Characteristics of Rock Mechanics Response and Energy Evolution Regime of Deep Reservoirs in the Bozhong Sag,Bohai Bay Basin

Hydraulic fracturing is a mature and effectivemethod for deep oil and gas production,which provides a foundation for deep oil and gas production.One of the key aspects of implementing hydraulic fracturing technology lies in understanding mechanics response characteristics of rocks in deep reservoirs under complex stress conditions.In this work,based on outcrop core samples,high-stress triaxial compression tests were designed to simulate the rock mechanics behavior of deep reservoirs in Bozhong Sag.Additionally,this study analyzes the deformation and damage law for rock under different stress conditions.Wherein,with a particular focus on combining energy dissipation theory to further understand damage law for deep reservoirs.The experimental results show that regardless of stress conditions,the process of deformation/failure of deep-seated reservoirs goes through five stages:Fracture compaction,newfracture formation,stable fracture expansion,unstable fracture expansion,and post-peak residual deformation.Under different stress conditions,the energy change laws of specimens are similar.The energy dissipation process of rocks corresponds closely to the trend of deformation-failure curve,then displays distinctive stage characteristics.Wherein,in stage of rock fracture compaction,the input energy curve is approximately coincident with the elastic strain energy curve,while the dissipation energy curve remains near zero.With the increase of strain,the growth rate of elastic strain energy increases gradually,but with the deformation entering the crack propagation stage,the growth rate of elastic strain energy slows down and the dissipation energy increases gradually.Finally,in the post-peak stage,rock fracture releases a lot of energy,which leads to the sharp decline of elastic strain energy curve.In addition,the introduction of damage variable D quantifies the analysis of the extent of failure for rocks.During the process of increasing strain,rock damage exhibits nonlinear growth with increasing stress.

Porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling in the Sichuan Basin, SW China

To investigate the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale under temperature-pressure coupling, we selected the core samples of deep shale from the Lower Silurian Longmaxi Formation in the Weirong and Yongchuan areas of the Sichuan Basin for porosity and permeability experiments and a triaxial compression and sound wave integration experiment at the maximum temperature and pressure of 120 ℃ and 70 MPa. The results show that the microscopic porosity and permeability change and the macroscopic rock deformation are mutually constrained, both showing the trend of steep and then gentle variation. At the maximum temperature and pressure, the porosity reduces by 34%–71%, and the permeability decreases by 85%–97%. With the rising temperature and pressure, deep shale undergoes plastic deformation in which organic pores and clay mineral pores are compressed and microfractures are closed, and elastic deformation in which brittle mineral pores and rock skeleton particles are compacted. Compared with previous experiments under high confining pressure and normal temperature,the experiment under high temperature and high pressure coupling reveals the effect of high temperature on stress sensitivity of porosity and permeability. High temperature can increase the plasticity of the rock, intensify the compression of pores due to high confining pressure, and induce thermal stress between the rock skeleton particles, allowing the reopening of shale bedding or the creation of new fractures along weak planes such as bedding, which inhibits the decrease of permeability with the increase of temperature and confining pressure. Compared with the triaxial mechanical experiment at normal temperature, the triaxial compression experiment at high temperature and high pressure demonstrates that the compressive strength and peak strain of deep shale increase significantly due to the coupling of temperature and pressure. The compressive strength is up to 435 MPa and the peak strain exceeds 2%, indicating that high temperature is not conducive to fracture initiation and expansion by increasing rock plasticity. Lithofacies and mineral composition have great impacts on the porosity, permeability and rock mechanics of deep shale. Shales with different lithologies are different in the difficulty and extent of brittle failure. The stress-strain characteristics of rocks under actual geological conditions are key support to the optimization of reservoir stimulation program.

