Relationship between rock uniaxial compressive strength and digital core drilling parameters and its forecast method

The rock uniaxial compressive strength(UCS)is the basic parameter for support designs in underground engineering.In particular,the rock UCS should be obtained rapidly for underground engineering with complex geological conditions,such as soft rock,fracture areas,and high stress,to adjust the excavation and support plan and ensure construction safety.To solve the problem of obtaining real-time rock UCS at engineering sites,a rock UCS forecast idea is proposed using digital core drilling.The digital core drilling tests and uniaxial compression tests are performed based on the developed rock mass digital drilling system.The results indicate that the drilling parameters are highly responsive to the rock UCS.Based on the cutting and fracture characteristics of the rock digital core drilling,the mechanical analysis of rock cutting provides the digital core drilling strength,and a quantitative relationship model(CDP-UCS model)for the digital core drilling parameters and rock UCS is established.Thus,the digital core drilling-based rock UCS forecast method is proposed to provide a theoretical basis for continuous and quick testing of the surrounding rock UCS.

Geochemical characteristics of Sr isotopes in the LS33 drill core from the Qiongdongnan Basin, South China Sea, and their response to the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau

Making full use of modern analytical and testing techniques to explore and establish new indexes or methods for extracting paleoseawater geochemical information from sediments will help to reconstruct the sedimentary paleoenvironment in different research areas.The connection between the subsidence of the South China Sea basin and the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau has been a scientific concern in recent decades.To explore the information on the sedimentary paleoenvironment,provenance changes and uplift of Tibetan Plateau contained in core sediments(debris),we selected core samples from Well LS33 in the Qiongdongnan Basin,South China Sea,and analyzed the contents of typical elements(Al,Th,and rare earth elements)that can indicate changes in provenance and the Sr isotopic compositions,which can reveal the geochemical characteristics of the paleoseawater depending on the type of material(authigenic carbonate and terrigenous detritus).The results show the following:(1)during the late Miocene,the Red River transported a large amount of detrital sediments from the ancient continental block(South China)to the Qiongdongnan Basin.(2)The authigenic carbonates accurately record changes in the 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the South China Sea since the Oligocene.These ratios reflect the semi-closed marginal sea environment of the South China Sea(relative to the ocean)and the sedimentary paleoenvironment evolution process of the deep-water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin from continental to transitional and then to bathyal.(3)Since the Neogene,the variations in the 87Sr/86Sr ratio in the authigenic carbonates have been consistent with the variations in the uplift rate of the Tibetan Plateau and the sediment accumulation rate in the Qiongdongnan Basin.These consistent changes indicate the complex geological process of the change in the rock weathering intensity and terrigenous Sr flux caused by changes in the uplift rate of the Tibetan Plateau,which influence the Sr isotope composition of seawater.

Analysis of Chang’e-5 lunar core drilling process

Chang’e-5 explorer successfully acquired lunar regolith core samples from depths of greater than 1 m of lunar surface.This study analyzed the lunar core drilling process based on the telemetry data,image information,and returned samples to optimize the sampling device design and enhance the understanding of the lunar regolith.In particular,a prediction method for the projected drilling path and local terrain fitting of drilling dip angle was proposed based on the flight events recorded during the core drilling process and the image information acquired before,during,and after sampling.The results revealed that the drilling dip angle of Chang’e-5 was approximately2.3.,and the deviation of the drilling length and depth was less than 2 mm.For continuous drilling,a fusion method based on telemetry data and image information was applied to determine the demarcation point of drilling with and without the lunar soil.The position of the demarcation point implied that the drilling point remained at approximately 6 mm loose soil,thereby lagging the action of the force response.Additionally,a characteristic parameter comparison method was proposed for the lunar and ground drilling to analyze the status of the lunar soil.Furthermore,the analysis results revealed that the majority of the Chang’e-5 drilling samples were derived from 0–73.8 cm below the lunar surface and few samples were extracted below 73.8 cm,as the drilling encountered several rocky regions.Moreover,the drilling point exhibited two prominent stratification variations at~28.7 cm and~70 cm below the lunar surface.Ultimately,the preliminary relationship between sample dissected position in soft tube and drilling displacement was analyzed.The segmented estimation results can support research on subsurface lunar soil.

