Interaction between in situ stress states and tectonic faults:A comment

Understanding the in situ stress state is crucial in many engineering problems and earth science research.The present article presents new insights into the interaction mechanism between the stress state and faults.In situ stresses can be influenced by various factors,one of the most important being the existence of faults.A fault could significantly affect the value and direction of the stress components.Reorientation and magnitude changes in stresses exist adjacent to faults and stress jumps/discontinuities across the fault.By contrast,the change in the stress state may lead to the transformation of faulting type and potential fault reactivation.Qualitative fault reactivation assessment using characteristic parameters under the current stress environment provides a method to assess the slip tendency of faults.The correlation between in situ stresses and fault properties enhances the ability to predict the fault slip tendency via stress measurements,which can be used to further refine the assessment of the fault reactivation risk.In the future,stress measurements at greater depths and long-term continuous real-time stress monitoring near/on key parts of faults will be essential.In addition,much attention needs to be paid to distinguishing the genetic mechanisms of abnormal stress states and the type and scale of stress variations and exploring the mechanisms of pre-faulting anomaly and fault reactivation.

Borehole deformation based in situ stress estimation using televiewer data

The knowledge of in situ stress is critical in safe and optimised extraction of minerals and energy resources.In situ stresses are either measured directly(e.g.overcoring)or estimated indirectly(e.g.borehole breakouts).Borehole breakout analysis for in situ stress estimation is considered a relatively simple and cost-efficient technique.This technique,however,poses certain limitations such as complexities with progressive formation of breakouts and it requires inputs such as rock failure parameters that are not often available.As a result,significant effort has been made to develop new indirect methods for in situ stress estimation.Borehole deformation analysis using four-arm caliper has been recently proposed for in situ stress estimation and has shown promising results.In this study,we demonstrate a new methodology that analyses the borehole televiewer data with the technique of borehole deformation analysis to estimate the in situ stresses through a field case study.The advantages and challenges of using borehole televiewer data for stress estimation based on borehole deformation analysis are discussed and the best practice to obtain the reliable results is explained.The limitations of using fourarm caliper and borehole deformation analysis for in situ stress estimation are also discussed and it is shown how televiewer data can overcome such limitations.Finally,the in situ stress results obtained from televiewer data and borehole deformation analysis are compared with independent in situ stress measurements to show the robustness and reliability of the proposed methodology.

Formulation and procedure for in situ stress back-analysis from borehole strain changes measured during nearby underground excavation

Estimation of in situ stresses based on back-analysis of measured stress changes and displacements has become an alternative to the direct stress measurement methods.In order to help users conduct own measurement and analysis,this paper presents in detail a field stress back-analysis approach directly from borehole strain changes measured during nearby underground excavation.Essential formulations in major steps and the procedure for the entire analysis process are provided to allow users to follow.The instrument for borehole strain change measurement can be the CSIR or CSIRO stress cells and other borehole strain cells that can measure strains on borehole walls.Strain changes corresponding to the stress changes at a borehole location are calculated in borehole environment.The stress changes due to nearby excavation can be calculated by an analytical model for a single circular opening and simulated by a numerical model for non-circular and multiple openings.These models are based on isotropic,homogeneous and linear elastic assumptions.The analysis of borehole strain changes is accomplished by multiple linear regression based on error minimization and an integrated process provides the best-fit solution directly to the in situ stresses.A statistical technique is adopted for screening outliers in the measurement data,checking measurement compatibility and evaluating the reliability of analysis results.An application example is included to demonstrate the practical application and the analysis procedure.

