Page 151 - Reservoir Geomechanics

a.
Stress or pressure
0 20 40 60 80 MPa
0
200 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 psi
0
Normal faulting
1000
4000 hydrostatic
S v ≥ S Hmax ≥ S hmin
6000
2000
Depth (meters) 8000

3000
10000 S v
P p (~23 MPa/km)
(~1 psi/ft)
12000 (feet) S Hmax
4000 S hmin
(~10 MPa/km)
(~0.44 psi/ft)
b. Stress or pressure
0 20 40 60 80 MPa
0
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000

Strike-slip faulting
1000
4000 hydrostatic
S Hmax ≥ S v ≥ S hmin
Depth (meters) 2000 6000
8000

3000
10000
S Hmax
12000 (feet)
S hmin
4000 S v
P p
c. Stress or pressure
0 20 40 60 80 MPa
0
2000 4000 6000 8000 10000 12000 psi
Reverse faulting
1000 hydrostatic
4000
S Hmax ≥ S hmin ≥ S v
Depth (meters) 2000 6000 S hmin

8000
3000 S Hmax
10000
S v
12000 (feet)
4000
P p

Figure 4.28. Limits on stress magnitudes defined by frictional faulting theory in normal (a),
strike-slip and (b) reverse faulting (c) regimes assuming hydrostatic pore pressure. The heavy line
in (a) shows the minimum value of the least principal stress, S hmin ,in normal faulting environments,
in (b) the maximum value of S Hmax for the values of S hmin shown by the ticks and (c) the maximum
value of S Hmax for reverse faulting regimes where the least principal stress is the vertical stress S v .