GeoMechanics Specialist

Elsa Talent Solutions Sdn. Bhd.; Kuala Lumpur; On-site; MYR 100,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading engineering consulting firm in Malaysia is seeking a senior geomechanics expert with over 15 years of experience in drilling and oilfield operations. The role requires expertise in geomechanics modeling, wellbore stability analysis, and experience with carbon capture projects. Candidates must possess a solid educational background in engineering or geoscience and strong communication skills. This position involves integrating and interpreting data for effective well planning strategies.

Qualifications

• Minimum 15 years of experience in relevant oilfield.
• Previous experience with PPFG and geomechanics.
• Experience in CCS projects related to geomechanics.

Responsibilities

• Integrate wellbore data to build geomechanics models.
• Develop 1D/3D geomechanics models for well planning.
• Evaluate borehole stability risks and recommend solutions.

Skills

Strong communication skills

Ability to work with cross-disciplinary teams

Software proficiency (VBA, Python)

Familiarity with drilling and subsurface aspects

Education

University degree in Engineering, Science, Geoscience, Geomechanics or Mathematics

Tools

Techlog

Petrel

Job description

Description

General Geomechanics Study

• Data integration & Interpretation
  • Integrate wellbore data (logs, core, drilling parameters) to build geomechanics models.
  • Interpret stress regimes, fault reactivation potential, and wellbore stability.
• Modelling & Simulation
  • Develop 1D/3D geomechanics models for field development and well planning
  • Simulate stress changes due to depletion, injection, and hydraulic fracturing.
• Wellbore Stability Analysis
  • Evaluate borehole collapse, breakout, and sanding risks.
  • Recommend mud weights and casing programs to mitigate instability.
• Fracture Mechanics
  • Assess natural fracture networks and their impact on reservoir performance.
    • Support stimulation design and fracture containment analysis.
• Geomechanics Risk Assessment
  • Identify and mitigate risks related to fault reactivation, casing deformation, and subsidence.

Sanding Prediction Study

• Evaluating reservoir stress conditions & rock mechanical properties to access the risk of sand production, determine critical drawdown limits, and support mitigation strategies for wellbore and completion stability

Pore Pressure & Fracture Gradient Study (PPFG)

• PPFG Prediction & Calibration
  • Predict pore pressure and fracture gradient using seismic, log, and drilling data, especially in highly depleted reservoir environment.
  • Calibrate models with MDT, LOT/XLOT, and formation pressure tests
• Well Planning Support
  • Provide PPFG inputs for casing design, mud weight window, and kick tolerance.
  • Collaborate with drilling engineers to optimize well trajectory and mitigate risk
  • Regional PPFG Studies
    • Conduct basin-wide PPFG studies to support exploration and appraisal.
    • Develop PPFG maps and trends for strategic planning.
  • Real Time Monitoring
  • Support real-time PPFG monitoring during drilling operations.
  • Update models based on drilling events (kicks, losses, wellbore instability).

Carbon Capture & Storage (CCS)

• Geomechanics Studies & Modelling
  • Develop regional understanding of in-situ stress regimes, stress anisotropy, magnitude, and orientation relevant to CO injection containment.
  • Characterize rock mechanical properties to quantify compaction and deformation within coupled reservoir–geomechanical simulations.
  • Conduct subsidence prediction and evaluate potential risks to surface facilities and infrastructure.
  • Build and calibrate 1D geomechanical models using leak-off tests, laboratory measurements, in-situ stress data, and pressure test results.
  • Assess caprock integrity, fault stability, and potential fracture propagation associated with injection pressures and stress evolution.
  • Support wellbore stability analysis and evaluate risks of CO-induced mechanical failure or leakage pathways.

Coupled Dynamic – Geomechanics / Geochemical Modelling

• Develop 3D coupled geomechanical models to evaluate maximum allowable injection pressures, potential fault reactivation, and reservoir deformation, integrating pressure, porosity, and permeability fields from dynamic simulations.
• Calibrate models using pre- and post-CO injection laboratory tests, core data, and field measurements.
• Perform reactive transport modelling to predict long-term CO migration, mineralization, and evolution of rock properties due to geochemical interactions.
• Evaluate feedback mechanisms between geomechanical stress changes and geochemical alteration of the storage complex.
• Reactive Transport Modelling – Batch modelling initialized with geological grid model with rock properties, well location, injection volume / rate & composition (prediction on long-term CO2 distribution, geochemical changes & evolution of rock properties due to CO2 injection)

Monitoring & Risk Assessment

• Support Monitoring, Measurement, and Verification (MMV) planning by defining geomechanical indicators and monitoring requirements.
• Contribute to long-term containment assurance studies and post-injection stability assessments.
• Provide input to risk assessments, safety cases, and regulatory documentation concerning geomechanical integrity.

Requirement

• University degree in Engineering, Science, Geoscience, Geomechanics or Mathematics.
• Minimum 15 years of experience in relevant oilfield (drilling PPFG/geomechanics) with operator or service company.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to distil complicated technical work to a variety of stakeholders.
• Ability to work with cross-disciplinary teams and competing priorities to deliver challenging wells.
• The candidate must be familiar with PPFG, geomechanics, drilling and subsurface aspects of Well Planning and Execution for both FDP and CCS proposal.
• Previous PPFG experience with an operator; previous geomechanics experience such as wellbore stability and formation pressure integrity tests, strong geology and geophysics background and experience with well planning.
• Experience generang pre-drill PPFG forecasts for offshore wells in both development and exploration settings.
• Experience in CCS projects related to geomechanics analysis and requirements.
• Awareness of Geology, Petrophysics, Basin Modelling, Processing Geophysics, Reservoir Geomechanics, Drilling Engineering, Rig Systems, and Well Control.
• Software proficiency and coding capability (e.g., VBA, Python, Techlog and Petrel).