In Situ Stress Measurements in the Lhasa Terrane,Tibetan Plateau,China

the India and Eurasia plates. Knowledge of the stress state is critical to evaluate the crustal stability and the design of underground excavations. Because of the limitations imposed by natural conditions, little research has been performed on the present crustal in situ stress in the Tibetan Plateau, and further study is imperative. In this study, hydraulic fracturing measurements were conducted in Nyching County （LZX） and Lang County （LX）, Lhasa terrane to characterize the shallow crustal stress state. The results indicate that the stress state in the LZX borehole is markedly different from that in the LX borehole, in both magnitude and orientation. At the same measurement depths, the magnitudes of horizontal principal stresses in the LX borehole are 1.5–3.0 times larger than those in the LZX borehole. The stress regime in the LX borehole favors reverse faulting characterized by SH〉Sh〉Sv, where SH, Sh, and Sv are maximum horizontal, minimum horizontal, and vertical principal stresses, respectively. The SH and Sh values are approximately three and two times greater than Sv. Fracture impression results reveal that SH in the LX borehole are predominantly N–S, while in the LZX borehole the maximum horizontal principal stress is mainly in the NNE-direction. The heterogeneity of the regional stress state might be a result of the population and distribution of local structures and seismic activities. The stress state in the LX borehole has exceeded the critical state of failure equilibrium, and there is an optimally orientated pre-existing fault near the borehole. It can be concluded that the optimally orientated fault is likely to be active when the stress has built up sufficiently to destroy the frictional equilibrium; it is suggested that research focus should be placed on this in future. The stress states in boreholes LZX and LX indicate uniformity of the regional stress field and diversity of the local stress fields resulting from the interactions among regional dynamic forces, tectonic stress field, and geological structures.

Estimation of the three-dimensional in situ stress field around a large deep underground cavern group near a valley

Understanding three-dimensional(3D)in situ stress field is of key importance for estimating the stability of large deep underground cavern groups near valleys.However,the complete 3D in situ stress fields around large deep underground cavern groups are difficult to determine based on in situ stress data from a limited number of measuring points due to the insufficient representativeness and unreliability of such measurements.In this study,an integrated approach for estimating the 3D in situ stress field around a large deep underground cavern group near a valley is developed based on incomplete in situ stress measurements and the stress-induced failures of tunnels excavated prior to the step excavation of the cavern group.This integrated approach is implemented via four interrelated and progressive basic steps,i.e.inference of the regional tectonic stress field direction,analyses of in situ stress characteristics and measurement reliability,regression-based in situ stress field analysis and reliability assessment,and modified in situ stress field analysis and reliability verification.The orientations and magnitudes of the 3D in situ stress field can be analyzed and obtained at a strategic level following these four basic steps.First,the tectonic stress field direction around the cavern group is deduced in accordance with the regional tectonic framework and verified using a regional crustal deformation velocity map.Second,the reliability of the in situ stress measurements is verified based on the locations and depths of stressinduced brittle failures in small tunnels(such as exploratory tunnels and pilot tunnels)within the excavation range of the cavern group.Third,considering the influences of the valley topography and major geological structures,the 3D in situ stress field is regressed using numerical simulation and multiple linear regression techniques based on the in situ stress measurements.Finally,the regressed in situ stress field is further modified and reverified based on the stress-induced brittle failures of small tunnels and the initial excavation of the cavern group.A case study of the Shuangjiangkou underground cavern group demonstrates that the proposed approach is reliable for estimating the 3D in situ stress fields of large deep underground cavern groups near valleys,thus contributing to the optimization of practical excavation and design of mitigating the instability of the surrounding rock masses during step excavations.

Three-Dimensional In Situ Stress-Field Simulations of Shale Gas Formations:A Case Study of the 5th Member of the Xujiahe Formation in the Xinchang Gas Field,West Sichuan Depression

