Petroleum geoscience: Rock mechanics
CSIRO’s rock mechanics laboratory undertakes research and testing for exploration,
development and production scenarios in the oil and gas industry as well as for
geological storage of carbon dioxide.
The rock mechanics laboratory, located
at the Australian Resources Research
Centre in Perth, is one of the foremost
geomechanics and rock physics
laboratories in the world. The CSIRO
laboratory houses specialised equipment
and instrumentation, designed and built
in-house over the past 20 years.
Our laboratory is equipped to measure
the mechanical and ultrasonic properties
of rocks under in situ conditions of stress,
pore pressure and temperature.
Laboratory testing is the only direct
way to determine the mechanical
properties of rocks. Accurate analysis of
rock mechanical properties can improve
exploration, drilling and completion
design and reservoir management.
Ultimate benefits to industry include
optimising well siting, maximising
production and recovery, and minimising
down-time and reservoir loss.
Expertise
The rock mechanics team has extensive
technical and scientific experience in
experimental geomechanics and rock
physics. Other skills include geology,
petrology, petrophysics, physics and
materials science. Much of the work we
do is multi-disciplinary and closely linked
with CSIRO’s petrophysics laboratory.
The experimental work also informs
further expertise in geomechanical,
dynamic elastic and petrophysical
modelling. Our combination of rock
mechanics, rock physics and petrophysics
capabilities, using both experimental
and modelling approaches, is extremely
powerful and unique worldwide.
> Setting up the high pressure triaxial
cell to measure rock strength.
Facilities
CSIRO has developed a range of high
pressure and temperature triaxial cells for
rock testing and understanding rock-fluid
interaction and deformation under stress.
The laboratory houses a number of
instruments for static and dynamic rock
mechanics testing.
Static rock mechanic testing
• Two autonomous triaxial cells (with
ultrasonic capabilities)
• High pressure cell
• Medium pressure cell
• Hoek cell
• Dynamic testing
• Terratek
• Sand production rig
• Velocity-Resistivity rig
• Autonomous triaxial cell
A new high pressure (150 MPa) high
temperature (200˚C) rig equipped
with axial and radial ultrasonics plus 20
channel acoustic emission transducers
will be commissioned in April 2010.
Rock mechanics testing services
Triaxial testing facilities are used to
determine rock elasticity and deformation
parameters under in situ pressure and
temperature conditions.
Our testing services include:
• mechanical testing
• dynamic testing
• specialised testing
• operational applications for rock
mechanical properties
• test control and data management.
> Setting up the mud pressure penetration cell.
Applying the capability
The laboratory provides key support to
strategic research projects within CSIRO
on shale behaviour, 4D seismic, partial
saturation, top seal integrity and carbon
dioxide (CO2) storage.
The facilities are also utilised by CSIRO’s
Shale Research Centre, which conducts
experimental and theoretical research on
shale properties and problems. CSIRO’s
rock mechanics capability was used
extensively in the recently concluded and
highly successful Integrated Predictive
Evaluation of Traps and Seals (IPETS)
project. It is now being applied within
the SHARC Consortium investigating
the links between geomechanical,
petrophysical and rock physics properties
of shales.
> Rock sample prepared for deformation
in the autonomous triaxial cell.
For further information:
CSIRO Earth Science and Resource
Engineering
Bruce Maney
Rock Mechanics Laboratory Supervisor
Phone: +61 8 6436 8773
Email: bruce.maney@csiro.au
Technical service projects are undertaken Our collaborators
in collaboration with oil and gas
The laboratory provides mining and
companies for projects related to
petroleum companies with essential data
wellbore stability, reservoir compaction,
for modelling and prediction of mine
4D seismic interpretation, CO2 storage
safety, stability of petroleum drilling and
and hydraulic fracture stimulation.
sand production.
CSIRO’s custom built equipment has
Research projects are conducted across a
been sold to industry and research
number of CSIRO Divisions and Flagships.
organisations across the globe.
Getting involved
Case studies
For further information about rock
Results from ultrasonic tests have
mechanics testing and services, please
been used to calibrate 4D seismic
contact the Laboratory Supervisor, Bruce
feasibility studies offshore Australia,
Maney.
allowing prediction of subsurface
movement of hydrocarbons during For further information about rock
production. mechanics and rock physics research
please contact the Petroleum Geoscience
Shale geomechanical testing results
Research Program Leader, Dave
have been applied for both top seal
Dewhurst.
evaluation and as inputs to wellbore
stability predictions in oil and gas fields
across Australia.
Rock mechanics and rock physics
testing has been used extensively
as part of geological CO2 storage
site evaluation at the Otway Basin
demonstration site and at Gorgon.
ESREfs030-10 Rock Mechanics
Dr Dave Dewhurst
Research Program Leader, Petroleum Geoscience
Phone: +61 8 6436 8750
Email: david.dewhurst@csiro.au