Numerical simulation of spatial distributions of mining-induced stress and fracture fields for three coal mining layouts

In this study, the spatial distributions of stress and fracture fields for three typical underground coal mining layouts, Le, non-pillar mining （NM）, top-coal caving mining （TCM） and protective coal-seam mining （PCM）, are modeled using discrete element software UDEC, The numerical results show that different mining layouts can lead to different mining-induced stress fields, resulting in diverse fracture fields, For the PCM, the mining influenced area in front of the mining faces is the largest, and the stress concentration factor in front of the mining faces is the lowest, The spatial shapes of the mining-induced fracture fields under NM, TCM and PCM differ, and they are characterized by trapezoidal, triangular and tower shapes, respectively, The fractal dimensions of mining-induced fractures of the three mining layouts decrease in the order of PCM, TCM and NM, It is also shown that the PCM can result in a better gas control effect in coal mines with high outburst potential, The numerical results are expected to provide a basis for understanding of mining-induced gas seepage fields and provide a reference for high- efficiency coal mining,

Distribution and mechanism of gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision: A case study from Nujiang River, China

Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes.In this paper,a rock slope on the Nujiang River(China)is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution.Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are concentrated in four main zones.Moreover,the kinematics of the fracture system suggest that the genesis of these fractures can be synthesized into a progressive evolution model.This model indicates that the joints begin with the formation of an array of en echelon cracks that are subjected to continued crack elongation and shearing before ultimately approaching one another and interacting to form a complex joint system.Geomechanical analysis is performed to reveal the mechanisms of this genesis,and three main fracture patterns are identified based on the slope stress and are classified with respect to the slope evolution.Based on the detail field investigations and the evolutionary history of the river valley,we propose that intermittent incision by the river was the main factor contributing to the concentrated distribution of gently dipping joints.

Design of comprehensive test system for detecting overlying strata mining-induced fractures on surface with radon gas

Based on radon gas properties and its existing projects applications, we firstly attempted to apply geo- physical and chemical properties of radon gas in the field of mining engineering, and imported radioac- tive measurement method to detect the development process of the overlying strata mining-induced fractures and their contained water quality in underground coal mining, which not only innovates a more simple-fast-reliable detection method, but also further expands the applications of radon gas detection technology in mining field. A 3D simulation design of comprehensive testing system for detecting strata mining-induced fractures on surface with radon gas (CTSR) was carried out by using a large-scale 3D solid model design software Pro/Engineer (Pro/E), which overcame three main disadvantages of ''static design thought, 2D planar design and heavy workload for remodification design'' on exiting design for mining engineering test systems. Meanwhile, based on the simulation design results of Pro/E software, the sta- bility of the jack-screw pressure bar for the key component in CTSR was checked with a material mechan- ics theory, which provided a reliable basis for materials selection during the latter machining process.

Numerical simulation of gas migration into mining-induced fracture network in the goaf

Gas extraction practice has been proven for the clear majority of coal mines in China to be unfavorable using drill holes in the coal seam. Rather, mining-induced fractures in the goaf should be utilized for gas extraction. To study gas migration in mining-induced fractures, one mining face of 10 th Mine in Pingdingshan Coalmine Group in Henan, China, has been selected as the case study for this work. By establishing the mathematical model of gas migration under the influence of coal seam mining, discrete element software UDEC and Multiphysics software COMSOL are employed to model gas migration in mining-induced fractures above the goaf. The results show that as the working face advances, the goaf overburden gradually forms a mining-induced fracture network in the shape of a trapezoid, the size of which increases with the distance of coal face advance. Compared with gas migration in the overburden matrix, the gas flow in the fracture network due to mining is far greater. The largest mining-induced fracture is located at the upper end of the trapezoidal zone, which results in the largest gas flux in the network. When drilling for gas extraction in a mining-induced fracture field, the gas concentration is reduced in the whole region during the process of gas drainage, and the rate of gas concentration drops faster in the fractured zone. It is shown that with gas drainage, the gas flow velocity in the mininginduced fracture network is faster.

