Rock Mechanics Bulletin最新文献

For solving the computationally intensive problem encountered by the discrete element method (DEM) in simulating large-scale engineering problems, it is essential to establish a numerical model that can effectively simulate large-scale rocks. In this study, the coarse-graining effect of a linear-Mindlin with bonding model was studied in the unconfined compression strength (UCS) and Brazilian tensile strength (BTS) tests. We found that the main reason for the coarse-graining effect of the BTS tests is that the type I fracture toughness is positively correlated with the size of the particles. Based on the results analysis and fracture mechanics, the coarse-grained (CG) modeling theory was combined with a bonded particle model (BPM) for the first time and a coarse-grained bonded particle model (CG-BPM) was developed, which can be effectively used to model the tensile strength of large-scale rocks with different particle sizes. The excavation damage zone (EDZ) in an underground research laboratory (URL) was selected as an application case, which shows that the coarse-grained bonding model presented in this paper is more accurate and reliable than the traditional one in large-scale rock simulation, at least in the scenario where tensile failure is dominant.

Fracture initiation has been a challenging issue for fracturing deep and tight gas reservoirs, which generally requires a high breakdown pressure for hydraulic fracturing treatment. In this situation, fluid injections frequently have to terminate at the very beginning. Toward predicting and solving this issue, a novel fracturing system for deep and tight sandstone gas reservoirs was developed. The key components of the fracturing system and some criterion will be introduced, which can be used to optimize the ideal perforation locations along the landing part and select the right perforation strategy accordingly. The main components of the fracturing system include: (1) evaluating the log-based diagenetic rock typing and flow index; (2) 1D mechanical earth model; (3) calculating the breakdown pressure envelope along the well trajectory of the landing part; (4) calculating the optimal perforation directions along the landing part; (5) select the first set of perforation locations based on the log-based diagenetic rock typing and flow index; (6) narrowing down the first set of perforation locations to a second set of perforation locations based on the breakdown pressure envelope; (7) determining a perforation strategy based on breakdown pressure envelope and wellhead pressure safety limit in the second set of perforation locations. The computational framework to calculate the breakdown pressure envelope and optimal perforation directions is applicable to arbitrary well trajectory. The fracturing system has been used to provide pre-fracturing suggestions for wells landed in deep and tight sandstone reservoirs, which is very efficient for identifying locations with good rock typing and relatively low breakdown pressure. Also, it can indicate whether oriented perforation should be used further for alleviating breakdown issue. By taking these efforts and procedures, the fracturing success rate for deep and tight sandstone gas reservoirs can be improved, which has been verified in practice. Example studies from the field will be provided to demonstrate the fracturing system's performance and applicability.

Rockburst is a phenomenon where sudden, catastrophic failure of the rock mass occurs in underground deep regions or areas with high tectonic stress during the excavation process. Rockburst disasters endanger the safety of people's lives and property, national energy security, and social interests, so it is very important to accurately predict rockburst. Traditional rockburst prediction has not been able to find an effective prediction method, and the study of the rockburst mechanism is facing a dilemma. With the development of artificial intelligence (AI) techniques in recent years, more and more experts and scholars have begun to introduce AI techniques into the study of the rockburst mechanism. In previous research, several scholars have attempted to summarize the application of AI techniques in rockburst prediction. However, these studies either are not specifically focused on reviews of the application of AI techniques in rockburst prediction, or they do not provide a comprehensive overview. Drawing on the advantages of extensive interdisciplinary research and a deep understanding of AI techniques, this paper conducts a comprehensive review of rockburst prediction methods leveraging AI techniques. Firstly, pertinent definitions of rockburst and its associated hazards are introduced. Subsequently, the applications of both traditional prediction methods and those rooted in AI techniques for rockburst prediction are summarized, with emphasis placed on the respective advantages and disadvantages of each approach. Finally, the strengths and weaknesses of prediction methods leveraging AI are summarized, alongside forecasting future research trends to address existing challenges, while simultaneously proposing directions for improvement to advance the field and meet emerging demands effectively.

