Creep indentation test and lab-based simulation on Pierre II shale

Abstract

Can we find proper lab testing sources rather than coring samples? We rest our hope on drilling cuttings. The cutting sample might be too small to be tested in Laboratory, but the indentation test looks like a promising solution. In this study, the indentation tests are implemented on Pierre II shale and the corresponding numerical simulation is performed. In the indentation test, an alloyed indenter presses on the surface of a shale sample with the loading, holding, and unloading stage. Simulation with FLAC3D is then implemented to fit the lab results well. Then a series of parametric analyses show how the constitutive parameters affect the testing curve. From the simulation results, we have illustrated that an indentation test is an option on cutting samples. This study provides a workflow to analyze the mechanical behavior of small rock samples with the indentation test experimentally and numerically.