Permeability enhancement through hydraulic fracturing: laboratory measurements combining a 3D printed jacket and pore fluid over-pressure.

ABSTRACT: The process of hydraulic fracture is well known in both natural (e.g. veining and mineralisation) and engineered environments (e.g. stimulating tight mudrocks and sandstones to boost their hydraulic properties). Here, we report a method and preliminary data that simulates both tensile fracture and fluid flow at elevated pressures. To achieve this we developed a sample assembly consisting of a cylindrical core drilled with an axial borehole encapsulated in a 3D printed jacket permitting fluid from the borehole to move through the freshly generated tensile fracture to a voluometer. The permeability of Nash Point Shale increases from a pre-fracture value of 10^-18 to 10^-20 m² (1 microDarcy, μD to 0.01 μD) to 2 × 10^-15 m² (2 milliDarcy, mD)

SUBMITTER: Gehne S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6715672 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature