Abstract
Some types of rocks may dilate when moisture is adsorbed, thus the moisture effect must be considered in the stability analysis of boreholes drilled in the formations containing these rocks. In our model, the moisture adsorption process is uncoupled with other mechanical aspects and governed by a diffusion equation. The moisture in the medium may produce additional strains and decrease the Young's moduli of the rock. Under the complete plane strain condition, the stress distributions around an inclined borehole can be calculated using the finite element method. Applying the Mohr-Coulomb criterion for compressive failure and the Maximum Tensile Stress criterion for tensile failure, the instability of the borehole can be determined. The results show that the stability of the boreholes drilled in the moisture sensitive formations is drastically influenced by the moisture adsorption process.
| Original language | English |
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| Pages | 339-346 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| State | Published - 1995 |
| Event | Proceedings of the Energy-Sources Technology Conference and Exhibition - Houston, TX, USA Duration: Jan 29 1995 → Feb 1 1995 |
Conference
| Conference | Proceedings of the Energy-Sources Technology Conference and Exhibition |
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| City | Houston, TX, USA |
| Period | 01/29/95 → 02/1/95 |