The role of polyurethane foam compressible layer in the mechanical behaviour of multi-layer yielding supports for deep soft rock tunnels

The polyurethane foam(PU)compressible layer is a viable solution to the problem of damage to the secondary lining in squeezing tunnels.Nevertheless,the mechanical behaviour of the multi-layer yielding supports has not been thoroughly investigated.To fill this gap,large-scale model tests were conducted in this study.The synergistic load-bearing mechanics were analyzed using the convergenceconfinement method.Two types of multi-layer yielding supports with different thicknesses(2.5 cm,3.75 cm and 5 cm)of PU compressible layers were investigated respectively.Digital image correlation(DIC)analysis and acoustic emission(AE)techniques were used for detecting the deformation fields and damage evolution of the multi-layer yielding supports in real-time.Results indicated that the loaddisplacement relationship of the multi-layer yielding supports could be divided into the crack initiation,crack propagation,strain-hardening,and failure stages.Compared with those of the stiff support,the toughness,deformability and ultimate load of the yielding supports were increased by an average of 225%,61%and 32%,respectively.Additionally,the PU compressible layer is positioned between two primary linings to allow the yielding support to have greater mechanical properties.The analysis of the synergistic bearing effect suggested that the thickness of PU compressible layer and its location significantly affect the mechanical properties of the yielding supports.The use of yielding supports with a compressible layer positioned between the primary and secondary linings is recommended to mitigate the effects of high geo-stress in squeezing tunnels.

Deformation mechanism of roadways in deep soft rock at Hegang Xing’an Coal Mine

Engineering geomechanics characteristics of roadways in deep soft rock at Hegang Xing'an Coal Mine were studied and the nature of clay minerals of roadway surrounding rock was analyzed. This paper is to solve the technical problems of high stress and the difficulty in supporting the coal mine, and provide a rule for the support design. Results show that mechanical deformation mechanisms of deep soft rock roadway at Xing'an Coal Mine is of ⅠABⅡABCⅢABCD type, consisting of molecular water absorption (the ⅠAB -type), the tectonic stress type + gravity deformation type + hydraulic type (the ⅡABC -type), and the ⅢABCD -type with fault, weak intercalation and bedding formation. According to the compound mechanical deformation mechanisms, the corresponding mechanical control measures and conversion technologies were proposed, and these technologies have been successfully applied in roadway supporting practice in deep soft rock at Xing'an Coal Mine with good effect. Xing'an Coal Mine has the deepest burial depth in China, with its overburden ranging from Mesozoic Jurassic coal-forming to now. The results of the research can be used as guidance in the design of roadway support in soft rock.

A Review of Research on Catastrophic Formation and Evolutionary Mechanism of Deep High Stress Rock Mass under Impact Loading

With the exploitation of resources expanded to deep, the geological environment which is “three tenors one disturbance” of rock mass in great depth has been more complex, resulting in some new engineering geological disasters, such as rock burst, pressure bumping, large deformation of surrounding rock, brittle-ductile transition of rock and zonal disintegration of rock mass, which occur frequently in deep underground engineering rock mass. The impact load caused by collision, explosion, extrusion and outburst is the root cause of the dynamic instability of the deep rock mass. What should be emphasized is that high in-situ stress and blasting excavation disturbance complicate disaster developing mechanism of deep underground engineering rock mass and sharply increase the difficulty of controlling disaster. This paper is aimed at the research status and development trend, of which dynamic characteristics of deep high stress rock mass and its damage and failure effect each other under impact, and conduct analysis, in the later stage where I would discuss how to carry out the response law of the deep high-stress rock mass under the impact load and the mechanism of catastrophe developing, which is of great significance to build a model of instability and fracture evolution about deep rock mass under shock disturbance and to maintain its safety and stability.

Failure transition of shear-to-dilation band of rock salt under triaxial stresses

Great potential of underground gas/energy storage in salt caverns seems to be a promising solution to support renewable energy.In the underground storage method,the operating cycle unfortunately may reach up to daily or even hourly,which generates complicated pressures on the salt cavern.Furthermore,the mechanical behavior of rock salt may change and present distinct failure characteristics under different stress states,which affects the performance of salt cavern during the time period of full service.To reproduce a similar loading condition on the cavern surrounding rock mass,the cyclic triaxial loading/unloading tests are performed on the rock salt to explore the mechanical transition behavior and failure characteristics under different confinement.Experimental results show that the rock salt samples pre-sent a diffused shear failure band with significant bulges at certain locations in low confining pressure conditions(e.g.5 MPa,10 MPa and 15 MPa),which is closely related to crystal misorientation and grain boundary sliding.Under the elevated confinement(e.g.20 MPa,30 MPa and 40 MPa),the dilation band dominates the failure mechanism,where the large-size halite crystals are crushed to be smaller size and new pores are developing.The failure transition mechanism revealed in the paper provides additional insight into the mechanical performance of salt caverns influenced by complicated stress states.

