Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: crusty old prospector
The oil is not at 35,000 psi. If it is a normal pressured reservoir (common in the Gulf), it is .465 psi/ft or 7900 psi of bottom hole pressure. If it is geopressured, it would be up to 17,000 psi.

Since 0.465 psi/ft is the hydrostatic pressure and there is a few miles of rock sitting on top of the oil, and rock is denser than water, wouldn't the oil pressure at the bottom of the hole be higher than the hydrostatic pressure?

219 posted on 05/25/2010 3:10:49 PM PDT by wideminded
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 145 | View Replies ]


To: wideminded

The 0.465 psi/ft is the weight of a column of salt water. Sediments beneath the earth are porous and filled with salt water so it is as if the overburden of the rock is not there when calculating pore pressure. If there is a seal, then the rocks can become what is called geopressured, which is where the pore pressure is greater than 0.465 psi/ft and require weighting additives to the mud to control the pressure.


358 posted on 05/26/2010 6:24:42 AM PDT by crusty old prospector
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 219 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson