It is well established that geomechanics plays a significant role in problems such as wellbore stability, hydraulic fracturing and subsidence. In recent years, there has been growing awareness of the importance of the link between fluid flow and geomechanics in the management of stress-sensitive reservoirs. Geomechanical processes in and around a reservoir caused by depletion, cold-water injection or steam injection can have a significant impact on productivity and recovery. Prediction of stress evolution is essential for proper reservoir management. The aggregation of data from many field cases, a grasp of complex physical phenomena and advances in numerical methods provide the means for understanding the geomechanical behavior of reservoirs in challenging environments.

This book offers a representative view of the scientific conference Geomechanics in Reservoir Simulation, organized at IFP in December 2001. This international conference attracted specialists in the field, including a hundred participants from universities, research centers and industry.

This book is an excerpt from Oil & Gas Science and Technology, Revue de l'Institut Français du Pétrole (Vol.57, N° 5).