Effect of high-multiple water injection on rock pore structure and oil displacement efficiency

Experimental methods,including mercury pressure,nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR)and core(wateroil)displacement,are used to examine the effects of high-multiple water injection(i.e.water injection with high injected pore volume)on rock properties,pore structure and oil displacement efficiency of an oilfield in the western South China Sea.The results show an increase in the permeability of rocks along with particle migration,an increase in the pore volume and the average pore throat radius,and enhanced heterogeneity after high-multiple water injection.Compared with normal water injection methods,a high-multiple water injection is more effective in improving the oil displacement efficiency.The degree of recovery increases faster in the early stage due to the expansion of the swept area,and the transition from oil-wet to water-wet.The degree of recovery increases less in the late stage due to various factors,including the enhancement of heterogeneity in the rocks.Considering both the economic aspect and the production limit of water flooding,it is recommended to adopt other technologies to further enhance oil recovery after 300 PV water injection.

Numerical investigation of the mechanical behavior of the backfill–rock composite structure under triaxial compression

To ensure safe and economical backfill mining,the mechanical response of the backfill–rock interaction system needs to be understood.The numerical investigation of the mechanical behavior of backfill–rock composite structure(BRCS)under triaxial compression,which includes deformation,failure patterns,strength characteristics,and acoustic emission(AE)evolution,was proposed.The models used in the tests have one rough interface,two cement–iron tailings ratios(CTRs),four interface angles(IAs),and three confining pressures(CPs).Results showed that the deformation,strength characteristics,and failure patterns of BRCS under triaxial compression depend on IA,CP,and CTR.The stress–strain curves of BRCS under triaxial compression could be divided into five stages,namely,compaction,elasticity,yield,strain softening,and residual stress.The relevant AE counts have corresponding relationships with different stages.The triaxial compressive strengths of composites increase linearly with the increase of the CP.Furthermore,the CP stress strengthening effect occurs.When the IAs are45°and 60°,the failure areas of composites appear in the interface and backfill.When the IAs are 75°and 90°,the failure areas of composites appear in the backfill,interface,and rock.Moreover,the corresponding failure modes yield the combined shear failure.The research results provide the basis for further understanding of the stability of the BRCS.

Testing method of rock structural plane using digital drilling

The rock mass consists of rock blocks and structural planes,which can reduce its integrity and strength.Therefore,accurately obtaining the characteristics of the rock mass structural plane is a prerequisite for evaluating stability and designing supports in underground engineering.Currently,there are no effective testing methods for the characteristic parameters of the rock mass structural plane in underground engineering.The paper presents the digital drilling technology as a new testing method of rock mass structural planes.Flawed rock specimens with cracks of varying widths and angles were used to simulate the rock mass structural planes,and the multifunctional rock mass digital drilling test system was employed to carry out the digital drilling tests.The analysis focuses on the variation laws of drilling parameters,such as drilling pressure and drilling torque,affected by the characteristics of prefabricated cracks,and clarifies the degradation mechanism of rock equivalent compressive strength.Additionally,an identification model for the characteristic parameters of rock mass structural planes during drilling is established.The test results indicate that the average difference of the characteristics of prefabricated cracks identified by the equivalent compressive strength is 2.45°and 0.82 mm,respectively.The identification model while drilling is verified to be correct due to the high identification accuracy.Based on this,a method for testing the characteristic parameters of the surrounding rock structural plane while drilling is proposed.The research offers a theoretical and methodological foundation for precise in situ identification of structural planes of the surrounding rock in underground engineering.

Effect of pore structure on seismic rock-physics characteristics of dense carbonates

The Ordovician carbonate rocks of the Yingshan formation in the Tarim Basin have a complex pore structure owing to diagenetic and secondary structures. Seismic elastic parameters（e.g., wave velocity） depend on porosity and pore structure. We estimated the average specific surface, average pore-throat radius, pore roundness, and average aspect ratio of carbonate rocks from the Tazhong area. High P-wave velocity samples have small average specific surface, small average pore-throat radius, and large average aspect ratio. Differences in the pore structure of dense carbonate samples lead to fluid-related velocity variability. However, the relation between velocity dispersion and average specific surface, or the average aspect ratio, is not linear. For large or small average specific surface, the pore structure of the rock samples becomes uniform, which weakens squirt fl ow and minimizes the residuals of ultrasonic data and predictions with the Gassmann equation. When rigid dissolved（casting mold） pores coexist with less rigid microcracks, there are significant P-wave velocity differences between measurements and predictions.