This work established a geological model for the 5th member of the Xujiahe Formation（X5 member） in the Xinchang gas field of the West Sichuan Depression based on the lithological, structural and depositional properties, as well as logging and well completion data and drill-core observations. Rock mechanical parameters were calculated according to rock mechanic experiments and rock mechanic interpretations from logging data. We also calculated the magnitudes and orientations of the in situ stresses based on acoustic emission tests, differential strain tests, fracturing behaviour and logging interpretations as well as anisotropy logging tests, borehole-breakout measurements and well-log data. Additionally, the present stress field of the X5 member was simulated using finite element numerical（FEM） simulation methods. The numerical simulation results indicate that the distributions of lithology and fractures are key factors that influence the present stress field. The stress field in the study area is discontinuous as a result of fractures and faults in the central and eastern areas. Stress is concentrated at the end sections and bends of faults, but dissipates with distance away from both sides of the faults. A longitudinal profile clearly demonstrates the zonality and continuity of the stress field and an increase with depth. The differential stress distribution is relatively uniform; however, large deviations occur in fracture zones.

Predicting the present-day in situ stress distribution within the Yanchang Formation Chang 7 shale oil reservoir of Ordos Basin, central China

The Yanchang Formation Chang 7 oil-bearing layer of the Ordos Basin is important in China for producing shale oil.The present-day in situ stress state is of practical implications for the exploration and development of shale oil;however,few studies are focused on stress distributions within the Chang 7 reservoir.In this study,the present-day in situ stress distribution within the Chang 7 reservoir was predicted using the combined spring model based on well logs and measured stress data.The results indicate that stress magnitudes increase with burial depth within the Chang 7 reservoir.Overall,the horizontal maximum principal stress(SHmax),horizontal minimum principal stress(Shmin) and vertical stress(Sv) follow the relationship of Sv≥SHmax>Shmin,indicating a dominant normal faulting stress regime within the Chang 7 reservoir of Ordos Basin.Laterally,high stress values are mainly distributed in the northwestern parts of the studied region,while low stress values are found in the southeastern parts.Factors influencing stress distributions are also analyzed.Stress magnitudes within the Chang 7 reservoir show a positive linear relationship with burial depth.A larger value of Young's modulus results in higher stress magnitudes,and the differential horizontal stress becomes higher when the rock Young's modulus grows larger.

Impact of elliptical boreholes on in situ stress estimation from leak-off test data

We developed an inversion technique to determine in situ stresses for elliptical boreholes of arbitrary trajectory. In this approach, borehole geometry, drilling-induced fracture information, and other available leak-off test data were used to construct a mathematical model, which was in turn applied to finding the inverse of an overdetermined system of equations.The method has been demonstrated by a case study in the Appalachian Basin, USA. The calculated horizontal stresses are in reasonable agreement with the reported regional stress study of the area, although there are no field measurement data of the studied well for direct calibration. The results also indicate that 2% of axis difference in the elliptical borehole geometry can cause a 5% difference in minimum horizontal stress calculation and a 10% difference in maximum horizontal stress calculation.

3D numerical simulation of heterogeneous in situ stress field in low-permeability reservoirs

Analysis of the in situ stress orientation and magnitude in the No.4 Structure of Nanpu Sag was performed on the basis of data obtained from borehole breakout and acoustic emission measurements.On the basis of mechanical experiments,logging interpretation,and seismic data,a 3 D geological model and heterogeneous rock mechanics field of the reservoir were constructed.Finite element simulation techniques were then used for the detailed prediction of the 3 D stress field.The results indicated that the maximum horizontal stress orientation in the study area was generally NEE-SWW trending,with significant changes in the in situ stress orientation within and between fault blocks.Along surfaces and profiles,stress magnitudes were discrete and the in situ stress belonged to theⅠa-type.Observed inter-strata differences were characterized as five different types of in situ stress profile.Faults were the most important factor causing large distributional differences in the stress field of reservoirs within the complex fault blocks.The next important influence on the stress field was the reservoir’s rock mechanics parameters,which impacted on the magnitudes of in situ stress magnitudes.This technique provided a theoretical basis for more efficient exploration and development of low-permeability reservoirs within complex fault blocks.

