This paper presents a wellbore-stability "design code" that can be used to drill, complete, and stimulate inclined wells optimally. The design code was developed for the most general case, where the borehole, in-situ-stress, and rock-property coordinate frames are totally independent of each other, It essentially consists of a 3D linear-elastic-stress analysis in anisotropic formations, Although this particular paper is limited to tensile failure, on the basis of the minimum-normal-stress theory, the numerical model is also able to consider shear failure by involving a generalized 3D anisotropic yield criterion. The design code allows selection of the optimum borehole orientation and wellbore-fluid gradient to avoid fracture initiation. It is also useful in conducting sensitivity studies, particularly when data are scanty. Exercising such a code led to the remarkable finding that fracture initiation is strongly dependent on the formation anisotropy, contradicting current industry thinking.