3D DEM simulation of hard rock fracture in deep tunnel excavation induced by changes in principal stress magnitude and orientation

To achieve the loading of the stress path of hard rock,the spherical discrete element model(DEM)and the new flexible membrane technology were utilized to realize the transient loading of three principal stresses with arbitrary magnitudes and orientations.Furthermore,based on the deep tunnel of China Jinping Underground Laboratory II(CJPL-II),the deformation and fracture evolution characteristics of deep hard rock induced by excavation stress path were analyzed,and the mechanisms of transient loading-unloading and stress rotation-induced fractures were revealed from a mesoscopic perspective.The results indicated that the stressestrain curve exhibits different trends and degrees of sudden changes when subjected to transient changes in principal stress,accompanied by sudden changes in strain rate.Stress rotation induces spatially directional deformation,resulting in fractures of different degrees and orientations,and increasing the degree of deformation anisotropy.The correlation between the degree of induced fracture and the unloading magnitude of minimum principal stress,as well as its initial level is significant and positive.The process of mechanical response during transient unloading exhibits clear nonlinearity and directivity.After transient unloading,both the minimum principal stress and minimum principal strain rate decrease sharply and then tend to stabilize.This occurs from the edge to the interior and from the direction of the minimum principal stress to the direction of the maximum principal stress on theε1-ε3 plane.Transient unloading will induce a tensile stress wave.The ability to induce fractures due to changes in principal stress magnitude,orientation and rotation paths gradually increases.The analysis indicates a positive correlation between the abrupt change amplitude of strain rate and the maximum unloading magnitude,which is determined by the magnitude and rotation of principal stress.A high tensile strain rate is more likely to induce fractures under low minimum principal stress.

Research on thermal insulation materials properties under HTHP conditions for deep oil and gas reservoir rock ITP-Coring

Deep oil and gas reservoirs are under high-temperature conditions,but traditional coring methods do not consider temperature-preserved measures and ignore the influence of temperature on rock porosity and permeability,resulting in distorted resource assessments.The development of in situ temperaturepreserved coring(ITP-Coring)technology for deep reservoir rock is urgent,and thermal insulation materials are key.Therefore,hollow glass microsphere/epoxy resin thermal insulation materials(HGM/EP materials)were proposed as thermal insulation materials.The materials properties under coupled hightemperature and high-pressure(HTHP)conditions were tested.The results indicated that high pressures led to HGM destruction and that the materials water absorption significantly increased;additionally,increasing temperature accelerated the process.High temperatures directly caused the thermal conductivity of the materials to increase;additionally,the thermal conduction and convection of water caused by high pressures led to an exponential increase in the thermal conductivity.High temperatures weakened the matrix,and high pressures destroyed the HGM,which resulted in a decrease in the tensile mechanical properties of the materials.The materials entered the high elastic state at 150℃,and the mechanical properties were weakened more obviously,while the pressure led to a significant effect when the water absorption was above 10%.Meanwhile,the tensile strength/strain were 13.62 MPa/1.3%and 6.09 MPa/0.86%at 100℃ and 100 MPa,respectively,which meet the application requirements of the self-designed coring device.Finally,K46-f40 and K46-f50 HGM/EP materials were proven to be suitable for ITP-Coring under coupled conditions below 100℃ and 100 MPa.To further improve the materials properties,the interface layer and EP matrix should be optimized.The results can provide references for the optimization and engineering application of materials and thus technical support for deep oil and gas resource development.

Development and applications of the quasi‐dynamic triaxial apparatus for deep rocks

