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 16th UT GeoFluids Annual Meeting will take place Mar. 5 — March 7, 2025 at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics in Austin, Texas. The meeting features lectures, workshops and a poster session as well as an evening networking dinner. Register here.
In the weeks leading up to the meeting, the UT GeoFluids team will gather at their annual research retreat where they’ll pore over findings, discuss geoscience and prepare their research presentations for the Annual Meeting in March. See past UT GeoFluids Annual Meetings.
UT GEOFLUIDS 2025 ANNUAL MEETING
Register Now! March 5, 2025 – March 7, 2025. Our 16th Annual Meeting will take place in Austin, Texas. We look forward to welcoming our members for an in-person program featuring a reception and poster session, industry talks, hands-on workshop, and a group dinner. Learn more and register at the event website.
New Grad Students join UT GeoFluids. October 2024. Please welcome our new grad students John Neary and Nickolas Ambeliotis. John is at UT working on natural fractures and sand injectites and Nickolas Ambeliotis is at Tufts working on testing glaccunite.
Landon Lockhart Graduates. September 2024. Congratulations Landon Lockhart on succesfully defending his doctoral degree at UT Jackson School of Geosciences. Next stop: an internship with Oxy!
Houston Visit. May 2024. The UT GeoFluids leadership team, Peter Flemings, Maria Nikolinakou, and Jack Germain spent 2 days in Houston visiting with current and potential member companies.
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.
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.
2024
You, K., Thomas, C., Savage, A., Cardona, A., Flemings, P.B., Murphy, Z., O’Connell, J., 2024. Dissolved Methane Diffusion Drives Hydrate-Bearing Pressure Core Degradation during Long-Term Storage in Water. Energy & Fuels. Volume 38 (12), 10879-10889. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.energyfuels.4c01487
Ramiro-Ramirez, S., Bhandari, A. R., Reed, R. R., Flemings, P.B., 2024. Permeability of upper Wolfcamp lithofacies in the Delaware Basin: The role of stratigraphic heterogeneity in the production of unconventional reservoirs. AAPG Bulletin. Volume 108 (2), 293-326. https://doi.org/10.1306/12202222033
Nikolinakou, M. A., Flemings, P. B., Heidari, M., Wang, X., and M. Johri, 2024, “Pressure and Stress Prediction Using Seismic Velocities, 3D Geomechanical Models and the Full Stress Tensor: Mad Dog Field, Deepwater GoM." Paper presented at the 58th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Golden, Colorado, US. https://doi.org/10.56952/ARMA-2024-0694
Lopez-Campos, G., Nikolinakou, M. A., Flemings, P. B., and D. M. Saffer, 2024, "Stress Distribution in Accreting Sediments: A Geomechanical Study of Upper-Plate Faults." Paper presented at the 58th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium, Golden, Colorado, US. https://doi.org/10.56952/ARMA-2024-0708
Bhandari, A.R., Cardona, A., Flemings, P.B., Germaine, J.T., 2024, The geomechanical response of the Gulf of Mexico Green Canyon 955 reservoir to gas hydrate dissociation: A model based on sediment properties with and without gas hydrate. Marine and Petroleum Geology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpetgeo.2024.107000
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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