Chemical weathering profile in the V–Ti–Fe mine tailings pond:a basalt-weathering analog

The(ultra-)mafic mine tailings pond revealed a weathering discrepancy in the tailings profile,which provided a valuable analog to assess the role of carbonate and silicate weathering of the basalt.In this study,drill-cores samples were selected from the Wanniangou V–Ti–Fe mine tailings pond(Sichuan province,China)to investigate the mineralogicand geochemical characteristics in the tailings profile.The results reveal(1)the tailings pond profile consist of upper and lower layers.The upper layer is composed of carbonate weathering(1.4%),which was formed in the initial stages of tailings exposure and represented a minimal weathering degree.(2)The lower layer was primarily observed at the aquifer zone of the tailings pond,and was consistent with 0.45%carbonate weathering and 48.4%silicate weathering.(3)The weathering discrepancy in the tailings profile could be due to the sulfide oxidation and aerobic/flowing aquifer,which facilitate the water-tailings reactions.The tailings profile provides an analog to studying basalt weathering,as it spans both carbonate and silicate weathering.This research reinforces the idea that silicate weathering is predominant in basaltic areas and plays a crucial role in regulating atmospheric CO_(2)(carbon dioxide)levels on Earth.

Core-drilling kinematic modeling and analysis of Jiaolong submersible manipulator

The complicated topographies of the deep sea pose significant challenges for the core drilling with the Jiaolong submersible manipulator.To address this problem,we proposed a core-drilling kinematic model and evaluated the core-drilling behavior of the submersible manipulator by comprehensively considering the uncertain posture of the Jiaolong submersible.First,we established a forward kinematic model for the core-drilling task in deep sea,which satisfied the requirement of gravitational-direction core drilling.Based on the forward kinematic equations,we then built a double-redundancy inverse kinematic model,which was able to determine the required motion trajectories of six active joints according to the desired core-drilling trajectory.The core-drilling workspaces and the motions of the Jiaolong submersible manipulator were assessed with several calculation examples.The established forward and inverse kinematic models are constructed with clear analytic equations,and thus are directly applicable to the Jiaolong submersible manipulator-based core-drilling task.

In situ stress measurement and analysis of the stress accumulation levels in coal mines in the northern Ordos Basin,China

For non-directional drilling cores,selection of samples and the test methods for in situ stress measurements to evaluate the Kaiser effect(KE)were proposed,and the magnitude and direction of the principal stresses were derived from first principles.Based on this approach,the KE for 423 samples in the Burtai and Baode coal mines in the northern Ordos Basin(NOB),China,have been investigated.The results show that the maximum horizontal principal stress(σ_(H)),the minimum horizontal principal stress(σ_(h))and the vertical stress(σ_(v))varied with depth and location,and the values increase with increasing depth.Generally,the horizontal stresses play a leading role.For the main stress regimes in the NOB,σ_(H)>σ_(h)>σ_(v)(Burtai Mine,<172 m;Baode Mine,<170 m)andσ_(H)>σ_(v)>σ_(h)(Burtai Mine,170-800 m;Baode Mine,170-400 m),and theσ_(v)>σ_(H)>σ_(h)stress regimes are mainly distributed in moderately deep to deep coal mines.For rock masses with a depth of 350 m,k((σ_(H)+σ_(h))/2σ_(v))tends to 1,indicating that a deep critical state will gradually emerge.The test results are compared with those for the overcoring(OC)method,the anelastic strain recovery(ASR)method and micro-hydraulic fracturing(HF).The relative errors forσ_(H),σ_(h)andσ_(v)were 14.90%,19.67%,15.47%(Burtai Mine)and 10.74%,22.76%,19.97%(Baode Mine),respectively,and the errors are all within an acceptable range,thus verifying the reliability of the KE method.The dominant orientation for theσ_(H)(Burtai mine,NE-NNE;Baode Mine,NEE)is obtained via paleomagnetic technology,and the data are consistent with those(NE-NEE)of the earthquake focal mechanism solutions for the area.Based on the Byerlee-Anderson theory,a discussion is given on the levels of stress accumulation in the rock mass of the mines.For dry rocks or hydrostatic pressure rocks,the friction coefficients of the faults are low for both locations,and the values are less than the lower limit(0.6)of the strike-slip faults slip,indicating that the stress fractures at a low level around the study areas are lower than the friction limit stress.The stress accumulation levels in the Baode Mine are slightly larger than those in the Burtai Mine.