The mechanical behaviors of deep rocks have always posed a challenge for the implementation and safe operation of major underground engineering projects.To this end,this study modified the existing mainstream rock mechanics instruments equipped with a dynamic disturbance loading system and developed a second‐generation TFD‐2000/D triaxial instrument.The first‐generation device is equipped with an independent disturbance system and an advanced EDC‐580 all‐digital servo controller,which can apply disturbing load independently,implement the function of cyclic disturbance,and combine dynamic and static disturbances.The instrument was found to be reliable for use in analyzing the damage process of rocks in the disturbance test of marbles.The second‐generation instrument tackles three limitations of the first‐generation instrument:(i)it upgrades the strain measurement system and uses extensometers with linear variable differential transformers to accurately measure deformation;(ii)it uses the self‐balanced chamber to replace the Hoek–Franklin triaxial cell and auto‐balancing triaxial pressure chamber;and(iii)the loading rod is independently equipped with an EDC‐580 all‐digital servo controller,which measures precise loads.The experimental findings confirmed that the second‐generation instrument can be used for rock mechanics testing under cyclic disturbance loading,the disturbance–stress relaxation cycle,and the creep–fatigue cycle.In this sense,the second‐generation instrument can be a useful addition to deep rock mechanical instruments and provide a valuable reference.

Failure mechanism and coupled static-dynamic loading theory in deep hard rock mining: A review

Rock failure phenomena,such as rockburst,slabbing(or spalling) and zonal disintegration,related to deep underground excavation of hard rocks are frequently reported and pose a great threat to deep mining.Currently,the explanation for these failure phenomena using existing dynamic or static rock mechanics theory is not straightforward.In this study,new theory and testing method for deep underground rock mass under coupled static-dynamic loading are introduced.Two types of coupled loading modes,i.e.'critical static stress + slight disturbance' and 'elastic static stress + impact disturbance',are proposed,and associated test devices are developed.Rockburst phenomena of hard rocks under coupled static-dynamic loading are successfully reproduced in the laboratory,and the rockburst mechanism and related criteria are demonstrated.The results of true triaxial unloading compression tests on granite and red sandstone indicate that the unloading can induce slabbing when the confining pressure exceeds a certain threshold,and the slabbing failure strength is lower than the shear failure strength according to the conventional Mohr-Column criterion.Numerical results indicate that the rock unloading failure response under different in situ stresses and unloading rates can be characterized by an equivalent strain energy density.In addition,we present a new microseismic source location method without premeasuring the sound wave velocity in rock mass,which can efficiently and accurately locate the rock failure in hard rock mines.Also,a new idea for deep hard rock mining using a non-explosive continuous mining method is briefly introduced.

Experimental study on the mechanical and failure behaviors of deep rock subjected to true triaxial stress:A review

It has become an inevitable trend of human development to seek resources from the deep underground.However,rock encountered in deep underground engineering is usually in an anisotropic stress state(σ_(1)>σ>σ_(3))due to the influences of geological structures and engineering disturbances.It is therefore essential to study the mechanical,seepage,and dynamic disaster behaviors of deep rock under true triaxial stress to ensure the safe operation of deep rock engineering and the efficient exploitation of deep resources.In recent years,experimental techniques and research on true triaxial rock mechanics have achieved fruitful results that have promoted the rapid development of deep rock mechanics;thus,it is necessary to systematically review and summarize these developments.This work first introduced several typical true triaxial testing apparatus and then reviewed the corresponding research progress on rock deformation,strength,failure mode,brittleness,and energy as well as the 3D volumetric fracturing(dynamic disaster)properties of deep rocks under true triaxial stress.Then,several commonly used true triaxial rock strength criteria and their applicability,the permeability characteristics and mathematical models of deep reservoir rocks,and the disaster-causing processes and mechanisms of disturbed volumetric fracturing(rockburst,compound dynamic disasters)in deep rock engineering were described.This work may provide an essential reference for addressing the true triaxial rock mechanics issues involved in deep rock engineering,especially regarding the stability of surrounding rock at depth,disaster prevention and control,and oil and gas exploitation.

ZONAL DISINTEGRATION MECHANISM OF DEEP CRACK-WEAKENED ROCK MASSES UNDER DYNAMIC UNLOADING

Size and quantity of fractured zone and non-fractured zone are controlled by cracks contained in deep rock masses. Zonal disintegration mechanism is strongly dependent on the interaction among cracks. The strong interaction among cracks is investigated using stress superposition principle and the Chebyshev polynomials expansion of the pseudo-traction. It is found from numerical results that crack nucleation, growth and coalescence lead to failure of deep crack- weakened rock masses. The stress redistribution around the surrounding rock mass induced by unloading excavation is studied. The effect of the excavation time on nucleation, growth, interaction and coalescence of cracks was analyzed. Moreover, the influence of the excavation time on the size and quantity of fractured zone and non-fractured zone was given. When the excavation time is short, zonal disintegration phenomenon may occur in deep rock masses. It is shown from numerical results that the size and quantity of fractured zone increase with decreasing excavation time, and the size and quantity of fractured zone increase with the increasing value of in-situ geostress.

