UT GeoFluids is managed by the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG) and is currently supported by 10 energy companies at a cost of ~ $50,000/year. We are at the start of a 10-year effort entitled GeoFluids2020. Our results are used to predict pressure and stress, design stable and safe drilling programs, and predict hydrocarbon migration and entrapment. We study the state and evolution of pressure, stress, deformation and fluid flow through experiments, models, and field study:
- Experimental: We analyze fabric, acoustic, electrical, and material properties of mudrocks : 0.1-100 MPa.
- Poromechanical Modeling: We develop and apply coupled models to link realistic rheologies, deformation, stress (shear and normal), and pore pressure.
- Field Study: We analyze pore pressure, stress, and deformation in both conventional and unconventional basins.
We produce innovative concepts and analysis workflows that couple geology and geomechanics to predict and interpret pore pressure and stress in the subsurface. We have
- developed online software that predicts reservoir pressure,
- released databases and material models that describe mudrock material behavior, and
- developed workflows to predict stress in salt systems and thrust belts.
Our new research aims to develop a unified approach that incorporates stress dependency, creep, mineralogical transformation, and loading path to illuminate the state and evolution of pressure and stress in basins. We are applying this approach to develop two and three-dimensional whole earth models that improve well design, real-time drilling, borehole stability, reservoir simulation and seismic imaging.
Click here for more details about the Consortium, or contact the Consortium Co-Directors, Dr. Peter Flemings and Dr. Jack Germaine.
Each year, UT GeoFluids holds a consortium meeting to update members on current research. The 15th UT GeoFluids Annual Meeting took place Feb. 28 — March 1, 2024 in Austin, Texas. Lectures and workshops were given at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics, while our opening evening poster session and Thursday evening dinner was held at the Lone Start Court hotel. Click here to see photos from the meeting. Visit the 2024 Event Website. See past UT GeoFluids Annual Meetings.
UT GEOFLUIDS 2024 ANNUAL MEETING
February 28, 2024 – March 1, 2024. Our 2024 UT GeoFluids meeting was a great success! Nearly 50 people attended from 10 companies. Three wonderful industry talks complemented the research presented by students and members of the UT GeoFluids group. Meeting photo album. See the agenda here: UT GeoFluids Annual Meeting.
Wolfcamp Permeability Research Published. February 2024. Sebastian Ramiro-Ramirez’s study of permeability heterogeneity in the Wolfcamp and its impact on production has been published in the AAPG Bulletin.
New Permian Pore Pressure Prediction Study. January 2024. We are excited to announce a new collaborative effort with Oxy to predict pressure in the Permian Basin, West Texas.
Pore Pressure and Trap Integrity Workshop. December 2023. Peter Flemings led a one-week workshop focusing on pore pressure and trap integrity at Woodside in Houston.
UT GeoFluids Visits ExxonMobil. November 2023. Peter Flemings and Maria Nikolinakou met with the ExxonMobil geomechanics/pore pressure team at their Texas campus.
New UT GeoFluids Grad Students. September 2023. Cathal Small, a graduate student with Tufts University, joined UT GeoFluids and is performing mechanical characterization of borehole samples. In June, Tolulope Agbaje, a graduate student with the UT Jackson School of Geosciences, joined UT GeoFluids to work on machine learning and pore pressure prediction.
New Research Published. July 2023. Maria Nikolinakou published a significant research paper simulating pore pressure in thrust belts. See News to learn more.
Nikolinakou Presents Research at Energy Conferences. May 2023, Maria Nikolinakou presented research at the Offshore Technology Conference 2023 in Houston, on May 2, and at the inaugural Energy Geoscience Conference 2023 in Aberdeen, on May 18. See News to learn more.
Peter Flemings is the 2024 recipient of the AAPG Robert R. Berg Outstanding Research Award. The award recognizes decades of contribution to petroleum geoscience through UT GeoFluids, including foundational work on gas hydrate systems and subsurface overpressure.
View all UT GeoFluids publications on the publications page
Members can access copies of publications at the Member Area Publication Site
If you don't know your password please contact Peter Flemings.
2023
Portnov, A., Flemings, P.B., You, K., Meazell, K., Hudec, M.R., Dunlap, D.B., 2023, Low temperature and high pressure dramatically thicken the gas hydrate stability zone in rapidly formed sedimentary basins. Marine and Petroleum Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106550
Nikolinakou, M.A., Wang, X., Flemings, P.B., Johri, M., 2023, 3D Mad Dog Pressure and Stress Prediction Coupling Seismic Velocities, Pressure, and Stress Measurements. Offshore Technology Conference, OTC-32555-MS. https://doi.org/10.4043/32555-MS
Nikolinakou, M.A., Flemings, P.B., Gao, B., Saffer, D.M., 2023, The Evolution of Pore Pressure, Stress, and Physical Properties During Sediment Accretion at Subduction Zones. JGR Solid Earth. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JB025504
Lockhart, L.P., Flemings, P.B., Nikolinakou, M.A., Germaine, J.T., 2023, Velocity-based pore pressure prediction in a basin with late-stage erosion: Delaware Basin, Marine and Petroleum Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2023.106159
2022
Meazell, K.P., Flemings, P.B., 2022, The evolution of seafloor venting from hydrate-sealed gas reservoirs. Earth and Planetary Science Letters. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117336.
You, K., Flemings, P.B., Bhandari, A., Heidari, M., Germaine, J.T., 2022, The role of creep in geopressure development. Petroleum Geoscience. https://doi.org/10.1144/petgeo2021-064
Books
Flemings, P.B, 2021, A Concise Guide to Geopressure: Origin, Prediction, and Applications, Cambridge University Press. Purchase
UT GeoFluids produces innovative concepts and analysis workflows that couple geologic loading and fluid flow to predict pore pressure and stress in the subsurface. These include:
- UT Centroid: online software to predict reservoir pressure as a function of reservoir geometry and mudstone permeability.
- Seismic Pressure Prediction Integrated with Geomechanical Modeling: a highly innovative workflow integrating seismic velocity data with geomechanical modeling to predict pressure and the full stress tensor.
- UT-FAST-P3: An online, educational tool allowing users to predict and compare pore pressure using the full stress tensor while demonstrating why it is important to go beyond vertical effective stress (VES) models.
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