Impacts of proppant distribution on development of tight oil reservoirs with threshold pressure gradient

Field evidence indicates that proppant distribution and threshold pressure gradient have great impacts on well productivity.Aiming at the development of unconventional oil reservoirs in Triassic Chang-7 Unit,Ordos Basin of China,we presented an integrated workflow to investigate how(1)proppant placement in induced fracture and(2)non-linear flow in reservoir matrix would affect well productivity and fluid flow in the reservoir.Compared with our research before(Yue et al.,2020),here we extended this study into the development of multi-stage fractured horizontal wells(MFHWs)with large-scale complicated fracture geometry.The integrated workflow is based on the finite element method and consists of simulation models for proppant-laden fluid flow,fracture flow,and non-linear seepage flow,respectively.Simulation results indicate that the distribution of proppant inside the induced cracks significantly affects the productivity of the MFHW.When we assign an idealized proppant distribution instead of the real distribution,there will be an overestimation of 44.98%in daily oil rate and 30.63%in cumulative oil production after continuous development of 1000 days.Besides,threshold pressure gradient(TPG)also significantly affects the well performance in tight oil reservoirs.If we simply apply linear Darcy’s law to the reservoir matrix,the overall cumulative oil production can be overrated by 77%after 1000 days of development.In general,this research provides new insights into the development of tight oil reservoirs with TPG and meanwhile reveals the significance of proppant distribution and non-linear fluid flow in the production scenario design.

Integrated wellbore-reservoir-geomechanics modeling for enhanced interpretation of distributed fiber-optic strain sensing data in hydraulicfracture analysis

Fiber-optic distributed strain sensing(FO-DSS)has been successful in monitoring strain changes along horizontal wellbores in hydraulically fractured reservoirs.However,the mechanism driving the various FO-DSS responses associated with near-wellbore hydraulic fracture properties is still unclear.To address this knowledge gap,we use coupled wellbore-reservoir-geomechanics simulations to study measured strain-change behavior and infer hydraulic fracture characteristics.The crossflow among fractures is captured through explicit modeling of the transient wellbore flow.In addition,local grid refinement is applied to accurately capture strain changes along the fiber.A Base Case model was designed with four fractures of varying properties,simulating strain change signals when the production well is shut-in for 10 d after 240 d of production and reopened for 2 d.Strain-pressure plots for different fracture clusters were used to gain insights into inferring fracture properties using DSS data.When comparing the model with and without the wellbore,distinct strain change signals were observed,emphasizing the importance of incorporating the wellbore in FO-DSS modeling.The effects of fracture spacing and matrix permeability on strain change signals were thoroughly investigated.The results of our numerical study can improve the understanding of the relation between DSS signals and fracture hydraulic properties,thus maximizing the value of the dataset for fracture diagnostics and characterization.

The effect of the fracture distribution on CO_2 injection into a coal seam

The effect of the fracture distribution on CO 2 injection into coal seams was studied with a heterogeneous model having dual porosity to represent both the primary medium (the coal matrix) and the secondary medium (the fractures) under variable stress conditions. A numerical generation method and a digital image processing method were used to model the heterogeneous fracture distribution in the coal. The model solutions demonstrate that: (1) the fractures are the main channel for gas flow and their distribution has an important impact on the gas injection rate; (2) the fractures only affect the injection rate of CO 2 into the coal but not the final storage amount; (3) when gas is injected into coal the fractures will first expand and then close due to the changing effective stresses and the adsorption induced swelling of coal grains. This fully coupled dual-porosity model with a heterogeneous fracture distribution provides a way to predict the CO 2 injection into a coal seam.

rwo-phase pore-fluid distribution in fractured media, acoustic wave velocity vs saturation

The acoustic wave velocity varies with fluid saturation and pore-fluid distribution. We use a P-wave source and the staggered grid finite-difference method, with second-order accuracy in time and eighth-order accuracy in space, to simulate the acoustic wave field in a fractured medium that is saturated with a two-phase pore fluid （gas ＆ water）. Further, we analyze the variation of acoustic wave velocity with saturation for different pore-fluid distribution modes. The numerical simulation method is simple and yields accurate results.

Mechanism of stress distribution and failure around two different shapes of openings within fractured rock-like materials

The complexity of a rock masses structure can lead to high uncertainties and risk during underground engineering construction.Laboratory tests on fractured rock-like materials containing a tunnel were conducted,and twodimensional particle flow models were established.The principal stress and principal strain distributions surrounding the four-arc-shaped and inverted U-shaped tunnels were investigated,respectively.Numerical results indicated that the dip angle combination of preexisting fractures directly affects the principal stress,principal strain distribution and the failure characteristics around the tunnel.The larger the absolute value of the preexisting fracture inclination angle,the higher the crushing degree of compression splitting near the hance and the larger the V-shaped failure zone.With a decrease in the absolute value of the preexisting fracture inclination angle,the compressive stress concentration of the sidewall with preexisting fractures gradually increases.The types of cracks initiated around the four-arc-shaped tunnel and the inverted U-shape tunnel are different.When the fractures are almost vertical,they have a significant influence on the stress of the sidewall force of the four-arc-shaped tunnel.When the fractures are almost horizontal,they have a significant influence on the stress of the sidewall of the inverted U-shaped tunnel.The findings provide a theoretical support for the local strengthening design of the tunnel supporting structure.