Anisotropic rock physics models for interpreting pore structures in carbonate reservoirs

We developed an anisotropic effective theoretical model for modeling the elastic behavior of anisotropic carbonate reservoirs by combining the anisotropic self-consistent approximation and differential effective medium models.By analyzing the measured data from carbonate samples in the TL area,a carbonate pore-structure model for estimating the elastic parameters of carbonate rocks is proposed,which is a prerequisite in the analysis of carbonate reservoirs.A workflow for determining elastic properties of carbonate reservoirs is established in terms of the anisotropic effective theoretical model and the pore-structure model.We performed numerical experiments and compared the theoretical prediction and measured data.The result of the comparison suggests that the proposed anisotropic effective theoretical model can account for the relation between velocity and porosity in carbonate reservoirs.The model forms the basis for developing new tools for predicting and evaluating the properties of carbonate reservoirs.

The constructing of pore structure factor in carbonate rocks and the inversion of reservoir parameters

With a more complex pore structure system compared with clastic rocks, carbonate rocks have not yet been well described by existing conventional rock physical models concerning the pore structure vagary as well as the influence on elastic rock properties. We start with a discussion and an analysis about carbonate rock pore structure utilizing rock slices. Then, given appropriate assumptions, we introduce a new approach to modeling carbonate rocks and construct a pore structure algorithm to identify pore structure mutation with a basis on the Gassmann equation and the Eshelby-Walsh ellipsoid inclusion crack theory. Finally, we compute a single well＇s porosity using this new approach with full wave log data and make a comparison with the predicted result of traditional method and simultaneously invert for reservoir parameters. The study results reveal that the rock pore structure can significantly influence the rocks＇ elastic properties and the predicted porosity error of the new modeling approach is merely 0.74%. Therefore, the approach we introduce can effectively decrease the predicted error of reservoir parameters.

Rock mass structural recognition from drill monitoring technology in underground mining using discontinuity index and machine learning techniques

A procedure to recognize individual discontinuities in rock mass from measurement while drilling(MWD)technology is developed,using the binary pattern of structural rock characteristics obtained from in-hole images for calibration.Data from two underground operations with different drilling technology and different rock mass characteristics are considered,which generalizes the application of the methodology to different sites and ensures the full operational integration of MWD data analysis.Two approaches are followed for site-specific structural model building:a discontinuity index(DI)built from variations in MWD parameters,and a machine learning(ML)classifier as function of the drilling parameters and their variability.The prediction ability of the models is quantitatively assessed as the rate of recognition of discontinuities observed in borehole logs.Differences between the parameters involved in the models for each site,and differences in their weights,highlight the site-dependence of the resulting models.The ML approach offers better performance than the classical DI,with recognition rates in the range 89%to 96%.However,the simpler DI still yields fairly accurate results,with recognition rates 70%to 90%.These results validate the adaptive MWD-based methodology as an engineering solution to predict rock structural condition in underground mining operations.

Dynamic damage evolution of bank slopes with serrated structural planes considering the deteriorated rock mass and frequent reservoirinduced earthquakes

To investigate the dynamic damage evolution characteristics of bank slopes with serrated structural planes,the shaking table model test and the numerical simulation were utilized.The main findings indicate that under continuous seismic loads,the deformation of the bank slope increased,particularly around the hydro-fluctuation belt,accompanying by the pore water pressure rising.The soil pressure increased and then decreased showed dynamic variation characteristics.As the undulation angle of the serrated structural planes increased(30°, 45°, and 60°),the failure modes were climbing,climbinggnawing,and gnawing respectively.The first-order natural frequency was used to calculate the damage degree(Dd)of the bank slope.During microseisms and small earthquakes,it was discovered that the evolution of Dd followed the“S”shape,which was fitted by a logic function.Additionally,the quadratic function was used to fit the Dd during moderately strong earthquakes.Through the numerical simulation,the variation characteristics of safety factors(Sf)for slopes with serrated structural planes and slopes with straight structural planes were compared.Under continuous seismic loads,the Sf of slopes with straight structural planes reduce stalely,whereas the Sf for slopes with serrated structural planes was greater than the former and the reduction rate was increasing.

Structure Styles of Mesozoic-Cenozoic U-bearing Rock Series in Northern China

In Northern China, sandstone-type uranium （U） deposits are mostly developed in Mesozoic-Cenozoic basins. These U deposits are usually hosted in unvarying horizons within the basins and exhibit typical U-forming sedimentary associations, which is referred to as U-bearing rock series. This study describes the structural features of U-bearing rock series within the main Mesozoic-Cenozoic U-producing continental basins in Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and Russia in the western segment of the Central Asian Metallogenic Belt （CAMB）, and Northern China in the eastern segment of the CAMB. We analyze the basic structural conditions and sedimentary environments of U-bearing rock series in Northern China and classify their structural styles in typical basins into river valley, basin margin, and intrabasin uplift margin types. The intrabasin uplift margin structural style proposed in this study can be used to indicate directions for the exploration of sandstone-type U deposits hosted in the center of a basin. At the same time, the study of structural style provides a new idea for exploring sandstone-type U deposits in Mesozoic-Cenozoic basins and it is of great significance to prospecting of sandstone-type uranium deposits.

Rock Damage Structure of the South Longmen-Shan Fault in the 2008 M8 Wenchuan Earthquake Viewed with Fault-Zone Trapped Waves and Scientific Drilling

This article is to review results from scientific drilling and fault-zone trapped waves （FZTWs） at the south Longman-Shan fault （LSF） zone that ruptured in the 2008 May 12 M8 Wenchuan earthquake in Sichuan,China.Immediately after the mainshock,two Wenchuan Fault Scientific Drilling （WFSD） boreholes were drilled at WFSD-1 and WFSD-2 sites approximately 400 m and 1 km west of the surface rupture along the Yinxiu-Beichuan fault （YBF）,the middle fault strand of the south LSF zone.Two boreholes met the principal slip of Wenchuan earthquake along the YBF at depths of 589-m and 1230-m,respectively.The slip is accompanied with a 100-200-m-wide zone consisting of fault gouge,breccia,cataclasite and fractures.Close to WFSD-1 site,the nearly-vertical slip of ～4.3-m with a 190-m wide zone of highly fractured rocks restricted to the hanging wall of the YBF was found at the ground surface after the Wenchuan earthquake.A dense linear seismic array was deployed across the surface rupture at this venue to record FZTWs generated by aftershocks.Observations and 3-D finite-difference simulations of FZTWs recorded at this cross-fault array and network stations close to the YBF show a distinct low-velocity zone composed by severely damaged rocks along the south LSF at seismogenic depths.The zone is several hundred meters wide along the principal slip,within which seismic velocities are reduced by ～30-55％ from wall-rock velocities and with the maximum velocity reduction in the ～200-m-wide rupture core zone at shallow depth.The FZTW-inferred geometry and physical properties of the south LSF rupture zone at shallow depth are in general consistent with the results from petrological and structural analyses of cores and well log at WFSD boreholes.We interpret this remarkable low-velocity zone as being a break-down zone during dynamic rupture in the 2008 M8 earthquake.We examined the FZTWS generated by similar earthquakes before and after the 2008 mainshock and observed that seismic velocities within fault core zone was reduced by ～10％ due to severe damage of fault rocks during the M8 mainshock.Scientific drilling and locations of aftershocks generating prominent FZTWs also indicate rupture bifurcation along the YBF and the Anxian-Guangxian fault （AGF）,two strands of the south LSF at shallow depth.A combination of seismic,petrologic and geologic study at the south LSF leads to further understand the relationship between the fault-zone structure and rupture dynamics,and the amplification of ground shaking strength along the low-velocity fault zone due to its waveguide effect.

