Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin
The Luzhou Block in the Sichuan Basin hosts a widely distributed high-quality shale gas reservoir. However, the overlying carbonate strata pose considerable engineering challenges, including severe risks of subsurface fluid loss and wellbore collapse. These challenges are primarily attributed to ina...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-05-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2647 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850126975869386752 |
|---|---|
| author | Wenzhe Li Pingya Luo Yatian Li Jinghong Zhou Xihui Hu Qiutong Wang Yiguo He Yi Zhang |
| author_facet | Wenzhe Li Pingya Luo Yatian Li Jinghong Zhou Xihui Hu Qiutong Wang Yiguo He Yi Zhang |
| author_sort | Wenzhe Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Luzhou Block in the Sichuan Basin hosts a widely distributed high-quality shale gas reservoir. However, the overlying carbonate strata pose considerable engineering challenges, including severe risks of subsurface fluid loss and wellbore collapse. These challenges are primarily attributed to inaccuracies in pore pressure prediction, which significantly constrains the safety and efficiency of drilling operations in carbonate formations. To address this issue, this study systematically investigates and compares three classical pore pressure prediction approaches—namely, the equivalent depth method, the Eaton method, and the effective stress method—within the geological context of the Luzhou Block. A novel fitting strategy based on laboratory core experimental data is introduced, whereby empirical relationships between field-measured parameters and rock mechanical properties are established to improve model robustness in geologically complex formations. The optimized effective stress model is subsequently applied to the carbonate reservoir interval, and its prediction outcomes are evaluated against measured pore pressure data. The results demonstrate that the effective stress method achieves the highest prediction accuracy, with a maximum deviation of 8.4% and an average deviation of 5.3%. In comparison, the equivalent depth and Eaton methods yield average errors of 12.5% and 12.2%, respectively. These findings suggest that the effective stress method exhibits superior adaptability and reliability for pore pressure prediction in carbonate formations of the Luzhou Block, and holds significant potential for guiding mud density design and improving the operational safety of drilling programs. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-38e2e9ebcf884d47aa54b0a212beaad2 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-38e2e9ebcf884d47aa54b0a212beaad22025-08-20T02:33:48ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-05-011810264710.3390/en18102647Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan BasinWenzhe Li0Pingya Luo1Yatian Li2Jinghong Zhou3Xihui Hu4Qiutong Wang5Yiguo He6Yi Zhang7Engineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Oil and Gas Reservoir Geology and Exploitation, Southwest Petroleum University, Chengdu 610500, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaSichuan Oil and Gas Field Branch of China National Petroleum Corporation, Chengdu 610051, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaEngineering Technology Research Institute, PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gas Field Company, Chengdu 610017, ChinaThe Luzhou Block in the Sichuan Basin hosts a widely distributed high-quality shale gas reservoir. However, the overlying carbonate strata pose considerable engineering challenges, including severe risks of subsurface fluid loss and wellbore collapse. These challenges are primarily attributed to inaccuracies in pore pressure prediction, which significantly constrains the safety and efficiency of drilling operations in carbonate formations. To address this issue, this study systematically investigates and compares three classical pore pressure prediction approaches—namely, the equivalent depth method, the Eaton method, and the effective stress method—within the geological context of the Luzhou Block. A novel fitting strategy based on laboratory core experimental data is introduced, whereby empirical relationships between field-measured parameters and rock mechanical properties are established to improve model robustness in geologically complex formations. The optimized effective stress model is subsequently applied to the carbonate reservoir interval, and its prediction outcomes are evaluated against measured pore pressure data. The results demonstrate that the effective stress method achieves the highest prediction accuracy, with a maximum deviation of 8.4% and an average deviation of 5.3%. In comparison, the equivalent depth and Eaton methods yield average errors of 12.5% and 12.2%, respectively. These findings suggest that the effective stress method exhibits superior adaptability and reliability for pore pressure prediction in carbonate formations of the Luzhou Block, and holds significant potential for guiding mud density design and improving the operational safety of drilling programs.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2647carbonate rockpore pressure predictionequivalent depth methodEaton methodeffective stress method |
| spellingShingle | Wenzhe Li Pingya Luo Yatian Li Jinghong Zhou Xihui Hu Qiutong Wang Yiguo He Yi Zhang Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin Energies carbonate rock pore pressure prediction equivalent depth method Eaton method effective stress method |
| title | Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin |
| title_full | Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin |
| title_fullStr | Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin |
| title_short | Comparison and Application of Pore Pressure Prediction Methods for Carbonate Formations: A Case Study in Luzhou Block, Sichuan Basin |
| title_sort | comparison and application of pore pressure prediction methods for carbonate formations a case study in luzhou block sichuan basin |
| topic | carbonate rock pore pressure prediction equivalent depth method Eaton method effective stress method |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/10/2647 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT wenzheli comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT pingyaluo comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT yatianli comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT jinghongzhou comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT xihuihu comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT qiutongwang comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT yiguohe comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin AT yizhang comparisonandapplicationofporepressurepredictionmethodsforcarbonateformationsacasestudyinluzhoublocksichuanbasin |