APPLYING FINITE ELEMENT METHOD FOR WELLBORE STRESS AND STABILITY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The objectives of study aim to analyse the stress and stability around a wellbore during petroleum activities. Therefore, in this paper the stress and stability analysis of a petroleum wellbore at a depth of 2800 m was carried out using the finite element code ANSYS®. The models were analysed to investigate the effects of the equal and differential far-field stresses around the wellbore. Differential far-field stresses are the main cause of the elliptical deformation of stress trajectories around a wellbore.