Résumé
Compaction of porous rock is an important process in the oil and gas industry, as well as for CO2 storage. Mechanical compaction may occur because production or injection changes the pore pressure. The effective pressure, defined by the relation of Terzaghi as the difference between the mean pressure and the pore pressure, is the key parameter. In the field, mechanical compaction can lead to seafloor subsidence (for example, the extraction of oil and gas in the Ekofisk field in the North Sea has produced a subsidence of more than 4 meters), cause casing failures, or can decrease significantly the permeability of the reservoir.