Graduates of the Department of Petroleum Engineering at the College of Engineering, University of Basra participated in the ADEPIC International Petroleum Engineering Conference in November in the United Arab Emirates, sponsored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), with their graduation project entitled "Enhancing Wellbore Stability and Efficiency through Geomechanical Modeling and Casing Design Optimization (Case Study Southern Iraq)". Their graduation project represented the outcomes of the research seminar with the participation of the University of Basra - College of Engineering, Schlumberger SLB, Oiltech, and Anton Oil. The research included the development of a geomechanical model aimed at improving oil well drilling operations. The model is based on the analysis of the mechanical properties of rocks and their stresses to determine the appropriate well liner design and the best drilling fluid for each geological formation.
The model uses drilling data for previously drilled wells and readings of density sensors, sound speed, gamma rays, and geological formation analysis to evaluate rock properties and basic stresses. The results indicate that the stiffness of the formations is related to the angle of friction, where the elasticity factors of the rock layers were studied, with measurements of vertical and horizontal stresses and pore pressure. It was also observed that high pressure of drilling fluid led to problems such as pipe entrapment in the Dammam Formation and loss of drilling fluid in areas of the Lower Faris Formation, while low pressure in the Mishrif Formation caused differential sticking problems and well wall erosion. The geomechanical model provides recommendations for proactively improving drilling fluid density and well casing design, which contributes to solving well stability problems, improving drilling efficiency, and reducing costs.