Mechanical controls on horizontal stresses and fracture behaviour in layered rocks: A numerical sensitivity analysis

In layered materials, the deformation style, orientation, confinement, and 3D connectivity of natural fractures is generally impacted by changes in sedimentary facies and alternations in mechanical properties. In this study we address this effect and perform a numerical sensitivity analysis. Mechanical properties, confining pressures, and...

Mechanical Factors Controlling the Development of Orthogonal and Nested Fracture Network Geometries

Orthogonal fracture networks form an arrangement of open well-connected fractures which have perpendicular abutment angles and sometimes show topological relations by which fracture sets abut against each other, thus forming a nested network. Previous modelling studies have shown that orthogonal fractures may be caused by a local stress...

Fluid flow from matrix to fractures in Early Jurassic shales

The potential of shale reservoirs for gas extraction is largely determined by the permeability of the rock. Typical pore diameters in shales range from the μm down to the nm scale. The permeability of shale reservoirs is a function of the interconnectivity between the pore space and the natural fracture network present. We have measured the...