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Petroleum geoscience: Rock mechanics

CSIRO’s rock mechanics laboratory undertakes research and testing for exploration,

development and production scenarios in the oil and gas industry as well as for

geological storage of carbon dioxide.

The rock mechanics laboratory, located

at the Australian Resources Research

Centre in Perth, is one of the foremost

geomechanics and rock physics

laboratories in the world. The CSIRO

laboratory houses specialised equipment

and instrumentation, designed and built

in-house over the past 20 years.

Our laboratory is equipped to measure

 the mechanical and ultrasonic properties

of rocks under in situ conditions of stress,

pore pressure and temperature.

Laboratory testing is the only direct

way to determine the mechanical

properties of rocks. Accurate analysis of 

rock mechanical properties can improve

exploration, drilling and completion

design and reservoir management.

Ultimate benefts to industry include

optimising well siting, maximising

production and recovery, and minimising

down-time and reservoir loss.

Expertise

The rock mechanics team has extensive

 technical and scientifc experience in

experimental geomechanics and rock 

physics. Other skills include geology,

petrology, petrophysics, physics and

materials science. Much of the work we

do is multi-disciplinary and closely linked

with CSIRO’s petrophysics laboratory.

The experimental work also informs

further expertise in geomechanical,

dynamic elastic and petrophysical

modelling. Our combination of rock 

mechanics, rock physics and petrophysics

capabilities, using both experimental

and modelling approaches, is extremely 

powerful and unique worldwide.

Facilities

CSIRO has developed a range of high

pressure and temperature triaxial cells for 

rock testing and understanding rock-uid

interaction and deformation under stress.

The laboratory houses a number of 

instruments for static and dynamic rock 

mechanics testing.

Static rock mechanic testing

• Two autonomous triaxial cells (with

ultrasonic capabilities)

• High pressure cell

• Medium pressure cell

• Hoek cell

• Dynamic testing

• Terratek 

• Sand production rig

• Velocity-Resistivity r ig

• Autonomous triaxial cell

A new high pressure (150 MPa) high

 temperature (200˚C) rig equipped

with axial and radial ultrasonics plus 20

channel acoustic emission transducers

will be commissioned in April 2010.

Rock mechanics testing services

Triaxial testing facilities are used to

determine rock elasticity and deformation

parameters under in situ pressure and

 temperature conditions.

Our testing services include:

• mechanical testing

• dynamic testing

• specialised testing

• operational applications for rock 

mechanical properties

•  test control and data management.

Applying the capability

The laboratory provides key support to

strategic research projects within CSIROon shale behaviour, 4D seismic, partial

saturation, top seal integrity and carbon

dioxide (CO2) storage.

> Setting up the mud pressure penetration cell.

> Setting up the high pressure triaxial

cell to measure rock strength.

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The facilities are also utilised by CSIRO’s

Shale Research Centre, which conducts

experimental and theoretical research on

shale properties and problems. CSIRO’s

rock mechanics capability was used

extensively in the recently concluded and

highly successful Integrated Predictive

Evaluation of Traps and Seals (IPETS)

project. It is now being applied within

 the SHARC Consortium investigating

 the links between geomechanical,

petrophysical and rock physics properties

of shales.

Technical service projects are undertaken

in collaboration with oil and gas

companies for projects related to

wellbore stability, reservoir compaction,

4D seismic interpretation, CO2

storage

and hydraulic fracture stimulation.

CSIRO’s custom built equipment has

been sold to industry and research

organisations across the globe.

Our collaborators

The laboratory provides mining and

petroleum companies with essential datafor modelling and prediction of mine

safety, stability of petroleum drilling and

sand production.

Research projects are conducted across a

number of CSIRO Divisions and Flagships.

Getting involved

For further information about rock 

mechanics testing and services, please

contact the Laboratory Supervisor, Bruce

Maney.

For further information about rock 

mechanics and rock physics research

please contact the Petroleum Geoscience

Research Program Leader, Dave

Dewhurst.

Case studies

Results from ultrasonic tests have

been used to calibrate 4D seismic

feasibility studies offshore Australia,

allowing prediction of subsurface

movement of hydrocarbons during

production.

Shale geomechanical testing results

have been applied for both top seal

evaluation and as inputs to wellbore

stability predictions in oil and gas felds

across Australia.

Rock mechanics and rock physics

 testing has been used extensively 

as part of geological CO2

storage

site evaluation at the Otway Basin

demonstration site and at Gorgon.

> Rock sample prepared for deformation 

in the autonomous triaxial cell.

ESREfs030-10 Rock Mechanics

For further information:

CSIRO Earth Science and Resource

Engineering

Bruce Maney 

Rock Mechanics Laboratory Supervisor 

Phone: +61 8 6436 8773

Email: bruce.maney@csiro.au

Dr Dave Dewhurst

Research Program Leader, Petroleum Geoscience

Phone: +61 8 6436 8750

Email: david.dewhurst@csiro.au