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Hydraulic fracturing of granite under real-time high temperature and true triaxial stress

花岗岩实时高温真三轴的水力压裂

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Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing in the exploitation of hot dry rock (HDR) resources could significantly enhance the permeability and heat production of the reservoir. However, the fracturing mechanism of HDR at high temperatures is still not fully understood. In this study, hydraulic fracturing experiments at room temperature and 200 °C were performed respectively on granite under different true triaxial stress to analyze their different fracturing mechanisms. Optical microscope and nuclear magnetic resonance were applied to identify pore and crack characteristics of fractured samples from micro- to macro-scale. The test results show that hydraulic fracturing at 200 °C can significantly reduce the breakdown pressure and fracture initiation pressure under the same stress condition compared to hydraulic fracturing at room temperature. The wellbore pressurization stage at 200 °C deviates distinctly from linearity. The cloud fracture with multi-scale crack, rather than a dominant fracture at room temperature, was formed at 200 °C even under a horizontal stress difference of 20 MPa. Moreover, the nuclear magnetic resonance result shows an increase in fracturing volume caused by the increment of micro-scale crack in the fractured sample at 200 °C. The main reason for the above transition is that the pore pressure diffusion at 200 °C generates more micro-scale cracks.

摘要

在干热岩资源开发中,水力压裂是提高热储层的渗透率与产热量的重要手段。然而,在高温高压环境下的水力压裂机理仍不清楚。本文在不同真三轴应力下对花岗岩进行了室温与200 ℃下的水力压裂试验,应用光学显微镜和核磁共振技术,表征了花岗岩试样水力裂缝从微观至宏观的特征形态,揭示了不同温度下的水力压裂机理。试验结果表明,在相同应力条件下,相对于室温下水力压裂,200 ℃下水力压裂能显著降低破裂压力与起裂压力,200 ℃下压裂曲线增压阶段明显偏离线性。在20 MPa的水平应力差下,200 ℃下水力压裂会形成具有多尺度裂纹的云状裂缝,而不是与室温下水力压裂类似的单一主裂缝。此外,核磁共振结果显示,在200 ℃水力压裂后的花岗岩试样中,微尺度裂纹的增加会导致压裂体积增加,这是由200 ℃水力压裂下孔隙压力的扩散导致微裂纹而造成的。

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Geomechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Institute of Rock and Soil Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan, 430071, China

    Xiao Ma  (马啸), Da-wei Hu  (胡大伟) & Hui Zhou  (周辉)

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Xiao Ma  (马啸), Da-wei Hu  (胡大伟) & Hui Zhou  (周辉)

  3. Institute of Hydrogeology and Environmental Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Shijiazhuang, 050061, China

    Gui-ling Wang  (王贵玲)

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  1. Xiao Ma  (马啸)
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  2. Gui-ling Wang  (王贵玲)
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  3. Da-wei Hu  (胡大伟)
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  4. Hui Zhou  (周辉)
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Contributions

MA Xiao conducted experiments and wrote the first draft of manuscript. HU Da-wei developed the overarching research goals and edited the draft of manuscript. WANG Gui-ling conducted the literature review and edited the manuscript. ZHOU Hui edited the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Da-wei Hu  (胡大伟).

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Conflict of interest

MA Xiao, WANG Gui-ling, HU Da-wei and ZHOU Hui declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Foundation item: Project(51979100) supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China; Project(DD20190128) supported by the China Geological Survey Bureau; Project(2021JM-373)supported by the Science Foundation of Shaanxi province, China

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Ma, X., Wang, Gl., Hu, Dw. et al. Hydraulic fracturing of granite under real-time high temperature and true triaxial stress. J. Cent. South Univ. 30, 243–256 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-023-5221-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11771-023-5221-z

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