Assessment of borehole breakouts from acoustic image log and its geomechanical implications — A case study from Triassic-Ordovician interval of the Berkaoui Field, southeastern Algeria

In this study, we interpret a cumulative 600 m acoustic image log across the Triassic to Cambro-Ordovician interval in the Berkaoui oil field, Algeria. We interpret 40 distinct breakout zones that have a combined length of 210 m. These breakouts are aligned in the north-northeast–south-southwest direction, indicating a mean maximum horizontal stress (SHmax) azimuth of 110°N. The observed breakouts are ranked as “A-Quality” following the World Stress Map ranking guidelines. The angular width of each breakout has been inferred from the image log analysis and the same has been used to infer the SHmax gradient by stress polygon approach following the frictional faulting mechanism. The stress polygon across all the breakout intervals provides a practical Shmax range between 24.7 MPa/km and 31.1 MPa/km, with an average gradient of approximately 27 MPa/km. Considering the Shmin range across the studied intervals, we infer a SHmax/Shmin ratio dominantly between 1.40 and 1.65, which is a much narrower and better-constrained range when compared with the previously published ranges from nearby fields with the same stratigraphy. The relative magnitudes of the in situ stresses indicate a strike-slip faulting regime in the Berkaoui Field. This study presents the utility of image log analysis and the integration of breakout interpretation to obtain a more robust geomechanical model with reduced SHmax uncertainty.