In-situ stress state in the Linxing region, eastern Ordos Basin, China: Implications for unconventional gas exploration and production

The Carboniferous and Permian sedimentary rocks (mainly the Shanxi and Taiyuan formations) in the Linxing region, eastern Ordos Basin, China, host a significant volume of unconventional gas resources (coalbed methane, shale gas and tight sandstone gas). Currently, the in-situ stress state is poorly understood but knowledge of this is extremely important for a range of applications, such as gas exploration and production, fracture stimulation and wellbore stability. The maximum horizontal stress (SHmax), minimum horizontal stress (Shmin) and vertical stress (Sv) magnitudes, and the SHmax orientation in the Linxing region were systematically analyzed for the first time in the present study, which can provide a reference for subsequent numerical simulation and hydraulic fracturing design. Based on borehole breakouts and drilling-induced tensile fractures interpreted from borehole imaging logs, the SHmax orientation rotates from ∼NEE-SWW-trending in the southern part to ∼ NWW-SEE-trending in the northern part of the Linxing region. Both conventional logs and extended leak-off tests were used for stress magnitude determination. The results revealed three types of in-situ stress fields (Sv > SHmax > Shmin, SHmax > Sv > Shmin and SHmax > Sv ≈ Shmin), and a dominant strike-slip stress regime (SHmax > Sv ≥ Shmin) was found for the entire well section in the target Shanxi Formation and Taiyuan Formation in the Linxing region. In addition, differential stress increased with depth in the Linxing region, which indicates that wellbore instability might be a potentially significant problem when drilling wells that are vertical or ∼ N-S-trending.