Patent ID: 8677831
Filing Date: 2014-03-25
Classification: E21B,G01N

Abstract:
1. A method for determining a stress state solution space for a formation, comprising: a) determining a line of shear failure as a function of leakoff pressure measured in the formation; b) determining a vertical stress; and c) determining each of a lower limit and an upper limit as a function of the vertical stress and the leakoff pressure, wherein the lower limit is the smallest that the minimum horizontal stress can be for any possible solution and the upper limit is the largest that the maximum horizontal stress can be for any solution in the solution space, and wherein each of the lower limit and the upper limit is a principle stress of a respective Mohr's circle that is in tangential contact with the line of shear failure, the vertical stress being the other principle stress of the Mohr's circles; wherein the stress state solution space comprises stress state solutions for each of normal-fault, reverse-fault, and strike-slip conditions.