Rock-Fluid Interactions: Fracture Formation and Fluid Distributions
Abstract
Fractures are one of the dominant factors that influence the success or failure of subsurface activities related to gas production, geothermal energy development and storage of anthropogenic fluids in the Earth'ssubsurface.A goal for subsurface engineering is to develop the ability to adaptively control fractures to direct, enhance or hinder fluid flow through subsurface rock systems. One of the key challenges is understanding the response of fractures to geomechanical and geochemical perturbations that are often coupled through formation fluids, engineered fluids, mineralogy and the fracture geometry.
This presentation will examine: (1) the competition between layering and mineral texture in the formation of fracture surface roughness with preferential flow directions; (2) gravity-driven chemical dynamics in the mixing of fluids within a fracture and how this affects the spatial distribution of precipitates in a fracture; and (3) geochemical-geomechanical coupling through volumetric changes in clay minerals that lead to the formation of micro-crack networks. The results from these studies advance current understanding of the importance of coupled microscopic properties and processes that affect fracture formation and fracture surface alteration over time. Acknowledgment: This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences, Geosciences Research Program under Award Number (DE-FG02-09ER16022). SNL is managed and operated by NTESS under DOE NNSA contract DE-NA0003525. SAND2020-7651 A- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2020
- Bibcode:
- 2020AGUFMMR013..02P
- Keywords:
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- 1858 Rocks: chemical properties;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 1859 Rocks: physical properties;
- HYDROLOGY;
- 3653 Fluid flow;
- MINERALOGY AND PETROLOGY;
- 8045 Role of fluids;
- STRUCTURAL GEOLOGY