Energy Transition

Participants will learn to

1. Appraise the critical importance of geomechanics to CCS projects.
2. Learn the concepts, definitions and mathematical techniques used in geomechanics and how these apply to the Earth, with emphasis on CCS.
3. Assess geomechanical aspects of caprock integrity, fault reactivation, induced seismicity, fracture influence, reservoir management, drilling and completion parameters.
4. Learn about flowrate fluctuations, geomechanical modelling and flowrate correlation analysis.
5. Learn about global induced seismicity, magnitudes and causes and induced seismicity with relation to CCS.
6. Learn what a Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) is, why it is needed and how it can be developed.
7. Evaluate Mechanical Earth Models for their ability to predict geomechanical effects particularly as applied in a CCS context.
8. Determine the ways that operations can simultaneously modify reservoir pore pressures, temperatures, and stresses in the reservoir and surrounding formations.
9. Gain an appreciation of the geomechanical aspects of the Gröningen field through extensive case study.
10. Develop an appreciation of the ARTEMIS software and how this can be used to build geomechanical models to assess and predict geomechanical behaviour.

Importance of Geomechanics to CCS – An Overview

This module will look at the importance of Geomechanics in the context of a CCS project. The learner will develop an appreciation of the potential for leakage and study examples of natural hydrocarbon seepages, leakage to surface and out of zone injection.

Basic Geomechanics

This module will begin by looking at stress, strain and elastic moduli and the concepts and definitions related to them. The learner will develop an understanding of stresses in the earth and how to measure them and learn about effective, poroelastic and thermoelastic strains. Finally, the module will consider the situations that may lead to rock failure and the differences between brittle and ductile failure.

Induced Permeability and Seismicity

In this module we will look at geomechanically induced fault and fracture permeability changes and develop an understanding of the Earths geomechanical state and the evidence that supports this. Flowrate fluctuations, geomechanical modelling and flowrate correlation analysis will be introduced. The learner will study global induced seismicity and the causes and magnitudes of this and finally look at induced seismicity at CCS sites by looking at relevant case studies.

Mechanical Earth Modelling (MEM) for the Oil and Gas Industry

This module describes what a Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) is and why they are needed. The learner will develop an understanding of how MEM’s are created and how they can be used for prediction in a CCS project.

Building and Running a 3D MEM

This module will start by explaining the workflow for creating a 3D Mechanical Earth Model (MEM) and giving the learner an appreciation of the ARTEMIS software. The geology and stress state of the Gröningen Gas Field will be covered and finally this information will be applied to building an analytical MEM for the Gröningen Gas Field.

Finite Element MEM and Course Summary

In this final model the learner will become familiar with the FEM APOLLO model for the Gröningen Gas Field. The module will compare seismic and FEM results for Gröningen with interpretated fractures from historical flow rates. The module will conclude by summarising the course content.