Structure instability forecasting and analysis of giant rock pillars in steeply dipping thick coal seams

Structure stability analysis of rock masses is essential for forecasting catastrophic structure failure in coal seam mining. Steeply dipping thick coal seams （SDTCS） are common in the Urumqi coalfield, and some dynamical hazards such as roof collapse and mining-induced seismicity occur frequently in the coal mines. The cause of these events is mainly structure instability in giant rock pillars sand- wiched between SDTCS. Developing methods to predict these events is important for safe mining in such a complex environment. This study focuses on understanding the structural mechanics model of a giant rock pillar and presents a viewpoint of the stability of a trend sphenoid fractured beam （TSFB）. Some stability index parameters such as failure surface dips were measured, and most dips were observed to be between 46° and 51°. We used a digital panoramic borehole monitoring system to measure the TSFB＇s height （△H）, which varied from 56.37 to 60.50 m. Next, FLAC^3D was used to model the distribution and evolution of vertical displacement in the giant rock pillars; the results confirmed the existence of a TSFB structure. Finally, we investigated the acoustic emission （AE） energy accumulation rate and observed that the rate commonly ranged from 20 to 40 kJ/min. The AE energy accumulation rate could be used to anticipate impeding seismic events related to structure failure. The results presented provide a useful approach for forecasting catastrophic events related to structure instability and for developing hazard prevention technology for mining in SDTCS.

Seismic evaluation of rocking structures through performance assessment and fragility analysis

Numerical studies have been conducted for low- and medium-rise rocking structures to investigate their efficiency as earthquake-resisting systems in comparison with conventional structures. Several non-linear time-history analyses have been performed to evaluate seismic performance of selected cases at desired ground shaking levels, based on key parameters such as total and flexural story drifts and residual deformations. The Far-field record set is selected as input ground motions and median peak values of key parameters are taken as best estimates of system response. In addition, in order to evaluate the probability of exceeding relevant damage states, analytical fragility curves have been developed based on the results of the incremental dynamic analysis procedure. Small exceedance probabilities and acceptable margins against collapse, together with minor associated damages in main structural members, can be considered as superior seismic performance for medium-rise rocking systems. Low-rise rocking systems could provide significant performance improvement over their conventional counterparts notwithstanding certain weaknesses in their seismic response.

Deep learning based classification of rock structure of tunnel face

The automated interpretation of rock structure can improve the efficiency,accuracy,and consistency of the geological risk assessment of tunnel face.Because of the high uncertainties in the geological images as a result of different regional rock types,as well as in-situ conditions(e.g.,temperature,humidity,and construction procedure),previous automated methods have limited performance in classification of rock structure of tunnel face during construction.This paper presents a framework for classifying multiple rock structures based on the geological images of tunnel face using convolutional neural networks(CNN),namely Inception-ResNet-V2(IRV2).A prototype recognition system is implemented to classify 5 types of rock structures including mosaic,granular,layered,block,and fragmentation structures.The proposed IRV2 network is trained by over 35,000 out of 42,400 images extracted from over 150 sections of tunnel faces and tested by the remaining 7400 images.Furthermore,different hyperparameters of the CNN model are introduced to optimize the most efficient algorithm parameter.Among all the discussed models,i.e.,ResNet-50,ResNet-101,and Inception-v4,Inception-ResNet-V2 exhibits the best performance in terms of various indicators,such as precision,recall,F-score,and testing time per image.Meanwhile,the model trained by a large database can obtain the object features more comprehensively,leading to higher accuracy.Compared with the original image classification method,the sub-image method is closer to the reality considering both the accuracy and the perspective of error divergence.The experimental results reveal that the proposed method is optimal and efficient for automated classification of rock structure using the geological images of the tunnel face.

Numerical investigation of effect of eccentric decoupled charge structure on blasting-induced rock damage

Eccentric decoupling blasting is commonly used in underground excavation.Determination of perimeter hole parameters(such as the blasthole diameter,spacing,and burden)based on an eccentric charge structure is vital for achieving an excellent smooth blasting effect.In this paper,the Riedel-Hiermaier-Thoma(RHT)model was employed to study rock mass damage under smooth blasting.Firstly,the parameters of the RHT model were calibrated by using the existing SHPB experiment,which were then verified by the existing blasting experiment results.Secondly,the influence of different charge structures on the blasting effect was investigated using the RHT model.The simulation results indicated that eccentric charge blasting has an obvious pressure eccentricity effect.Finally,to improve the blasting effect,the smooth blasting parameters were optimized based on an eccentric charge structure.The overbreak and underbreak phenomena were effectively controlled,and a good blasting effect was achieved with the optimized blasting parameters.

