Overburden Pressure Calculator

Use our tool to find overburden pressure, ground density, or depth. Just enter any two values you know, and it will show you the third.

This tool lets you enter bulk density in ppg and kg, true vertical depth in meters and feet, and it can also show you overburden pressure in Psi, Kpa and MPa.

What Is Overburden Pressure and How To Calculate

The weight of rock and soil pressing down at a certain depth is called overburden pressure. Finding this pressure is important for engineers working with drilling, construction, and ground studies.

With this tool, an engineer can easily find the pressure based on the ground’s density and how deep they’re measuring.

Formula To Calculate Overburden Pressure

The formula to to know overburden pressure is:

$$\text{Overburden Pressure} = \text{Bulk Density} \times \text{Depth} \times 0.052$$

For Example,

An engineer at a drilling company is evaluating rock formations for a new well. He estimates a bulk density of 10.5 ppg at a depth of 5000 ft. Using this calculator, he can determine an overburden pressure of 2730 psi, which will help him assess casing requirements and well stability.

Calculation

• Bulk Density: 10.5 ppg
• True Vertical Depth: 5000 ft

$$\text{Overburden Pressure} = 10.5 \times 5000 \times 0.052 = 2730 \text{ psi}$$

✅ The overburden pressure at 5000 ft is 2730 psi.

💡 Key

Overburden pressure is important to prevent blowouts and keep deep drilling safe and stable.

FAQs

1. What does this calculator do?
It calculates overburden pressure, bulk density, or depth when any two values are provided.

2. What units are supported?
You can use ppg or kg/m³ for density, ft or m for depth, and psi, kPa, or MPa for pressure.

3. Why is overburden pressure important?
It helps ensure safety in drilling by evaluating rock load and formation stability.

4. Can I use this for both oil wells and construction?
Yes, it’s useful for drilling, mining, and geotechnical projects.

5. What’s the formula used?
Overburden Pressure = Bulk Density × Depth × 0.052

Summarized Guide

1. Bulk Density- Weight of the formation material per unit volume, input in ppg or kg/m³.
2. True Vertical Depth- Depth from surface to the measured point, in feet or meters.
3. Overburden Pressure- Force per unit area due to the overlying rock or soil, shown in psi, kPa, or MPa.
4. Formula Used- Overburden Pressure = Bulk Density × Depth × 0.052
5. Common Uses- Drilling safety, casing design, ground stability analysis, and formation evaluation.