Time-sensitivity of the Kaiser effect of acoustic emission in limestone and its application to measurements of in-situ stress

Measuring in-situ stress by using the Kaiser effect in rocks has such advantages as timeefficiency, low cost and little limitation, but the precision of the method is dependent on rock properties and delay time of the measurement. In this paper, experiments on the Kaiser effect in limestones were performed, and it was found that the limestones had good ability to retain a memory of their recent stress history and high time-sensitivity. The longer the experiment was delayed from the extraction of the stone, the larger the Felicity ratio was. As the Felicity ratio approached l, significant Kaiser effect was observed. In-situ stress should be determined by the limestone measurements when the delay time was 40-120 days. Finally, the in-situ stress in a limestone formation could be successfully measured in practice.

Measurements of in situ stress and mining-induced stress in Beiminghe Iron Mine of China

In order to obtain the distribution rules of in situ stress and mining-induced stress of Beiminghe Iron Mine, the stress relief method by overcoring was used to measure the in situ stress, and the MC type bore-hole stress gauge was adopted to measure the mining-induced stress. In the in situ stress measuring, the technique of improved hollow inclusion cells was adopted, which can realize complete temperature compensation. Based on the measuring results, the distribution model of in situ stress was established and analyzed. The in situ stress measuring result shows that the maximum horizontal stress is 1.75-2.45 times of vertical stress and almost 1.83 times of the minimum horizontal stress in this mineral field. And the mining-induced stress measuring result shows that, according to the magnitude of front abutment pressure the stress region can be separated into stress-relaxed area, stress- concentrated area and initial stress area. At the -50 m mining level of this mine, the range of stress-relaxed area is 0-3 m before mining face; the range of stress-concentrated area is 3-55 m before mining face, and the maximum mining-induced stress is 16.5-17.5 MPa, which is 15-20 m from the mining face. The coefficient of stress concentration is 1.85.

Effects of in-situ stress on the stability of a roadway excavated through a coal seam

Roadways excavated through a coal seam can exert an adverse effect on roadway stability. To investigate the effects of in-situ stress on roadway stability, numerical models were built and high horizontal stresses at varying orientations were applied. The results indicate that stress concentrations, roadway deformation and failure increase in magnitude and extent as the excavation angle with respect to the maximum horizontal stress increases. In addition, the stress adjacent to the coal-rock interface sharply varies in space and evolves with time; coal is much more vulnerable to deformation and failure than rock.The results provide insights into the layout of roadways excavated through a coal seam. Roadways should be designed parallel or at a narrow angle to the maximum horizontal stress. The concentrated stress at the top corner of the face-end should be reduced in advance, and the coal seam should be reinforced immediately after excavation.

Piezomagnetic In-situ Stress Monitoring and its Application in the Longmenshan Fault Zone

The relative change of in-situ stress is an inevitable outcome of differential movement among the crust plates. Conversely, changes of in-situ stress can also lead to deformation and instability of crustal rock mass, trigger activity of faults, and induce earthquakes. Hence, monitoring real-time change of in-situ stress is of great significance. Piezomagnetic in-situ stress monitoring has good and longtime applications in large engineering constructions and geoscience study fields in China. In this paper, the new piezomagnetic in-situ stress monitoring system is introduced and it not only has overall improvements in measuring cell＇s structure and property, stressing and orienting way, but also enhances integration and intelligence of control and data transmission system, in general, which greatly promotes installing efficiency of measuring probe and quality of monitoring data. This paper also discusses the responses of new piezomagnetic system in large earthquake events of in-situ stress monitoring station at Qiaoqi of Baoxing and Wenxian of Gansu. The monitoring data reflect adjustments and changes of tectonic stress field at the southwestern segment of and the northern area near the Longmenshan fault zone, which shows that the new system has a good performance and application prospect in the geoscience field. Data of the Qiaoqi stress-monitoring station manifest that the Lushan Earthquake did not release stress of the southwestern segment of the Longmenshan fault zone adequately and there still probably exists seismic risk in this region in the future. Combined with absolute in-situ stress measurement, carrying out long-term in-situ stress monitoring in typical tectonic position of important regions is of great importance for researchers to assess and study regional crust stability.

