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Permanent deformations in the solid matrix can be caused by many field scenarios, such as high injection rates. A pressure differential in the field can create geomechanical loading of large magnitude that may increase stress from an elastic regime to a plastic regime. Simple geomechanical models based on linear elasticity are insufficient in predicting these types of effects. To accurately predict rock formation damage and failure responses, nonlinear analyses based on geomaterial plasticity models should be included in modeling frameworks through rigorous coupling with reservoir flow simulators.

In this work we integrate an implementation of the Drucker-Prager plasticity model into the parallel compositional reservoir simulator, IPARS (Integrated Parallel Accurate Reservoir Simulator). Fluid flow is formulated on general distorted hexahedral grids using the multipoint flux mixed finite element method …