Rock abrasivity influences wear of cutting tools and consequently, performance of mechanized tunneling machines. Several methods have been proposed to evaluate rock abrasivity in recent decades, each one has its own advantages. In this paper, a new method is introduced to estimate wear of disc cutters based on rock cutting tests using scaled down discs (i.e. 54 and 72 ​mm diameter). The discs are made of H13 steel, which is a common steel type in producing real-scale discs, with hardness of 32 and 54 HRC. The small-scale linear rock cutting machine and a new abrasion test apparatus, namely University of Tehran abrasivity test machine, are utilized to perform the tests. Tip width of the worn discs is monitored and presented as the function of the accumulated test run to classify the rock abrasion. Abrasivity tests show that by increasing the UCS of the rock samples, wear rate is doubled gradually that reveals the sensitivity of the test procedure to the main parameters affecting the abrasivity of hard rocks. For the rocks with the highest UCS, the normal wear stops after performing 5 to 10 rounds of the tests, and then, deformation of the disc tip is detectable. Two abrasivity indices are defined based on the abrasivity tests results and their correlations with CAI and UCS are established. Comparison of the established correlations in this study with previous investigations demonstrates the sensitivity of the indices to the parameters affecting wear of the disc cutters and repeatability of the outputs obtained from abrasivity tests using scaled down discs. Findings of this study can be used to enhance the accuracy of rock abrasivity classifications.

Organic-rich shales have gained significant attention in recent years due to their pivotal role in unconventional hydrocarbon production. These shale rocks undergo thermal maturation processes that alter their mechanical properties, making their study essential for subsurface operations. However, characterizing the mechanical properties of organic-rich shale is often challenging due to its multiscale nature and complex composition. This work aims to bridge that knowledge gap to fully understand the nanomechanical properties of Shale organic matter at various thermal maturation stages. This study employs PeakForce Quantitative Nanomechanical Mapping (PF-QNM) using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to investigate how changes at the immature, early mature, and peak mature stages impact the mechanical properties of the Bakken Shale organic matter. PF-QNM provides reliable mechanical measurements, allowing for the quantification and qualification of shale constituents' elastic modulus (E). We also accounted for the effect of probe type and further analyzed the impact of probe wear on the nanomechanical properties of shale organic matter. In immature shale, the average elastic modulus of organic matter is approximately 6 ​GPa, whereas in early mature and peak mature shale, it decreases to 5.5 ​GPa and 3.8 ​GPa, respectively. Results reveal a mechanical degradation with increasing thermal maturation, as evidenced by a reduction in Young's modulus (E). Specifically, the immature shale exhibits an 8% reduction in E, while the early mature and peak mature shales experience more substantial reductions of 31% and 37%, respectively. This phenomenon could be attributed to the surface probing of low-modulus materials like bitumen generated during heating. The findings underscore the potential of AFM PF-QNM for assessing the nanomechanical characteristics of complex and heterogeneous rocks like shales. However, it also highlights the need for standardized measurement practices, considering the diverse components in these rocks and their different elastic moduli.

Viscoelastic plastic solutions for tunnel excavation in strain-softening rock mass and tunnel-rock interaction are proposed based on the Mohr-Coulomb and the Generalized Zhang-Zhu (GZZ) strength criterion considering stress path. The solutions are verified by numerical simulations, results show that the theoretical solutions are close to the simulated data. The evolutions of rock stresses, strains, displacements and support pressure were investigated and the influences of residual strength parameter, support stiffness, support timing, initial support pressure and viscosity coefficient on the rock deformation and the support pressure are discussed by proposed solution. It is found that strain-softening results in large deformation and high support pressure, with stiffer support and a larger viscosity coefficient contributing to even greater support pressure. Ductile support is recommended at the first stage to release the energy and reduce the support pressure by allowing a relatively large deformation. The support pressure, especially the additional support pressure at the second stage will be much smaller if a higher initial support pressure is applied at the first stage. This can not only control the displacement rate of surrounding rock and improve the tunnel stability at the first stage by exerting sufficient support pressure immediately after tunnel excavation, but also greatly reduce the pressure acted on permanent support and improve the structure stability at the second stage. Therefore, to avoid the instability of support structure, ductile support, which could not only deform continuously but also provide sufficient high support pressure, is recommended at the first stage.

Simulation of subsurface energy system involves multi-physical processes such as thermal, hydraulical, and mechanical (THM) processes, and requires a so-called THM coupled modeling approach. THM coupled modeling is commonly performed in geothermal energy production. However, for hydrocarbon extraction, we need to consider multiphase flow additionally. In this paper, we describe a three-dimensional numerical model of non-isothermal two-phase flow in the deformable porous medium by integrating governing equations of two-phase mixture in the porous media flow in the reservoir. To account for inter-woven impacts in subsurface conditions, we introduced a temperature-dependent fluid viscosity and a fluid density along with a strain-dependent reservoir permeability. Subsequently, we performed numerical experiments of a ten-year water flooding process employing the open-source parallelized code, OpenGeoSys. We considered different well patterns with colder water injection in realistic scenarios. Our results demonstrate that our model can simulate complex interactions of temperature, pore pressure, subsurface stress and water saturation simultaneously to evaluate the recovery performance. High temperature can promote fluid flow while cold water injection under non-isothermal conditions causes the normal stress reduction by significant thermal stress. Under different well patterns the displacement efficiency will be changed by the relative location between injection and production wells. This finding has provided the important reference for fluid flow and induced stress evolution during hydrocarbon exploitation under the environment of large reservoir depth and high temperature.