DDM regression analysis of the in-situ stress field in a non-linear fault zone

A multivariable regression analysis of the in-situ stress field, which considers the non-linear deformation behavior of faults in practical projects, is presented based on a newly developed three-dimensional displacement discontinuity method （DDM） program. The Bar- ton-Bandis model and the Kulhaway model are adopted as the normal and the tangential deformation model of faults, respectively, where the Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion is satisfied. In practical projects, the values of the mechanical parameters of rock and faults are restricted in a bounded range for in-situ test, and the optimal mechanical parameters are obtained from this range by a loop. Comparing with the traditional finite element method （FEM）, the DDM regression results are more accurate.

Preliminary Results of In-situ Stress Measurements along the Longmenshan Fault Zone after the Wenchuan M_s 8.0 Earthquake

Four months after the Wenchuan Ms 8 earthquake in western Sichuan, China, in situ stress measurements were carried out along the Longmenshan fault zone with the purpose of obtaining stress parameters for earthquake hazard assessment. In-situ stresses were measured in three new boreholes by using overcoring with the piezomagnetic stress gauges for shallow depths and hydraulic fracturing for lower depths. The maximum horizontal stress in shallow depths （-20 m） is about 4.3 MPa, oriented N19°E, in the epicenter area at Yingxiu Town, about 9.7 MPa, oriented N51°W, at Baoxing County in the southwestern Longmenshan range, and about 2.6 MPa, oriented N39°E, near Kangding in the southernmost zone of the Longmenshan range. Hydraulic fracturing at borehole depths from 100 to 400 m shows a tendency towards increasing stress with depth. A comparison with the results measured before the Wenchuan earthquake along the Longmenshan zone and in the Tibetan Plateau demonstrates that the stress level remains relatively high in the southwestern segment of the Longmenshan range, and is still moderate in the epicenter zone. These results provide a key appraisal for future assessment of earthquake hazards of the Longmenshan fault zone and the aftershock occurrences of the Wenchuan earthquake.

Advance of in-situ stress measurement in China

In-situ stress is an essential parameter for design and construction of most engineering projects that involve excavation in rocks. Progress in in-situ stress measurement from the 1950s in China is briefly introduced. Stress relief by overcoring technique and hydraulic fracturing： technique are the two main techniques for in-situ stress measurement in China at present. To make them suitable for application at great depth and to increase their measuring reliability and accuracy, a series of techniques have been developed. Applications and achievements of in-situ stress measurement in Chinese rock engineering, including mining, geotechnical and hydropower engineering, and earthquake prediction, are introduced. Suggestions for further development of in-situ stress measurement are also proposed.

Characteristics of in-situ stress and its controls on coalbed methane development in the southeastern Qinshui Basin,North China

In-situ stress is a key reservoir parameter to evaluate reservoir permeability,hydraulic fractures,coal seam deformation and coalbed methane(CBM)recovery.With limited CBM test wells in the Zhengzhuang field,southeast of the Qinshui basin,North China,the in-situ stress data is inadequate for CBM exploration and development.It is necessary to find a method to predicate in-situ stress through other exploration data such as geophysical well loggings.In this study,we provide a new well-logging databased model to predicate the in-situ stress based on 17 sets of well test data and comprehensive logging data.As a distinguished characteristic of this model,different structural compartmentalization of CBM reservoirs was considered.A regional adaptive residual strain index was introduced to the model.Based on the model,the in-situ stress distribution in the Zhengzhuang field were evaluated systematically,and the influences of in-situ stress on permeability and the propagation of hydro-fractures were discussed.Results indicate that the magnitude of the maximum(S_(Hmax),14.19e45.40 MPa)and minimum horizontal stresses(Shmin,10.62e28.38 MPa)and the gravitational stress(Sv,9.58e30.82 MPa)all show positive correlations with burial depths.The in-situ stress fields in the study area are characterized by 1)SHmax>Sv>Shmin in shallow layers(<700 m),indicating a dominant strike-slip faulting stress regime;2)Sv z S_(Hmax)>S_(hmin)and S_(Hmax)>Sv>S_(hmin)in the depth of 700e1050 m,suggesting a transformed regime;and 3)S_(Hmax)>Sv>S_(hmin)in deep layers(>1050 m),indicating a strike-slip faulting stress regime.The S_(Hmax)in the study area is orientated by NE-SW,with a trend of 40e49.Resulted from the change of the in-situ stress regimes from shallow(500 m)to deep layers(~1000 m),the reservoir permeability variation shows a typical increase followed by decrease.The presence of natural fractures significantly affect the propagation pattern of hydraulic fractures,and the length difference between the major and branch fractures increases with increasing stress anisotropy in the Zhengzhuang field.

