In-Situ Stress Field in the Athebasca Oil Sands Deposit and its Overburden Formations, Northeastern Alberta, Canada

Abstract

Knowledge of the in situ stress regime is important for the in situ heavy oil recovery, such as caprock integrity, geomechanical reservoir stimulation for oilsands developments. This paper summarizes in situ stress data relavent for the in situ oilsands development in the Athabasca oilsands development area. The vertical overburden stress (SV) and the minimum stress (Smin) are mapped onto the top of the oilsands reservoir and the bottom of the Clearwater shale formation. The overburden stress were calculated from the well density logs and the minimum stress were measured from the field minifrac tests. We summarized minifrac tests results on these two formations and the measured stress and its gradients are mapped onto a regional geographical map based on the well LSD and its geographical coordinates. A database GIS software package has been developed to facilitate the using of this stress map informations. Although reconnaissance in nature, the results will be of value to the in-situ oilsands developments, including caprock integraty, geomechanical reservoir stimulation, wellbore stability and other acitivities where geomechanical effects play a role. To the author's knowledge, such regional stress field information on this area has not been available previously on a regional scale.

AAPG Datapages/Search and Discovery Article #90259 ©2016 AAPG Annual Convention and Exhibition, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, June 19-22, 2016