Experiments on mechanical properties of salt rocks under cyclic loading

The primary purpose of underground gas storages is to provide gas for seasonal consumptions or strategic reserve.The periodical operations of gas injection and extraction lead to cyclic loading on the walls and surrounding rocks of gas storages.To investigate the mechanical behaviors of different host rocks in bedded salt deposit,laboratory experiments were conducted on the samples of rock salt,thenardite,glauberite and gypsum.The mechanical properties of rock samples under monotonic and cyclic loadings were studied.Testing results show that,under monotonic loading,the uniaxial compressive stress（UCS） of glauberite is the largest（17.3 MPa）,while that of rock salt is the smallest（14.0 MPa）.The UCSs of thenardite and gypsum are 16.3 and 14.6 MPa,respectively.The maximum strain at the peak strength of rock salt（halite） is much greater than those of the other three rocks.The elastic moduli of halite,thenardite,glauberite and gypsum are 3.0,4.2,5.1 and 6.8 GPa,respectively.Under cyclic loading,the peak strengths of the rock specimens are deteriorated except for rock salt.The peak strengths of thenardite,glauberite and gypsum decrease by 33.7%,19.1% and 35.5%,respectively;and the strains of the three rocks at the peak strengths are almost the same.However,the strain of rock salt at the peak strength increases by 1.98%,twice more than that under monotonic loading.Under monotonic loading,deformation of the tested rock salt,thenardite and glauberite shows in an elastoplastic style.However,it changes to a ductile style under cyclic loading.Brittle deformation and failure are only observed for gypsum.The results should be helpful for engineering design and operation of gas storage in bedded salt deposit.

Deformation Mechanisms and Safe Drilling Fluids Density in Extremely Thick Salt Formations

Hydrocarbons are very often associated with salt structures. The oil and gas industry is often required to drill along and through long salt sections to reach and recover hydrocarbons. The unique physical properties of salt require special techniques to ensure borehole stability and adequate casing design. This paper assumed that the mechanical behavior of salt is regulated by the magnitude of mean stress and octahedral shear stress and under the influence of different stress conditions the deformation of rock salt can be represented by three domains, i.e. compression domain, volume unchanged domain, and dilatancy domain, which are separated by a stress dependent boundary. In the compression domain, the volume of salt decreases until all microcracks are closed, with only elastic deformation and pure creep; in the volume unchanged domain the deformation is considered steady incompressible flow controlled by pure creep; and in the dilatancy domain the volume of salt increases during deformation due to micro-cracking, causing damage and accelerating ＂creep＂ until failure. This paper presents a hypothesis that the borehole is stable only when the magnitude of octahedral shear stress is below the dilatancy boundary. It gives the design method for determining drilling fluids density, and calculates the closure rate ofborehole with the recommended drilling fluids density. If the closure rate of the borehole is less than 0.1%, the drilling fluids density window can be used during drilling through extremely thick salt formations.

Pressure State in Deep Crust and Formation Depth of UHP Metamorphic Rocks

This paper presents some questions to the formula of pressure=depth×specific gravity from the viewpoint that the hydrostatic pressure is equal to the gravity of overlying rocks and the rocks in a static fluid state, which is drawn from the research and analysis of the research field and the corresponding problems of the pressure state in the deep crust and the formation depth of the UHP metamorphic rocks. In this research, the underground rocks are considered as the solid possessing some rheological behaviors to discuss the polysource stress state and to obtain a more reasonable method for the calculation of depths using the model of the unbalanced force solid. It is suggested from this paper that the P/SW method for the calculation of the ultrahigh pressure stemming only from the gravity has obviously overstated the formation depth of the UHP metamorphism. The formation model emphasizing the effect of the gravity, the tectonic force and the metamorphic force of the facies change concludes that such UHP minerals as coesite may have been produced in the inner crust.

