Open-literature and new experimental compaction data of five reservoir and 16 outcrop sandstones are used to delineate the near-elastic, inelastic and failure domain in 3D-stress space for porosity classes 5 to 15%, 15 to 25% and 25 to 35%. Applications of this compaction-domain model include the analysis of the extent of the near-elastic domain (where elasticity theory can be used to describe and predict rock deformation), the pore volume compressibility (Cpp), and the permeability reduction as a function of reservoir stress path. This is illustrated for a well-consolidated sandstone reservoir with an average porosity of about 18%. Two aspects of dynamic reservoir modeling in the near-elastic domain are addressed: Calculation of Cpp from raw data of volumetric compaction as a function of isotropic total stress change, and the correction of Cpp for a non-hydrostatic reservoir stress path. Open-literature work combined with our experimental data indicates that the compaction-induced permeability reduction of 15-25% porosity sandstone in the near-elastic domain depends predominantly on the increase of the effective mean stress, and not on the reservoir stress path.

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