Patent ID: 7188058
Filing Date: 2007-03-06
Classification: E21B

Abstract:
1. A computer implemented method which models failure of a borehole in a subsurface formation, the method comprising: (a) defining a subsurface model in the computer, the model including a plurality of regions, said plurality of regions including the borehole and at least one additional region selected from (i) a liner in the borehole, (ii) a casing in the borehole, and (iii) at least one earth formation, each of said plurality of regions comprising a plurality of nodes interconnected by a plurality of linkages, (b) defining material properties associated with said nodes and said linkages of said subsurface model, said material properties having a statistical variation; (c) specifying an initial deformation pattern of the model; and (d) using a dynamic range relaxation algorithm (DRRA) implemented on the computer to find a force equilibrium solution for said subsurface model and said initial deformation pattern giving a resulting deformed model including fracturing.