CORRELATION DEVELOPMENT BETWEEN INDENTATION PARAMETERS AND UNAXIAL COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH FOR COLOMBIAN SANDSTONES

A new way to characterize the perforated formation strength has been implemented using the Indentation test. This test can be performed on irregular cuttings mounted in acrylic resins forming a disc. The test consists of applying load on each sample by means of a flat end indenter. A graph of the load applied VS penetration of the indenter is developed, and the modules of the test, denominated Indentation Modulus (IM) and Critical Transition Force (CTF) are obtained (Ringstad et al., 1998). Based on the success of previous studies we developed correlations between indentation and mechanical properties for some Colombian sandstones. These correlations were obtained using a set of 248 indentation tests and separate compression tests on parallel sandstone samples from the same depth. This analysis includes Barco Formation, Mirador Formation, and Tambor Formation. For the correlations, IM-UCS and CTF-UCS, the correlation coefficient are 0,81 and 0,70 respectively. The use of the correlation and the Indentation test is helpful for in-situ calibration of the geomechanical models since the indentation test can be performed in real time thus reducing costs and time associated with delayed conventional characterization.