Slope structures and formation of rock–soil aggregate landslides in deeply incised valleys

Rock–soil aggregate landslides(RSALs) are a common geological hazard in deeply incised valleys in southwestern China. Large-scale RSALs are widely distributed in the upper reaches of the Dadu River, Danba County, Sichuan Province, and are influenced by slope structure, which can be divided into open, lock, strip, and dumbbell types, as well as soil type and meso-structure, which can be classified as layered rock–soil aggregate, block-soil, and grainsoil. In this study, the evolution of four types of structures, such as layered-dumbbell, block-soil lock, banded block-soil, and block-soil open types, were analyzed by field surveys, surface and deep displacement monitoring, and Flac3 D. It was found that the Danba reach of the Dadu River showed incised valley through the evolution from wide to slow valley affected by internal and external geological processes since the Quaternary Glaciation. In the layered-dumbbell rock–soil aggregate, the main sliding pattern is multi-stage sliding at different depths. Circular sliding in the trailing edge and plane sliding along the bedrock in the front edge body occurin the block-soil-lock type aggregate. Large-scale multi-level and circular sliding over long distances occur in the banded block-soil aggregate. The blocksoil open type is stable, with only circular sliding occurring in local and shallow surfaces of the body. The monitoring and numerical simulation results further show that slope structure and regularity have diversified with RSALs. The results provide a basis for analyzing the stability mechanism of RSALs and preventing RSALs in deeply incised valleys.

The cooling effect of crushed rock structures on permafrost under an embankment

Based on the analysis and comparison of soil temperature, thermal regime and permafrost table under the experimental embankment of crushed rock structures in Beiluhe, results show that crushed rock structures provide an extensive cooling effect, which produces a rising permafrost table and decreasing soil temperatures. The rise of the permafrost table under the embankment ranges from an increase of 1.08 m to 1.67 m, with an average of 1.27 m from 2004 to 2007. Mean annual soil temperatures under the crushed rock layer embankment decreased significantly from 2005 to 2007, with average decreases of ?1.03 °C at the depth of 0.5 m, ?1.14 °C at the depth of 1.5 m, and ?0.5 °C at the depth of 5 m. During this period, mean annual soil temperatures under the crushed rock cover embankment showed a slight decrease at shallow depths, with an average decrease of ?0.2 °C at the depth of 0.5 m and 1.5 m, but a slight rise at the depth of 5 m. After the crushed rock structures were closed or crammed with sand, the cooling effect of the crushed rock layer embankment was greatly reduced and that of the crushed rock cover embankment was just slightly reduced.

Impact of effective stress on permeability for carbonate fractured-vuggy rocks

To gain insight into the flow mechanisms and stress sensitivity for fractured-vuggy reservoirs,several core models with different structural characteristics were designed and fabricated to investigate the impact of effective stress on permeability for carbonate fractured-vuggy rocks(CFVR).It shows that the permeability performance curves under different pore and confining pressures(i.e.altered stress conditions)for the fractured core models and the vuggy core models have similar change patterns.The ranges of permeability variation are significantly wider at high pore pressures,indicating that permeability reduction is the most significant during the early stage of development for fractured-vuggy reservoirs.Since each obtained effective stress coefficient for permeability(ESCP)varies with the changes in confining pressure and pore pressure,the effective stresses for permeability of four representative CFVR show obvious nonlinear characteristics,and the variation ranges of ESCP are all between 0 and 1.Meanwhile,a comprehensive ESCP mathematical model considering triple media,including matrix pores,fractures,and dissolved vugs,was proposed.It is proved theoretically that the ESCP of CFVR generally varies between 0 and 1.Additionally,the regression results showed that the power model ranked highest among the four empirical models mainly applied in stress sensitivity characterization,followed by the logarithmic model,exponential model,and binomial model.The concept of“permeability decline rate”was introduced to better evaluate the stress sensitivity performance for CFVR,in which the one-fracture rock is the strongest,followed by the fracture-vug rock and two-horizontalfracture rock;the through-hole rock is the weakest.In general,this study provides a theoretical basis to guide the design of development and adjustment programs for carbonate fractured-vuggy reservoirs.