Utilizing a bespoke CO₂ phase transition pulse pressure experimental system, we conducted pulse pressure characterization tests across various activator masses, CO₂ filling pressures, and energy discharge plate thicknesses. This approach enabled us to ascertain the pulse pressure's response characteristics and variation patterns under diverse conditions. The formula for calculating the peak supercritical CO₂ pulse pressure was deduced by modeling the ultimate load calculation of the clamped circular plate, and then the time-course expression of the supercritical CO₂ phase transition pulse pressure and energy was carried out by introducing the time factor and taking into account the parameters of the activator mass and the thickness of the energy discharging plate. Our findings reveal a four-stage pressure evolution in the cracking tube during initiation: a gradual increase, a rapid spike, swift attenuation, and eventual negative pressure formation. The activator mass and discharge plate thickness critically influence the peak pressure's timing and magnitude. Specifically, increased activator mass hastens peak pressure onset, while a thicker discharge plate amplifies it. The errors between calculated and experimental values for peak supercritical CO₂ phase transition pressure fall within −5%–5%. Furthermore, the pressure peak and arrival time model demonstrates less than 10% error compared to experimental data, affirming its strong applicability. These insights offer theoretical guidance for controlling phase transition pressure and optimizing energy in supercritical CO₂ systems.

The ROP (rate of penetration) within the horizontal section of shale gas wells in the Luzhou oil field is low, seriously delaying the exploration and development process. It is proved that reducing mud density mitigates the bottom-hole differential pressure ($\Delta P$) and increases the ROP during overbalanced drilling. However, wellbore collapse may occur when wellbore pressure is excessively low. It is urgent to ascertain the optimal equilibrium point between improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability. The safe mud weight window and the lower limit of mud density in the horizontal section of the Luzhou block are predicted using the piecewise fitting method based on conventional logging data. Then, the accuracy of the collapse pressure prediction was verified using the distinct element method (DEM), and the effect of wellbore pressure, in-situ stress, rock cohesion, and natural fracture density on borehole collapse was investigated. Finally, a fitting model of $\Delta P$ and ROP of the horizontal section in the Luzhou block is established to predict ROP promotion potential after mud density reduction. The field application of this approach, demonstrated in 8 horizontal wells in the Luzhou block, effectively validates the efficiency of reducing mud density for ROP improvement. This study provides a useful method for simultaneously improving ROP and maintaining wellbore stability and offers significant insights for petroleum engineers in the design of drilling parameters.

Natural gas hydrates (NGH) stored in submarine deposits are a promising energy resource, Yet, the deterioration in sediment strength can trigger geological disasters due to drilling-induced hydrate dissociation. Hence, an in-depth investigation on geo physical-mechanical performance of gas hydrate-bearing sediments (GHBS) is crucial for recovery hydrates safely and efficiently. This paper provides a comprehensive assessment of the research progress on formation conditions, intrinsic properties, and mechanical responses of GHBS. The key findings have been presented: gas composition, inhibitors and promoters alter hydrate formation by modifying the thermodynamic equilibrium of temperature and pressure. Also, we identified the key determinants of porosity of GHBS and revealed the correlation between permeability, hydrate saturation, and hydrate morphology. Moreover, we highlighted the differences in mechanical behavior between hydrate-free sediments and GHBS along with their underlying mechanisms. Furthermore, we examined the methods for GHBS preparation as well as the employed test apparatuses, providing critical insights into the limitations and recommendations. By synthesizing data from existing literature, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of the dependence of mechanical parameters of GHBS on factors such as hydrate saturation, effective confining stress, and temperature, and discussed the mechanical responses subjected to various hydrate dissociation methods. Finally, we offer a perspective for future research to focus on the micro-scale aspects, heterogeneous distribution, and long-term stability of GHBS. The discerned patterns and mechanical mechanisms are expected to guide the improvement of predictive model for geo physical-mechanical behavior of GHBS and establish a reference for developing effective strategies for recovery hydrates.