Discovery of lacustrine shale deposits in the Yanshan Orogenic Belt,China: Implications for hydrocarbon exploration

The mechanism of formation of lacustrine deposits within stable orogenic belts and their potential for shale oil and gas exploration are frontier themes of challenge in the fields of sedimentology and petroleum exploration. Orogenic belts witness strong tectonic activities and normally cannot host stable lacustrine basins and deep shale formations. Therefore, basins in orogenic belts are considered to have no potential to form shale hydrocarbon reservoirs. Here we investigate the Luanping Basin located in the Yanshan orogenic belt where previous studies regarded rivers and fan deltas as the major main Mesozoic deposits. Based on detailed field exploration and scientific drilling, we report the finding of a large number of lacustrine shale continental deep-water deposits in the Mesozoic strata. Our finding of the occurrence of active shale oil and gas also in this basin also subvert the previous perceptions.We report SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age that define the bottom boundary of the target interval as 127.6 ± 1.7 Ma belonging to the early Cretaceous strata. Tectonics and climate are considered to be the main factors that controlled the deep-water sedimentation during this period. The drill cores revealed evidence of shale gas and the TOC of shale is 0.33%–3.60%, with an average value of 1.39% and Ro is 0.84%–1.21%, with an average value of 1.002%. The brittleness index of shale is between 52.7% and 100%. After vertical well fracturing, the daily gas production is more than 1000 m^(3). Our findings show that the basin has considerable potential for shale oil and gas. The geological resources of the shale gas in the Xiguayuan Fm. are estimated as 1110.12 × 10^(8) m^(3), with shale oil geological resources of 3340.152 × 10^(4) t. Our findings indicate that the Yanshan orogenic belt has potential exploration prospect. This work not only redefines the Luanping Basin as a rift deep-water Mesozoic Lake Basin, but also rules out the previous notion that the basin is dominated by shallow water sediments. The discovery of shale oil and gas also provides an important reference for subsequent petroleum exploration and development in this basin. Our study shows that shale oil and gas reservoirs can be found in the lacustrine basins of orogenic belts which were strongly influenced by volcanism. These results have significant implications for the sedimentology and oil exploration in the Qinling and Xingmeng Orogenic Belts of China, as well as those in other terranes of the world including the New England Orogenic Belt in Australia.

Petro-Structural Study of the Paleoproterozoic Formations of the Faboula Gold Deposit (Bougouni-Kékoro Basin, Leo-Man Shield)

Recent petro-structural investigations on the Faboula gold deposit located in the Bougouni-Kékoro basin, in southern Mali, north-west of the Leo-Man Shield, have provided new data on the nature and spatial organization of the lithostratigraphic units as well as their deformation style. The deposit is covered by a thick lateritic layer and is hosted by a metavolcano-sedimentary sequence of Paleoproterozoic age intersected by intrusive bodies and filled fractures of various shapes and types. The lithostratigraphic units consist of metagreywackes, metasiltstones, meta-argillites, slates and schists. Metagreywackes and metasiltstones are generally feldspathic, both may contain biotite and locally amphibole, just as slates may contain andalusite which is locally stretched. Plutonic units most often occur as stocks or as dikes on the drill core, up to 1 m. The metavolcano-sedimentary rocks are schistose and deformed under greenschist facies conditions, and locally they reach the epidote-amphibolite facies. The structural study revealed that the deposit is affected by several stages of deformation evolving from a ductile type to a brittle type via a ductile-brittle type. The dominant ductile and brittle-ductile deformations show a combination of isoclinal folding and strike-slip faults. Both the isoclinal folding and the strike-slip faults whose sigmoidal en-echelon tension gashes indicate a dextral movement in the NNE-SSW direction are the result of the same ENE-WSW regional shortening. Consequently, they highlight a transpressive deformation. This deformation noted here D2Fb, could be equivalent to the regional D2 or D3 deformations identified at the scale of the Leo-Man Shield if we refer to the style of deformation. There is an abundance of quartz veins networks. Their relation within the structural features indicates that the mineralization is structurally controlled during a hydrothermal event linked certainly to the circulations of fluids during the transpressive event D2Fb.