Contract: Geomechnical Engineer - Well Stability / France

The client, a leading operator within the Energy industry, is seeking an experienced Geomechanical Engineer to join their team based in Pau, France. This will be on a 12 month contract (renewable).

Context & Environment

This service will be carried out in collaboration with the Geomechanics-Drilling-Wells Entity to deal with well stability issues. The wells to be treated are wells to be drilled in different geological contexts and in different countries.

Mission

The well stability study covers various topics:

1. The hydraulic fracturing curve prediction that is the upper limit of mud weight,
2. The prediction of minimum sludge weight for well wall stability.
3. Interpretation of well tests done during drilling, production, or injection.

Responsibilities

• This service includes the following activities:
• Analysis of end-of-drilling reports and identification of the instabilities encountered; analysis of log data and identification of correlations between observed instabilities and lithology;
• Interpretation of well test curves (Leak-off- test, mini-frac tests, injectivity test, fall-off) using different theories of matrix flow and fracture with a view to estimating in situ stresses.
• Elaboration of the model of elastic properties and of rupture of formations.
• Development of in situ stress models taking into account depletion, natural fractures, up-lift and tectonic stress.
• Analysis of the consistency of the stress models by retro-simulation of the observed instabilities and well tests (LOT / FIT, etc…).
• Prediction of the frac gradient and the minimum mud weight for the wells to be drilled.
• The interpretation of Rock Mechanics laboratory tests to determine the poroelastic and fracture properties of rocks, used in the calibration of geomechanical models and in the simulation of rock behavior during production.
• Summary of the mechanical properties of rocks from the experimental results carried out on cores.
• Use of our clients methodology and specific tools, and also commercial codes: Geolog, Techlog for well scale model. Also use of numerical codes such as: Petrel, Visage, Maple, Matlab made available by our Clients to treat various cases where the 1D model at the scale of the well is insufficient for the studies.
• Monitoring of the client's ISO9001 quality process for studies: KOM, QR of results, report, satisfaction sheet.
• The results of the service will be presented in the form of a report or an MS_Power-Point presentation.

Expertise required in

• Civil Engineering, Mechanics or Geology,
• Resistance of materials, mechanics of continuous and porous environments,
• Geology, and more particularly in drilling and interpretation of logs,

The service

• Will be interpreted in English in a multicultural context,
• Involves the use of computer tools, such as Office tools, in particular MS Excel (programming).