Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales
Abstract
Abstract There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO 2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction‐stability‐permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS). We observe that carbonate‐rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate‐rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Hence, we conclude that the friction‐stability‐permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.
- Authors:
-
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States)
- Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, Koriyama (Japan)
- Princeton Univ., Princeton, NJ (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Argonne, IL (United States). Advanced Photon Source (APS)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1355030
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1402143
- Grant/Contract Number:
- FE0023354; FG02-94ER14466; AC02-06CH11357; DE‐FE0023354
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 122; Journal Issue: 3; Journal ID: ISSN 2169-9313
- Publisher:
- American Geophysical Union
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- ENGLISH
- Subject:
- 58 GEOSCIENCES; Friction; Stability; Permeability; Induced Seismicity
Citation Formats
Fang, Yi, Elsworth, Derek, Wang, Chaoyi, Ishibashi, Takuya, and Fitts, Jeffrey P. Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales. United States: N. p., 2017.
Web. doi:10.1002/2016JB013435.
Fang, Yi, Elsworth, Derek, Wang, Chaoyi, Ishibashi, Takuya, & Fitts, Jeffrey P. Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales. United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013435
Fang, Yi, Elsworth, Derek, Wang, Chaoyi, Ishibashi, Takuya, and Fitts, Jeffrey P. Mon .
"Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales". United States. https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JB013435. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1355030.
@article{osti_1355030,
title = {Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales},
author = {Fang, Yi and Elsworth, Derek and Wang, Chaoyi and Ishibashi, Takuya and Fitts, Jeffrey P.},
abstractNote = {Abstract There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO 2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction‐stability‐permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS). We observe that carbonate‐rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate‐rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Hence, we conclude that the friction‐stability‐permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.},
doi = {10.1002/2016JB013435},
journal = {Journal of Geophysical Research. Solid Earth},
number = 3,
volume = 122,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2017},
month = {Mon Feb 13 00:00:00 EST 2017}
}
Web of Science
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