Numerical Simulation and Experimental Studies of Karst Caves Collapse Mechanism in Fractured-Vuggy Reservoirs

Karst cave collapse usually occurs during the process of drilling and reservoir development. Karst cave collapse increases drilling risk and seriously affects oil production. In order to reveal the collapse mechanism of karst caves in fractured-vuggy reservoirs in Tahe oil field, rock mechanic experiments and numerical simulation studies were conducted. In rock mechanic experiments, three types of rock mechanics tests (uniaxial compression, triaxial compression, and Brazilian splitting) were carried out to obtain the basic rock mechanics parameters. In numerical simulation studies, the collapse conditions of a single karst cave and a cave system were studied. Numerical simulation results indicate that for a single karst cave, the size and geometrical features of karst caves are the main factors influencing collapse condition. For a cave system, a combination pattern and distance between caves are two main factors affecting collapse condition. In order to facilitate the application of these research results, the authors present formulas for calculating the critical conditions of karst cave collapse by means of multivariate linear regression method. The calculation formulas and prediction chart were verified as consistent with actual field results. The research results in this paper have great theoretical and practical value for revealing the mechanism of karst cave collapse in fractured-vuggy carbonate reservoirs.