Hydraulic fracture geometry and proppant distribution in thin interbedded shale oil reservoirs

Small-scale true triaxial sand fracturing experiments are conducted on thin interbedded shale samples made from cores of Permian Lucaogou Formation shale oil reservoir in Jimsar sag, Junggar Basin, NW China. Combined with high-precision CT scanning digital core model reconstruction technology, hydraulic fracture geometry and proppant distribution in thin interbedded shale oil reservoirs are studied. The research shows that: In thin interbedded shale oil reservoir, the interlayer difference of rock mechanics and the interlayer interface near the wellbore cannot restrain the growth of fracture height effectively, but has a significant impact on the fracture width distribution in the fracture height direction. Hydraulic fractures in these reservoirs tend to penetrate into the adjacent layer in “step-like” form, but have a smaller width at the interface deflection, which hinders the transport of proppant in vertical direction, resulting in a poor effect of layer-crossing growth. In shale layers with dense laminae, hydraulic fractures tend to form “丰” or “井” shapes. If the perforated interval is large in rock strength and high in breakdown pressure, the main fracture is fully developed initially, large in width, and supported by enough sand. In contrast, if the perforated interval is low in strength and rich in laminae, the fracturing fluid filtration loss is large, the breakdown pressure is low, the main fracture will not open wide initially, and likely to have sand plugging. Proppant is mainly concentrated in the main hydraulic fractures with large width near the perforated layer, activated laminae, branch fractures and fractures in adjacent layers contain only a small amount of(or zero) proppant. The proppant is placed in a limited range on the whole. The limit width of fracture that proppant can enter is about 2.7 times the proppant particle size.

Influence of viscous medium temperature distribution on sheet fracture in viscous pressure forming at warm temperature

Viscous pressure forming(VPF) of aluminum alloy AA3003 sheet metal at warm temperature was investigated by using coupled thermo-elastoplastic-viscoplastic finite element method. The influence of viscous medium temperature distribution on sheet fracture location was studied and the distributions of fracture factor at different temperatures were obtained by using ductile fracture criterion. The results show that the failure of sheet metal varies with increasing initial temperature of viscous medium. When the initial temperature of viscous medium is near that of sheet metal,the failure location occurs at dome center,and when the initial temperature of viscous medium is too low,however,the failure location occurs at die corner. The occurrence of fracture can be postponed and even prevented through controlling the temperature distribution in viscous medium.

Controlling factors of remaining oil distribution after water flooding and enhanced oil recovery methods for fracturecavity carbonate reservoirs in Tahe Oilfield

Based on comprehensive analysis of core, well logging, seismic and production data, the multi-scale reservoir space, reservoir types, spatial shape and distribution of fractures and caves, and the configuration relationship with production wells in fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs were studied systematically, the influence of them on the distribution of residual oil was analyzed, and the main controlling factors mode of residual oil distribution after water flooding was established. Enhanced oil recovery methods were studied considering the development practice of Tahe oilfield. Research shows that the main controlling factors of residual oil distribution after water flooding in fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs can be classified into four categories: local high point, insufficient well control, flow channel shielding and weak hydrodynamic. It is a systematic project to improve oil recovery in fracture-cavity carbonate reservoirs. In the stage of natural depletion, production should be well regulated to prevent bottom water channeling. In the early stage of waterflooding, injection-production relationship should be constructed according to reservoir type, connectivity and spatial location to enhance control and producing degree of waterflooding and minimize remaining oil. In the middle and late stage, according to the main controlling factors and distribution characteristics of remaining oil after water flooding, remaining oil should be tapped precisely by making use of gravity differentiation and capillary force imbibition, enhancing well control, disturbing the flow field and so on. Meanwhile, backup technologies of reservoir stimulation, new injection media, intelligent optimization etc. should be developed, smooth shift from water injection to gas injection should be ensured to maximize oil recovery.

