Chemo‐Mechanical Coupling in Fractured Shale With Water and Hydrocarbon Flow

The transport of chemically reactive fluids through fractured clay-rich rocks is fundamental to many subsurface engineering technologies. Here, we present results direct-shear laboratory experiments with simultaneous imaging by X-ray Computed Tomography in Opalinus claystone subsequent fluid injection unravel the interplay between mechanical fracture deformation, sorption, and flow. Under constant radial stress (σc = 1.5 MPa), average aperture increases shear displacement. Upon brine injection, reduced 40% relative initial conditions ( μm) fluid-sorption induces a divergent displacement two sample halves (Δh ±50 − 170 quantified digital image correlation. None these changes are observed control experiment decane, indicating that creep subordinate swelling sealing fracture. Swelling-induced permeability within heterogeneous largely affect flow field, as computed using numerical simulations.