Prediction of multiscale laminae structure and reservoir quality in fine-grained sedimentary rocks:The Permian Lucaogou Formation in Jimusar Sag,Junggar Basin

Fine-grained sedimentary rocks have become a research focus as important reservoirs and source rocks for tight and shale oil and gas.Laminae development determines the accumulation and production of tight and shale oil and gas in fine-grained rocks.However,due to the resolution limit of conventional logs,it is challenging to recognize the features of centimeter-scale laminae.To close this gap,complementary studies,including core observation,thin section,X-ray diffraction(XRD),conventional log analysis,and slabs of image logs,were conducted to unravel the centimeter-scale laminae.The laminae recognition models were built using well logs.The fine-grained rocks can be divided into laminated rocks(lamina thickness of<0.01 m),layered rocks(0.01-0.1 m),and massive rocks(no layer or layer spacing of>0.1 m)according to the laminae scale from core observations.According to the mineral superposition assemblages from thin-section observations,the laminated rocks can be further divided into binary,ternary,and multiple structures.The typical mineral components,slabs,and T2spectrum distributions of various lamina types are unraveled.The core can identify the centimeter-millimeter-scale laminae,and the thin section can identify the millimeter-micrometer-scale laminae.Furthermore,they can detect mineral types and their superposition sequence.Conventional logs can identify the meter-scale layers,whereas image logs and related slabs can identify the laminae variations at millimeter-centimeter scales.Therefore,the slab of image logs combined with thin sections can identify laminae assemblage characteristics,including the thickness and vertical assemblage.The identification and classification of lamina structure of various scales on a single well can be predicted using conventional logs,image logs,and slabs combined with thin sections.The layered rocks have better reservoir quality and oil-bearing potential than the massive and laminated rocks.The laminated rocks’binary lamina is better than the ternary and multiple layers due to the high content of felsic minerals.The abovementioned results build the prediction model for multiscale laminae structure using well logs,helping sweet spots prediction in the Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimusar Sag and fine-grained sedimentary rocks worldwide.

Mechanical characteristics of soil-rock mixtures containing macropore structure based on 3D modeling technology

Soil-rock mixtures containing macropore(SRMCM)is a kind of geological material with special mechanical properties.Located in the project area of Lenggu hydropower station on the Yalong River,Sichuan Province,China,there is an extremely unstable Mahe talus slide with a total volume of nearly160 million cubic meters,which is mainly composed of SRMCM.The study on the mechanical properties of SRMCM is of great significance for the engineering construction and safe operation.In this paper,laboratory tests and discrete element numerical tests based on three-dimensional scanning technology were conducted to study the influence of stone content,stone size,and the angle of the macropore structure on shear characteristics of SRMCM.The failure mechanism of SRMCM was discussed from a microscopic perspective.This work explains the internal mechanism of the influence of stone content,stone size,and the angle of the macropore structure on the strength of SRMCM through the microscopic level of stone rotation,force chain distribution,and crack propagation.As the macropore structure that intersects with the preset shear plane at a large angle could act as a skeleton-like support to resist the shear force,the fracture of the weak cemented surface of soil and stone in the macropore structure is an important cause of SRMCM destruction.

Determining relative block structure rating for rock erodibility evaluation in the case of non-orthogonal joint sets

The most commonly used method for assessing the hydraulic erodibility of rock is Annandale's method.This method is based on a correlation between the erosive force of flowing water and the capacity of rock resistance. This capacity is evaluated using Kirsten's index, which was initially developed to evaluate the excavatability of earth materials. For rocky material, this index is determined according to certain geomechanical factors related to intact rock and rock mass, such as compressive strength of intact rock, rock block size, discontinuity shear strength and relative block structure. To quantify the relative block structure, Kirsten(1982) developed a mathematical expression that accounts for the shape and orientation of the blocks relative to the direction of flow. Kirsten's initial concept for assessing the relative block structure considers that the geological formation is mainly fractured by two joint sets forming an orthogonally fractured system. An adjusted concept is proposed to determine the relative block structure when the fractured system is non-orthogonal where the angle between the planes of the two joint sets is greater or less than 90°. An analysis of the proposed relative block structure rating shows that considering a non-orthogonally fractured system has a significant effect on Kirsten's index and, as a consequence, on the assessment of the hydraulic erodibility of rock.