Characteristics of in situ stress field at Qingshui coal mine

In this study, the characteristics of geological structure at Qingshui coal mine were analyzed. And the hollow inclusion strain cell overcoring method was used to obtain the in situ stress. The effect of in situ stress on the stability of soft rock roadway was analyzed. The results show that the maximum principal stress is in the horizontal direction with a northeast orientation and has a value of about 1.2–1.9 times larger than gravity; the right side of roadway roof and floor is easily subject to serious deformation and failure, and the in situ stress is found to be a major factor. This paper presents important information for developing countermeasures against the large deformation of the soft rock roadway at Qingshui coal mine.

Measurement and study of the distributing law of in-situ stresses in rock mass at great depth

To solve the technical cruxes of the conventional system in deep rock mass, an automatic testing system for hydraulic fracturing that includes a single tube for hydraulic loop, a pressure-relief valve, central-tubeless packers, and a multichannel real-time data acquisition system was used for in-situ stresses measurement at great depths （over 1000 m） in a coalfield in Juye of Northern China. The values and orientations of horizontal principal stresses were determined by the new system. The virgin stress field and its distributing law were decided by the linear regression from the logged 37 points in seven boreholes. Besides, the typical boreholes arranged in both the adjacent zone and far away zone of the faults were analyzed, respectively. The results show that a stress concentration phenomenon and a deflection in the orientation of the maximal horizontal stress exist in the adjacent zone of the faults, which further provides theoretical basis for design and optimization of mining.

Process Analysis of In-situ Strain during the M_s8.0 Wenchuan Earthquake—Data from the Stress Monitoring Station at Shandan

There were huge life and property losses during the Ms8.0 Wenchuan earthquake on May 12, 2008. Strain fluctuation curves were completely recorded at stress observatory stations in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau and its surroundings in the process of the earthquake. This paper introduces the geological background of the Wenchuan earthquake and the profile of in-situ stress monitoring stations. In particular, data of 174 earthquakes （Ms4.0-Ms8.5） were processed and analyzed with various methods, which were recorded at the Shandan station from August 2007 to December 2008. The results were compared with other seismic data, and further analyses were done for the recoded strain seismic waves, co-seismic strain stepovers, pre-earthquake strain valleys, Earth＇s free oscillations before and after the earthquake and their physical implications. During the Wenchuan earthquake, the strainmeter recorded a huge extensional strain of 70 seconds, which shows that the Wenchuan earthquake is a rupture process predominated by thrusting. Significant precursory strain anomalies were detected 48 hours, 30 hours, 8 hours and 37 minutes before the earthquake. The anomalies are very high and their forms are very similar to that of the main shock. Similar anomalies can also be found in strain curves of other shocks greater than Ms7.0, indicating that such anomalies are prevalent before a great earthquake. In this paper, it is shown that medium aftershocks （Ms5.5- 6.0） can also cause Earth＇s free oscillations. Study of free oscillations is of great significance to understand the internal structure of the Earth and focal mechanisms of earthquakes and to recognize slow shocks, thus providing a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of geological disasters and the prediction of future earthquakes.