Publication

Experimental investigation of hydraulic fracture growth in an anisotropic rock with pre-existing discontinuities under different propagation regimes

Abstract

Laboratory experiments have been carried out to investigate the growth of hydraulic fracture (HF) in an anisotropic rock with pre-existing discontinuities such as bedding planes and veins. The experiments are designed in light of scaling relationships that enable investigation on the impact by the weak mechanical discontinuities on the HF growth under desired regimes (under either a toughness dominated or a lag-viscosity dominated regime based on the scaling analysis). According to our laboratory observations, planar HF growth is promoted in the experiments under the lag-viscosity regime, in which the radial HF is able to cross both the bedding planes and veins. In contrast, profound influence of the weak discontinuities is shown in the toughness dominated experiments, causing the HF to be diverted into, or arrested by the pre-existing weak planes. The test results suggest that the complexity of the fracture path is highly dependent on a dimensionless toughness, K𝑚. This laboratory study highlights the importance to account for the hydromechanical characteristics in the HF propagation in anisotropic rocks with pre-existing weak discontinuities.

About this result
This page is automatically generated and may contain information that is not correct, complete, up-to-date, or relevant to your search query. The same applies to every other page on this website. Please make sure to verify the information with EPFL's official sources.

Graph Chatbot

Chat with Graph Search

Ask any question about EPFL courses, lectures, exercises, research, news, etc. or try the example questions below.

DISCLAIMER: The Graph Chatbot is not programmed to provide explicit or categorical answers to your questions. Rather, it transforms your questions into API requests that are distributed across the various IT services officially administered by EPFL. Its purpose is solely to collect and recommend relevant references to content that you can explore to help you answer your questions.