Linking permeability to crack density evolution in thermally stressed rocks under cyclic loading

Faoro, I.; Vinciguerra, Sergio; Marone, Chris; Elsworth, Derek; Schubnel, Alexandre

doi:10.1002/grl.50436

Cited by 46 publications

(29 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Microcracks have been recognized as a major contributor to the pressure dependence of the elastic properties of rocks (e.g., Walsh, ). Similarly, permeability (e.g., Benson, Schubnel, et al, ; Brace et al, ; Faoro et al, ; Guéguen & Schubnel, ; Schubnel et al, ; Walsh & Brace, ) and electrical resistivity (e.g., Daily & Lin, ; Fredrich, Greaves, & Martin, ; Han et al, , ; Kaselow & Shapiro, ; Milsch et al, ; Violay et al, ; Watanabe & Higuchi, ) were also shown to be pressure‐dependent properties. In nonporous microcracked rocks, the pressure‐induced variations in permeability can reach several orders of magnitudes and are attributed to the closure of existing microcracks (e.g., Benson, Schubnel, et al, ; Benson, Meredith, et al, ; Schubnel et al, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Pressure‐Dependent Elastic and Transport Properties of Porous and Permeable Rocks: Microstructural Control

et al. 2017

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Although several studies aimed at linking electrical and hydraulic transport properties in rocks, the existing models remain at most incomplete. Based on this observation, in addition to the transport properties, this contribution investigates the pressure dependence of P wave velocities and porosity for three porous rocks. Apart from hydraulic conductivity, all physical properties show an important dependence to the confining pressure. In particular, electrical resistivity reaches an asymptote at low confining pressures. Using the measured P wave velocities and effective medium theories, the microcrack density (ρ) and its evolution with confining pressure are estimated. For the three rocks, the microcrack density at which electrical resistivity reaches a plateau is of ρ ~0.13. This value corresponds to the threshold for crack percolation in media containing microcracks exclusively. This suggests that in porous and microcracked rocks, electrical resistivity is controlled by two independent hydraulic pathways of tubes and cracks acting in parallel. In contrast, this percolation threshold is not observed in the permeability data. A simple conceptual model is finally introduced that explains the fundamental differences between transport properties.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Pressure‐Dependent Elastic and Transport Properties of Porous and Permeable Rocks: Microstructural Control

et al. 2017

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“…; Baghbanan & Jing ; Faoro et al . ). These processes are strongly interconnected as one process affects the initiation and progress of another.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…During last several decades, intense research has been performed on the processes that link temperature (T), hydrologic flow (H), mechanical deformation (M), and chemical alteration (C) in fractured rock (e.g., Tsang 1987;Stephansson et al 1996;Baghbanan & Jing 2008;Faoro et al 2013). These processes are strongly interconnected as one process affects the initiation and progress of another.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of the transport properties of fractures subject to thermally and mechanically activated mineral alteration and redistribution

2015

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Strong feedbacks link temperature (T), hydrologic flow (H), mechanical deformation (M), and chemical alteration (C) in fractured rock. These processes are interconnected as one process affects the initiation and progress of another. Dissolution and precipitation of minerals are affected by temperature and stress, and can result in significant changes in permeability and solute transport characteristics. Understanding these couplings is important for oil, gas, and geothermal reservoir engineering, for CO2 sequestration, and for waste disposal in underground repositories and reservoirs. To experimentally investigate the interactions between THMC processes in a naturally stressed fracture, we report on heated (25°C up to 150°C) flow‐through experiments on fractured core samples of Westerly granite. These experiments examine the influence of thermally and mechanically activated dissolution of minerals on the mechanical (stress/strain) and transport (permeability) responses of fractures. The evolutions of the permeability and relative hydraulic aperture of the fracture are recorded as thermal and stress conditions' change during the experiments. Furthermore, the efflux of dissolved mineral mass is measured periodically and provides a record of the net mass removal, which is correlated with observed changes in relative hydraulic fracture aperture. During the experiments, a significant variation of the effluent fluid chemistry is observed and the fracture shows large changes in permeability to the changing conditions both in stress and in temperature. We argue that at low temperature and high stresses, mechanical crushing of the asperities and the production of gouge explain the permeability decrease although most of the permeability is recoverable as the stress is released. While at high temperature, the permeability changes are governed by mechanical deformation as well as chemical processes, in particular, we infer dissolution of minerals adjacent to the fracture and precipitation of kaolinite.

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“…[] show that fault gouge and breccia adjacent to the Mount St Helens dome is more permeable in the direction of slip. Previous studies have explored prefailure permeability change in plutonic [ Zoback and Byerlee , ; Kiyama et al ., ; Mitchell and Faulkner , ] and volcanic [ Faoro et al ., ] rocks. In each case, a general increase in permeability is reported in the lead up to brittle failure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Strain‐induced permeability increase in volcanic rock

Farquharson

Heap

Baud

2016

Geophysical Research Letters

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The extrusion of dense, viscous magma typically occurs along pronounced conduit‐parallel faults. To better understand the evolution of fault permeability with increasing strain, we measured the permeability of low‐porosity volcanic rock samples (basalt and andesite) that were deformed in the brittle regime to various levels of inelastic strain. We observed a progressive increase in sample permeability with increasing inelastic strain (i.e., with continued sliding on the fault plane). At the maximum imposed inelastic strain (0.11), sample permeability had increased by 3 orders of magnitude or more for all sample sets. Microstructural observations show that narrow shear fractures evolve into more complex fracture systems characterized by thick zones of friction‐induced cataclasis (gouge) with increasing inelastic strain. These data suggest that the permeability of conduit‐parallel faults hosted in the rock at the conduit‐wall rock interface will increase during lava extrusion, thus facilitating outgassing and hindering the transition to explosive behavior.

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Linking permeability to crack density evolution in thermally stressed rocks under cyclic loading

Cited by 46 publications

References 35 publications

Pressure‐Dependent Elastic and Transport Properties of Porous and Permeable Rocks: Microstructural Control

Pressure‐Dependent Elastic and Transport Properties of Porous and Permeable Rocks: Microstructural Control

Evolution of the transport properties of fractures subject to thermally and mechanically activated mineral alteration and redistribution

Strain‐induced permeability increase in volcanic rock

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