A Novel Hydro‐Grain‐Texture Model to Unveil the Impact of Mineral Grain Anisotropy on Fluid‐Driven Cracking Processes in Crystalline Rock

Abstract

The anisotropy at the grain scale significantly impacts cracking behavior of crystalline rocks. However, the anisotropy of mineral structure, especially the grain shape and orientation has been inadequately addressed in studies on hydraulic fracturing. To bridge this gap, this paper introduces a coupled hydro‐grain‐texture model (HGTM) based on discrete element model (DEM) that investigates the influence of grain shape and orientation on fluid‐driven cracking processes in crystalline rock. The HGTM can consider the different mineral grain shapes and orientations by changing the aspect ratio and rotating coordinate axes. Our studies covered six distinct in‐situ stresses, three grain shapes, and five grain orientations. Initially, we present a comprehensive examination of the microcracking processes of hydraulic fracturing. Then the influences of in‐situ stress, grain shape, and grain orientation on cracking processes were studied. The results underscore that both mineral grain and in‐situ stress interplay to influence the hydraulic fracturing of the crystalline rocks. The proposed HGTM can well mimic the propagation process of hydraulic fracturing by comparing with the experimental results and the results reveal that hydraulic fracturing in crystalline rocks is a highly complex process. This research clarifies the complex interplay between grain texture and hydraulic fracturing, offering invaluable insights for optimizing stimulation practices.