These specialized rock mechanics services are essential for:

Appraisal of the stability of underground openings (e.g. boreholes, caverns, mines, tunnels)

Evaluation of the stability and tightness of rock strata (e.g. in hydrocarbon & geothermal reservoirs, tight gas and shale gas formations, storage zone boundaries)

Assessment of the rock deformation on alteration of pore pressure (rock compaction, vertical displacement, changes in porosity and permeability)

Planning and optimization of drilling operations

Hydraulic frac design, etc.

Services offered:

RACOS^®

Rock Anisotropy

Characterisation

On Samples

Specialized core analyses to quantify in 3D the in situ stresses, elastic rock parameter, rock and pore space deformability and rock strength.

RACOS^® elasticity

3D dynamic elastic rock parameters (directional propagation of compressional and shear waves, Young's moduli, Poisson's ratio, stiffness and compliance tensor)

3D pore pressure effectiveness

Derived isotropic elastic rock parameters (for transfer /calibration of sonic log data)

RACOS^® stress

3D effective and total in situ stresses at the time of coring, their modification on alteration of pore pressure, tectonic stress components and paleo-stress conditions

RACOS^® strain

Static elastic and total 3D rock and pore space deformation resulting from (pore pressure related) change in the effective in situ stresses

3D elastic and total deformation moduli and compressibility

Correlation with other measurements which vary with load-level and/or direction (porosity, permeability, land subsidence etc.)

RACOS^® strength

Rock peak and residual strength considering the 3D rock fabric and the influence of 3D in situ loadings

Stability analyses

Analytical and/or numerical approaches using in situ rock parameters determined in RACOS® to provide specific practical solutions.

ROMEIN

Rock Mechanical

Integrity

Evaluation of the rock behavior in the primary loading zone (far from openings)

3D effects of pore pressure changes (compaction, permeability, subsidence and stability) of undisturbed and/or disturbed (weak zones with fissures, cracks, bedding planes etc.) rock masses

Instability and/or displacement on rock discontinuities (fissures, cracks, bedding planes)

Borehole

Assessment of stability/sanding in the secondary loading zone (around boreholes/perforations)

Integrity of undisturbed and/or disturbed rock masses around cased and uncased boreholes

Radial and tangential extent, intensity and type of instabilities (breakout, frac, sanding)

Main in situ and/or technical factors influencing instabilities

Optimization for drilling (3D borehole direction, mud pressure etc.) and production/injection (radius and magnitude of pore pressure changes etc.)

General data requirement:

When planning the collection of in situ information for well or reservoir the following parameters must be considered as essential:

Initial 3D in situ effective and total stress fields - magnitude and geographic orientation

Pore pressure induced change of the stress field during reservoir depletion.

3D elastic rock properties (elastic wave velocities, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio)

3D pore pressure effectiveness (the isotropic version is known as Biot's coefficient)

Elastic and total 3D rock and pore space compaction comprising the vertical displacement during reservoir depletion, all deformation moduli and compressibilities

Rock peak and residual strength considering the 3D rock fabric and the applicable 3D in situ loadings

Change of permeability in defined flow directions with (depletion induced) decreasing pore pressure