component borehole strainmeters in order to monitor earthquake preparation process. The paper describes observed solid tidal strain discreteness and tidal factor anisotropy, analyzes the reliability of observational data and discusses the cause for this phenomenon. After getting rid of interferences, the network, in two years practice, has observed several pre-seismic strain anomalies at stations close to epicenters especially in the Wenchuan Ms8.0 megaquake. It shows that this borehole strainmeter network is capable of monitoring seismogenic process.

Acoustoelastic effects on mode waves in a fluid-filled pressurized borehole in triaxially stressed formations

Based on the nonlinear theory of acoustoelasticity, considering the triaxial terrestrial stress, the fluid static pressure in the borehole and the fluid nonlinear effect jointly, the dispersion curves of the monopole Stoneley wave and dipole flexural wave prop- agating along the borehole axis in a homogeneous isotropic formation are investigated by using the perturbation method. The relation of the sensitivity coefficient and the velocity-stress coefficient to frequency are also analyzed. The results show that variations of the phase velocity dispersion curve are mainly affected by three sensitivity coefficients related to third-order elastic constant. The borehole stress concentration causes a split of the flexural waves and an intersection of the dispersion curves of the flexural waves polarized in directions parallel and normal to the uniaxial horizontal stress direction. The stress-induced formation anisotropy is only dependent on the horizontal deviatoric terrestrial stress and independent of the horizontal mean terrestrial stress, the superimposed stress and the fluid static pressure. The horizontal terrestrial stress ratio ranging from 0 to 1 reduces the stress-induced formation anisotropy. This makes the intersection of flexural wave dispersion curves not distinguishable. The effect of the fluid nonlinearity on the dispersion curve of the mode wave is small and can be ignored.

Numerical simulation on borehole breakout and borehole size effect using discrete element method

Estimation of horizontal stress magnitudes from borehole breakouts has been an attractive topic in the petroleum and mining industries,although there are critical research gaps that remain unfilled.In this paper,numerical simulation is conducted on Gosford sandstone to investigate the borehole breakout and its associated borehole size effect,including temperature influence.The discrete element method(DEM)model shows that the borehole breakout angular span is constant after the initial formation,whereas its depth propagates along the minimum horizontal stress direction.This indicates that the breakout angular span is a reliable parameter for horizontal stress estimation.The borehole size effect simulations illustrated the importance of borehole size on breakout geometries in which smaller borehole size leads to higher breakout initiation stress as well as the stress re-distribution from borehole wall outwards through micro-cracking.This implies that the stress may be averaged over a distance around the borehole and breakout initiation occurs at the borehole wall rather than some distance into the rock.In addition,the numerical simulation incorporated the thermal effect which is widely encountered in deep geothermal wells.Based on the results,the higher temperature led to lower breakout initiation stress with same borehole size,and more proportion of shear cracks was generated under higher temperature.This indicates that the temperature might contribute to the micro-fracturing mode and hence influences the horizontal stress estimation results from borehole breakout geometries.Numerical simulation showed that breakout shape and dimensions changed considerably under high stress and high temperature conditions,suggesting that the temperature may need to be considered for breakout stress analysis in deep locations.