Reservoir compaction, surface subsidence, and casing damage

Casing damage induced by formation compaction has occurred in reservoirs in the North Sea, the Gulf of Mexico, California, South America, and Asia. When the reservoir pressure is drawn down by production, the rock matrix supports more of the weight of the overlying formations and compacts in response to the increased stress. To study these overburden behaviors, a comprehensive database, consisting of historical well failure, production, injection, and subsidence data was compiled and evaluated. The large-scale three-dimensional geomechanical simulations for two independently developed areas at South Belridge are discussed.