Geomechanics is the study of how soils and rocks deform in response to changes of stress, pressure, temperature, and other parameters

This science is central to understanding how drill bits remove rock, characterizing borehole stability, predicting the stability of perforation tunnels, and designing and monitoring stimulation programs. Geomechanics also helps engineers to model fluid movement and predict how fluid removal or injection leads to changes in permeability, fluid pressure, and in situ rock stresses that can have significant effects on reservoir performance.