Deformation failure and countermeasures of deep tertiary extremely soft rock roadway in Liuhai coal mine

In view of failure phenomena with nonlinear large deformation including extensive damage,whole section destruction in short time,high rate of repair,most destruction forms occurred in the tertiary roadway of soft rocks engineering in Liuhai mine,according to the methods of geological survey,theoretical analysis,numerical calculation and in-situ test,the composite failure mechanism of molecular expansion,tectonic stress,gravity stress and engineering deviatoric stress,faults and random joint in this area is analyzed deeply,then an coupling support of double-layer-truss is proposed.The research results show that the first wave of deformation energy was released by bolt-mesh-cable fixed into the roof,floor and two sides of the roadway.While the second wave of deformation energy was released through the interface function between double-layer-truss and the surrounding rock.The double-layer-truss that characterized by high strength,good integrity can absorb high deformation energy of surrounding rocks,which led to the uniform distribution of the stress.Engineering practice shows this technology has been successfully applied to control the deformation failure of the tertiary extremely soft rock roadway.

Study on Mechanism of Formation of Volcanic Rock in North Altay by Using Rare Earths

The characteristics of rare earth elements in the Devonian and Carboniferous volcanic rocks were studied in the north Altay. And the mechanism of formation of volcanic rocks were discussed by using the rare earth elements. The correlativity of rare earth elements and major elements shows that the fractional crystallization is undistinguishable during the formation of Devonian and Carboniferous volcanic rocks, and the mechanism of formation of volcanic rocks may be the partial melting. The further study of the relationship of manifold rare earth elements shows that the mechanism of formation of Devonian and Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the north Altay is the partial melting. And the result also shows that the rare earth elements in the Devonian and Carboniferous volcanic rocks inherited the characteristics of those in its source materiels.

Study on rock burst of fully mechanized sublevel caving mining in deep mine

The theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and field observation were used to study distribution characters of abutment pressure of fully mechanized sublevel caving face in deep mine, fully mechanized sublevel caving and pressure relief in entries along goaf to the influence of rock burst. The results show that： （1） With the increasing of mining depth, the abutment pressure zone is larger, its peak point is transferred to the front of face, the danger area occurring rock burst in the two fully mechanized sublevel caving entries is larger, and its position is far from the face; （2） There is larger failure area in the upper coal in front of the fully mechanized caving face, and strata possibly occurring rock burst transferred to the upwards or far from faces because of the main roof＇s buffer effect to the dynamic pressure burst, then possibility and strength reduced; （3） The position occurring rock burst is stress concentration zones （abutment pressure along the goaf and residual tectonic stress） and zones with geological structure; （4） Strenuous activities of roof is the inducing factor occurring rock burst.

Macro/meso failure behavior of surrounding rock in deep roadway and its control technology

Engineering disasters occur frequently and violently with the increase in mining depth, which is mostly due to insufficient study on the failure mechanism of the deep rock mass. In this paper, theoretical and experimental researches on the failure behaviors and deformation control of deep surrounding rock in recent years were reviewed. Macro/meso failure mechanism of deep rock or coal-rock combined body under different loading conditions have been systematically investigated. Stress gradient failure theory of surrounding rock, uniform strength support in the deep roadway, and the analogous hyperbola movement model of overlying strata were preliminary established and a combined grouting control technology for surface and underground was proposed. Abovementioned achievements are expected to offer theoretical bases and technical supports for the exploitation of China's deep mineral resources in the future.

Investigation of rock salt layer creep and its effects on casing collapse

Casing collapse is one of the costly incidents in the oil industry. In the oil fields of southwest Iran, most casing collapses have occurred in Gachsaran formation, and the halite rock salt layer in this formation may be the main cause for these incidents because of its peculiar creep behavior. In this research, triaxial creep experiments have been conducted on Gachsaran salt samples under various temperatures and differential stresses. The main purpose was to determine the creep characteristics of Gachsaran rock salt,and to examine the role of creep in several casing collapses that occurred in this formation. Results indicated that the halite rock salt of Gachsaran formation basically obeys the power law;however, its creep parameters are quite different from other halite rocks elsewhere. The time-dependent creep of Gachsaran rock salt exhibits strong sensitivity to temperature change;however, its sensitivity to variation of differential stress is rather low. The numerical simulation of the rock salt creep in a real oil well demonstrated the importance of creep and reservoir conditions on the safety factor of the tubing related to casing collapse.