Intelligent Prediction and Optimization of Open-Hole Wellbore Multiphysics Stability: A Synergistic PINN-DRL Approach

Abstract

To address the dual challenge of predicting multiphysics-induced instability and optimizing drilling fluid parameters for open-hole wellbores under long-term exposure, a high-fidelity system of coupled governing equations was developed. This system integrates seepage, hydration-induced softening, thermal diffusion, and elasto-plastic response to capture the nonlinear dynamics of wellbore stability evolution. A two-dimensional numerical model in a polar coordinate system was established using COMSOL Multiphysics to simulate multi-lithology and multi-parameter perturbations. This process generated a high-dimensional dataset characterizing the evolution of Von Mises stress, plastic strain, pore pressure, temperature, and water content, and its physical consistency was examined. Subsequently, the Seepage-Thermal-Water-Mechanical Physics-Informed Neural Network (STWM-PINN) is proposed. This model embeds governing equation residuals and initial-boundary constraints to achieve high-precision, physically consistent predictions of the wellbore's spatio-temporal evolution under the supervision of finite observational data, laying a foundation for parameter control. Building on this, a Double-Noise Soft Actor-Critic (DN-SAC) algorithm is integrated. A reward function was designed to minimize the probability of instability while considering control smoothness and physical boundary constraints, enabling continuous-space optimization of drilling fluid parameters. A case study demonstrates that the proposed method delays the onset of instability by an average of 32.33% and a maximum of 53.35%, significantly reducing instability risk. This study provides a decision-support framework with engineering application potential for intelligent wellbore instability prediction and drilling fluid control.