4D observation of the formation of rock fractures during rotary shear
نویسندگان
چکیده
Understanding how grain and powder lubrication affect rock friction and fracture dilation, and how microscopic fractures develop according to fault activation may directly improve our capabilities in exploration and stimulation of oil and gas reservoirs. Using a novel rotary shear testing apparatus specifically designed and assembled to conduct experiments inside an X-ray micro computed tomography machine (μCT) we are able to “see” how rock friction and fracturing process develop during the shearing process, without perturbing the system. Shearing the sample at incremental small steps and recording the variation of normal force and friction during those steps, we are able to shed light on the fracturing and frictional sliding processes.
منابع مشابه
Coupled mechanical–geophysical monitoring of rock fractures and damage
The study of rock fractures is essential in evaluating stability of underground structures, understanding earthquakes, and assessing storage and transport of oil and gas in rock formations. Geophysical monitoring techniques, particularly compressional and shear wave propagation, can probe the internal structure of rock and fractures remotely and nondestructively and can provide insight into fra...
متن کاملStress field changes and faulting regimes analysis for determining fault reactivation possibility in cap rock and reservoir due to production & pressurized in Aghajari Oil Field - Iran̓s South West
Production and injection of fluid may cause hydraulic fracture, shear fracture at crack levels, or re-activation of faults and existing discontinuities by reducing effective stress by changing the pore pressure and corresponding changes in the stress field. Therefore, the deformation of the earth, seismic occurred, the reactivation of discontinuities and the impermeability capacity of the rocks...
متن کاملRelationship between fracture dip angle, aperture and fluid flow in the fractured rock masses
Most of the Earth's crust contains fluids, and fractures are common throughout the upper part. They exist at a wide range of scales from micro-fractures within grains to major faults and shear zones that traverse the crust. In this paper, the stress-dependent permeability in fractured rock masses have been investigated considering the effects of nonlinear normal deformation and shear dilation o...
متن کاملThe Shear Mechanisms of Natural Fractures during the Hydraulic Stimulation of Shale Gas Reservoirs
The shearing of natural fractures is important in the permeability enhancement of shale gas reservoirs during hydraulic fracturing treatment. In this work, the shearing mechanisms of natural fractures are analyzed using a newly proposed numerical model based on the displacement discontinuities method. The fluid-rock coupling system of the model is carefully designed to calculate the shearing of...
متن کاملAn Investigation of Abnormal Fluid Pressure within an Evaporitic Cap Rock in the Gavbandi Area of Iran and its Impact on the Planning of Gas Exploration Wells
A synthesis of well logs was carried out and drilling mud weight data were analyzed to figure out anomalous high fluid pressure within the Triassic evaporitic cap rock (the Dashtak formation) and study its impact on the geometry of anticlinal traps in the gas rich Gavbandi province located in the southeast part of the Zagros Mountains. The results indicated that the location of anticlinal traps...
متن کامل