Fracture distribution in overburden strata induced by underground mining

Coal-mining activities give rise to a series of ecological environmental problems,such as ground settlement and groundwater pollution.In fact,they are mainly caused by mining-induced fractures.Hence,it is necessary to study the mining-induced fracture distribution to identify the behavior of rock mass movement.However,the fractures in overburden strata cannot be directly measured owing to the special condition.Therefore,the majority of previous studies are based on experiments or experience.For this reason,this study first used a discrete element method to simulate the shape of mining-induced fractures in overburden strata.Then,a geophysical tool of transient electromagnetic method(TEM)was used to investigate the mining-induced fracture distribution.Based on the low-resistivity anomaly area,the water-rich area in overburden strata was analyzed to be mainly caused by fracture seepage.Through the mutual authentication between numerical simulation and TEM results,the mining-induced fractures in overburden strata were explored.This study can enhance the understanding of mining-induced fracture distribution on the one hand and guarantee the coal mining safety on the other,thus guiding the coordinated development between coal mining and environmental protection.

Fracture Distribution Characteristics within Low-Permeability Reservoirs:Cases Studies from Three Types of Oil-bearing Basins,China

The permeability or/and porosity in low-permeability reservoirs mainly depends on fracture system. Wthin this kind of low-permeability reservior, fractures play a very important role on exploration and development. Because there are so many differences, such as basin properties and tectonic characteristics, among the eastern,western and central basins, the types and distribution characteristics of fractures are also obviously different. Quantitative information on fracture distribution is very important. Through the contrastive study of 7 oilfield, the differences and distribution characteristics of fractures in three types of oil-bearing basins are summarized. Due to the different geological conditions and stress state during the formation of fractures, the fracture systems in three types of basins are also different. Fractures are mainly composed of tectonic fractutres related to normal faultes in eastern basins, related to folds and reverse faultes in western basins, and regional fractures which widely distributed not only in outcrops but also at depth of the relatively undeformed strata in central basins. So, besides jointed-fractures, we can often see faulted-fractures similar to normal faults in eastern basins and similar to reverse faults in western basins. According to statistical data, fracture spacing generally has a lognormal distribution and is linearly proportional to layer thickness. The development degree of fractures is controlled by lithology, bed thickness, sedimentary microfacies and faults or folds, etc. The permeability, aperture and connectedness of fractures are related to the modern stress field. Though there are 3-4 sets of fractures in a oilfield, the fractures parallel to the maximum principal stress direction are main for the pattern arrangement of low-permeability reservoirs.

Mining-induced movement properties and fissure time-space evolution law in overlying strata

Mining-induced fracture zone will be produced in the overlying strata after the coal was mined.In this article,the mining-induced deformation of overlying strata and the time-space evolution law of fissure were studied by the methods of physical simulation and field measurement.The results show that bed separation fissure and vertical fissure will appear in the overlying strata above mining face,which form the wedge-shaped fissure zone.The open degree of fissure depends on the size of uncoordinated deformation between neighbor layers,and the absolute strata sinking controls both the width of bed separation zone and the open degree of vertical breakage fissure.At last,the calculating formula was deducted based on theoretical analysis.

Tectonic Fractures in Tight Gas Sandstones of the Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation in the Western Sichuan Basin,China

The western Sichuan Basin, which is located at the front of the Longmen Mountains in the west of Sichuan Province, China, is a foreland basin formed in the Late Triassic. The Upper Triassic Xujiahe Formation is a tight gas sandstone reservoir with low porosity and ultra-low permeability, whose gas accumulation and production are controlled by well-developed fracture zones. There are mainly three types of fractures developed in the Upper Triassic tight gas sandstones, namely tectonic fractures, diagenetic fractures and overpressure-related fractures, of which high-angle tectonic fractures are the most important. The tectonic fractures can be classified into four sets, i.e., N-S-, NE-, E-W- and NW-striking fractures. In addition, there are a number of approximately horizontal shear fractures in some of the medium-grained sandstones and grit stones nearby the thrusts or slip layers. Tectonic fractures were mainly formed at the end of the Triassic, the end of the Cretaceous and the end of the Neogene-Early Pleistocene. The development degree of tectonic fractures was controlled by lithology, thickness, structure, stress and fluid pressure. Overpressure makes not only the rock shear strength decrease, but also the stress state change from compression to tension. Thus, tensional fractures can he formed in fold-thrust belts. Tectonic fractures are mainly developed along the NE- and N-S-striking structural belts, and are the important storage space and the principal flow channels in the tight gas sandstone. The porosity of fractures here is 28.4% of the gross reservoir porosity, and the permeability of fractures being two or three grades higher than that of the matrix pores. Four sets of high-angle tectonic fractures and horizontal shear fractures formed a good network system and controlled the distribution and production of gas in the tight sandstones.

