Mixed-mode fracture behavior in deep shale reservoirs under different loading rates and temperatures

In the last years,shale gas has gradually substituted oil and coal as the main sources of energy in the world.Compared with shallow shale gas reservoirs,deep shale is characterized by low permeability,low porosity,strong heterogeneity,and strong anisotropy.In the process of multi-cluster fracturing of horizontal wells,the whole deformation process and destruction modes are significantly influenced by loading rates.In this investigation,the servo press was used to carry out semi-circular bend(SCB)mixedmode fracture experiments in deep shales(130,160,190℃)with prefabricated fractures under different loading rates(0.02,0.05,0.1,0.2 mm/min).The fracture propagation process was monitored using acoustic emission.The deformation characteristics,displacementeload curve,and acoustic emission parameters of shale under different loading rates were studied during the mixed-mode fracture propagation.Our results showed that during the deformation and fracture of the specimen,the acoustic emission energy and charge significantly increased near the stress peak,showing at this point the most intense acoustic emission activity.With the increase in loading rate,the fracture peak load of the deep shale specimen also increased.However,the maximum displacement decreased to different extents.With the increase in temperature,the effective fracture toughness of the deep shale gradually decreased.Also,the maximum displacement decreased.Under different loading rates,the deformation of the prefabricated cracks showed a nonlinear slow growthelinear growth trend.The slope of the linear growth stage increased with the increase in loading rate.In addition,as the loading rate increased,an increase in tension failure and a decrease in shear failure were observed.Moreover,the control chart showing the relationship between tension and the shear failure under different temperatures and loading rates was determined.

Experimental analysis of the pore structure, relative permeability, and water flooding characteristics of the Yan'an Formation sandstone, southwestern Ordos Basin

The oil and gas potential of the Yan'an Formation in the Ordos Basin has yet to be fully tapped. In this study, the pore structure, mobile fluid saturation, and water flooding micro-mechanism of the Yan'an Formation sandstone are systematically studied through the application of a series of rock physics and fluid experiments. The results show that there is a good positive correlation between porosity and permeability, and the reservoirs are divided into types Ⅰ, Ⅱ, and Ⅲ. Mercury injection tests show that the average pore throat radius of the oil-bearing reservoir ranges from 1 to 7 μm. The displacement pressure of the Yan'an Formation is also relatively low, and it decreases from 0.1 MPa to 0.01 MPa as the rock porosity increases from 11% to 18%. NMR tests show that small (diameter <0.5 μm) and medium pores (diameter ranging from 0.5 to 2.5 μm) are predominant in the reservoir. Different types of reservoirs have different characteristics of relative permeability curve. In addition, when the average oil recovery rate is less than 1 ml/min, the oil displacement efficiency increases faster. However, when the average oil recovery rate is between 1–3.5 ml/min, the oil displacement efficiency is maintained at around 27%–30%. Physical properties of the reservoir, pore-throat structure, experimental pressure difference, and pore volume injected — all have significant effects on oil displacement efficiency. For Type Ⅰ and Type Ⅱ reservoirs, the increase of the pore volume injected has a significant effect on oil displacement efficiency. However, for Type Ⅲ reservoirs, the change of pore volume injected has insignificant effect on oil displacement efficiency. This study provides a reference for the formulation of estimated ultimate recovery (EUR) measures for similar sandstone reservoirs.