Study of the Conditions for the Development of Plastic Deformations in the Near-Wellbore Zone

Author details
  • TatNIPInet R&D Institute of the PJSC TATNEFT named after V.D. Shashin, Almetyevsk, Russian Federation
  • TatNIPInet R&D Institute of the PJSC TATNEFT named after V.D. Shashin, Almetyevsk, Russian Federation
  • TatNIPInet R&D Institute of the PJSC TATNEFT named after V.D. Shashin, Almetyevsk, Russian Federation
  • PJSC TATNEFT named after V.D. Shashin, Almetyevsk, Russian Federation
  • Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation
  • Trofimuk Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics of Siberian Branch Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russian Federation

Abstract

During oil field development, optimal cementing conditions must be determined, including limitations on bottomhole pressures. Maximum permissible bottomhole pressures in wells producing oil deposits are often related to saturation pressures or maximum well productivity. At the same time, these values must ensure a stable wellbore and surrounding environment. This requires that pseudoplastic deformation be limited to an acceptable level that prevents significant disruption of the formation. The presence of extensive zones of high-intensity plastic deformation indicates the formation of fractured rock in the near-wellbore zone, which can lead to the formation of solids and the failure of downhole equipment due to abrasive wear. The study identified the maximum permissible bottomhole pressures below which plastic deformation in the near-wellbore zone is absent or of negligible intensity. The conformity of the occurrence of plastic deformations in the near-wellbore zone were studied for two types of rock found in the Republic of Tatarstan: weakly cemented sandstone and strong sandstone. Simulations were performed using an elastoplastic model with the Drucker-Prager limit surface and a non-associated plastic flow law. The model parameters were determined based on laboratory test data. The system of equations was solved using an explicit numerical scheme. Numerical calculations for wellbore conditions were performed with bottomhole pressure varying from the initial reservoir pressure to the minimum level accessible for calculations. Plastic deformation conditions were determined for various wellbore conditions, such as openhole, cased cemented hole with perforations varying for the length of the well with a hydraulic fracture. Accordingly, the calculation results for weakly cemented sandstone, the level of plastic deformation was obtained above the rock failure threshold at bottomhole pressures of 4-6.5 MPa. For hard sandstones, the level of plastic deformations is below the rock failure threshold for all model conditions.

Keywords

wellperforationcracksandstonepseudoplastic deformationstress-strain statenumerical modelingconstitutive relationsgeomechanical studiesloading diagramselastic moduluselastic limithardeningsoftening

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Article information

Published
21 November 2025
Issue date
21 November 2025
Issue
Vol. 25, No. 4 (2025)
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