Deformation characteristics and reinforcement technology for entry subjected to mining-induced stresses

The entry at Zhangcun coal mine in Lu＇an coal mining area in Shanxi Province suffered from severe mining-induced stresses with the heading face driven oppositely to an adjacent working face. In this paper, the characteristics of deformation and failure of the entry were investigated in terms of the tempo-spatial relations between heading and working faces through field study and numerical modeling. The three-dimensional （3D） finite difference models were built to investigate stresses, displacements and damages in the surrounding rocks of the entry and the working face. The field study includes selection of reinforcing methods and materials, design parameters, and determination of cable prestress. The monitoring data of entry deformation and stress along the cables during every stage were presented. The state of the reinforced entry was evaluated based on the monitoring data. The results demonstrate that before the heading face of the entry crosses the adjacent working face, the influence of advanced abutment pressure caused by adjacent working face upon the entry is not significant. After they cross each other, however, the lateral abutment pressure will have an evident impact on the entry. The displacement rate of the entry will be greatly increased and reaches a certain value within a certain distance between the heading face and the working face. Then, it will increase again with the presence of secondary mining-induced pressure on the entry when the present working face advances. The fully-grouted cable with short length, high strength and high prestress is an effective way to reinforce the entry suffering from severe mining-induced stresses, which greatly reduces the displacement and failure possibility of the entry. Finally, the principles and recommendations for reinforcing design of entries suffering from severe mining-induced stresses were proposed according to field study, numerical modeling and experiences from other coal mines. Problems encountered in field study and suggestions for reinforcement were also discussed.

A universal elliptical disc(UED)model to represent natural rock fractures

Since natural fractures are often non-equidimensional,the circular disc model still has great limitations.By contrast,the elliptical disc model is more applicable to representing natural fractures,especially for slender ones.This paper developed a universal elliptical disc(UED)model by incorporating the center point,size,and azimuth of fractures as variables.Specifically,with respect to the azimuth of elliptical fractures in three-dimensional(3D)space,we proposed a paradigm to construct its probability density function(PDF)by coupling the orientation and rotation angle of long axis based on three coordinate transformations.To illustrate the construction process of the PDF of the fracture azimuth,we took the orientation following the Fisher distribution and the rotation angle following Von Mises distribution as an example.A rock slope is used to show the use of the developed UED model,and the 3D DFNs for the slope rock mass are generated by Monte Carlo simulation.In addition,the DFNs for the rock mass are also generated based on the existing circular disc model and non-universal elliptical disc model.The comparison results from the three models clearly illustrate the superiority of the UED model over the existing circular and non-universal elliptical disc models.

Evaluation of the location parameter in Weibull distribution of CTOD testing results of high strength steel weldments

In this paper, the location parameter δ_(a) in Weibull distribution i.e. the lower limiting CTOD toughness of high strength steel weldments is evaluated from Gleeble simulated coarse grained specimens. The Charpy-V transition temperature obtained from these specimens is transformed to a fracture toughness K_(IC) value at a given temperature using Sanz' relation. Then, the location parameter a is δ_(a) evaluated. The predicted location parameter arrives at agreement with the lowest CTOD value as obtained from thick multilayer weldments. The improvement of the fracture toughness of multilayer weldments needs the increase of the lowering limiting CTOD.toughness i.e. the toughness of the coarse grained zone.

Dislocation distribution model of mode Ⅲ propagation crack

Dislocation distribution functions of the edges of mode Ⅲ propagation crack subjected to three types of loads were studied by the methods of the theory of complex variable functions,by which,the problems researched were facilely transformed into Riemann-Hilbert problems and Keldysh-Sedov mixed boundary value problems. Analytical solutions of stresses,displacement and dynamic stress intensity factor were obtained by the measures of the theory of self-similar functions and corresponding differential and integral operation. In terms of the relationship between dislocation distribution functions and displacements,analytical solutions of dislocation distribution functions were obttained,and variational rules of dislocation distribution functions were depicted.