Drilling-induced core fractures and in situ stress

The relationship between the shapes of drilling-induced core fractures and the in situ State of stress is developed. The stress concentrations at the well bore bottom are first determined using a complete three-dimensional finite element analysis. Existing in situ compressional stresses generate large tensions in the immediate vicinity of the bottom hole which are sufficient to rupture the rock. Tensile fracture trajectories within these concentrated stress fields are predicted using a simple model of fracture propagation. These modeled fracture trajectories resemble well the observed shapes of drilling-induced core disking, petal, and petal-centerline fractures. Further, this agreement suggests that both the shape of the drilling-induced fracture and the location at which it initiates depends on the in situ stress state existing in the rock mass prior to drilling; the core fractures contain substantial information on in situ stress conditions. In all faulting regimes the coring-induced fractures initiate near the bit cut except for most cases under thrust faulting regime where the fracture initiates on the well bore axis. Further, under thrust faulting conditions only disk fractures appear possible. Both petal and disking fractures can be produced in strike-slip and normal faulting regimes depending upon the relative magnitudes between the least compressive horizontal principal stress and the vertical overburden stress. The predicted fracture shapes are in good qualitative agreement with observations of drilling-induced fractures described in the literature from laboratory experiments and field programs in which in situ stresses are measured by other means. The relationship of the morphology of coring induced fractures and in situ stresses suggests that the fractures can be used as independent complementary indicators in identifying stress regimes.