Evolution of permeability in a natural fracture: Significant role of pressure solution

Yasuhara, Hajime; Elsworth, Derek; Polak, A.

doi:10.1029/2003jb002663

Cited by 173 publications

(145 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This observation is consistent with the development of the wormhole, apparent in the scanning data of Figure 8. Although only diagnostic, these models are consistent with the findings from prognostic lumped-parameter models that enable this response to be followed a posteriori (YASUHARA et al, 2004) and to match proposed mechanisms with observations. …”

Section: Observational Data-carbonate Rockssupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Fracture aperture (or related permeability) may decrease if pressure solution dominates, or may increase if freeface dissolution prevails. Incorporating the role of pressure solution beneath the bridged contact points of a rough fracture has been shown adequate in replicating the observed closure of a natural fracture in novaculite (YASUHARA et al, 2004). This model follows the three serial processes of interfacial dissolution beneath the contacting asperity indentor, mass diffusion along the indentor-iterface, and subsequent precipitation within the fracture void.…”

Section: Micro-scale Models-scaling In Space and In Timementioning

confidence: 99%

“…Recent experimental results involving the circulation of hydrothermal fluids (20 C-150 C) through a natural fracture in novaculite YASUHARA et al, 2004) have also shown reductions in permeability of over two orders-of-magnitude within the period of one month, and of spontaneous switching between permeability reduction and permeability increase as only temperatures and flow rates were changed. These observations are interpreted to result from the spontaneous switching between a regime in which asperity dissolution by pressure solution is dominant, to one where free-face etching and fracture widening dominates.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apparent from these experimental data are the competing roles of processes that increase pore or flaw connectivity (NGWENYA et al, 2003), including dilatant shear (ZHANG et al, 1998;ZHANG et al, 1999), microcracking, thermal cracking and focused dissolution (MOK et al, 2002;COLON et al, 2004), and those that destroy or counteract the evolution of pore interconnectivity TENTHOREY et al, 1998;MAIN et al, 2000), including shear (ZHU and WONG, 1997) and hydrostatic compaction, fracture healing, dislocation creep, and pressure solution (BOS et al, 2000) prompted by water-film and free-face diffusion (YASUHARA et al, 2004). The sense of permeability change is controlled by the dominant suite of processes; this is in turn largely controlled by the evolving conditions of effective stress, and temperature in the sample, and species concentrations within the effusing fluid.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Related data are also available for composite aggregates of quartz (ELIAS and HAJASH, 1992;YASUHARA et al, 2004), halite (GRATIER, 1993), calcite (ZHANG et al, 1994) and albite (HAJASH et al, 1998), at moderate temperatures (20-120 C) and the same material suites at elevated temperatures and pressures (e.g., ZOBACK and BYERLEE, 1975;SIDDIQI et al, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-Timescale Chemo-Mechanical Effects and their Influence on the Transport Properties of Fractured Rock

Elsworth¹,

Yusuhara²

Pageoph Topical Volumes

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Abstract-Anomalous changes in permeability are reported in fractures circulated by fluids undersaturated with respect to the mineral host. Under net dissolution and net removal of mineral mass, fractures may alternately gape or seal, depending on the prevailing mechanical and chemical conditions. The influence on transport properties is observed to be large, rapid, and irreversible: Permeabilities may change by two orders of magnitude in a month, and the direction of permeability change may switch spontaneously, for no apparent change in environmental forcing. These behaviors are apparent in continuous circulation experiments conducted on fractures in novaculite and limestone, intermittently imaged by X-ray CT. In novaculite, permeability reduces by two orders of magnitude as silica is net removed from the sample. Surprisingly, these changes can occur at modest temperatures ($80°C) and stresses ($3.5 MPa), where compaction progresses as temperatures are incremented. Isothermal ($20°C) circulation tests in limestone show similar compaction driven by pressure solution. Where circulation remains undersaturated in Ca, the change in permeability spontaneously switches from net reduction to net increase as a wormhole forms. The surprising magnitude and rapidity of these changes are investigated in the context of the competition between stress-and chemistry-mediated effects.

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Section: Observational Data-carbonate Rockssupporting

confidence: 73%

Section: Micro-scale Models-scaling In Space and In Timementioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Short-Timescale Chemo-Mechanical Effects and their Influence on the Transport Properties of Fractured Rock

Elsworth¹,

Yusuhara²

Pageoph Topical Volumes

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Stress‐mediated closing of fractures: Impact of matrix diffusion

Neretnieks

2014

JGR Solid Earth

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Fracture apertures may decrease by several mechanisms when the fractures are subject to stress. This paper considers only stress-enhanced dissolution of the crystals on the stressed surfaces. First, it is argued that the stress-induced dissolution is active already at the smallest difference between effective stress on the stressed surfaces and the unstressed surface of a crystal when in contact with water. This is in contrast to the concept that there exists a critical stress below which, this does not happen, assumed in some earlier studies. Second, and in addition to, but independent of the first argument, it is shown that there is a very strong sink for the stress-enhanced dissolved crystal mass due to diffusion into the porous rock matrix. There, the solute reprecipitates on the crystal surfaces in the matrix, which are subject to lower stress than the crystals bearing the load in the fracture. Diffusion into the porous matrix of the rock has not previously been considered in this context. A simple model that includes this sink is developed, and it is shown that matrix diffusion can be the by far largest sink for the solute and can considerably increase the rate of closure of the fractures. It is further found that under some possibly not uncommon conditions, the dissolution rate of quartz crystals becomes essentially independent of the strength of the sinks for the dissolved silica.

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Long‐term observation of permeability in sedimentary rocks under high‐temperature and stress conditions and its interpretation mediated by microstructural investigations

Yasuhara

Kinoshita

Ohfuji

et al. 2015

Water Resources Research

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In this study, a series of long-term, intermittent permeability experiments utilizing Berea sandstone and Horonobe mudstone samples, with and without a single artificial fracture, is conducted for more than 1000 days to examine the evolution of rock permeability under relatively high-temperature and confining pressure conditions. Effluent element concentrations are also measured throughout the experiments. Before and after flow-through experiments, rock samples are prepared for X-ray diffraction, X-ray fluorescence, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to examine the mineralogical changes between pre and postexperimental samples, and also for microfocus X-ray CT to evaluate the alteration of the microstructure. Although there are exceptions, the observed, qualitative evolution of permeability is found to be generally consistent in both the intact and the fractured rock samples-the permeability in the intact rock samples increases with time after experiencing no significant changes in permeability for the first several hundred days, while that in the fractured rock samples decreases with time. An evaluation of the Damkohler number and of the net dissolution, using the measured element concentrations, reveals that the increase in permeability can most likely be attributed to the relative dominance of the mineral dissolution in the pore spaces, while the decrease can most likely be attributed to the mineral dissolution/crushing at the propping asperities within the fracture. Taking supplemental observations by microfocus X-ray CT and using the intact sandstone samples, a slight increase in relatively large pore spaces is seen. This supports the increase in permeability observed in the flow-through experiments.

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Evolution of permeability in a natural fracture: Significant role of pressure solution

Cited by 173 publications

References 36 publications

Short-Timescale Chemo-Mechanical Effects and their Influence on the Transport Properties of Fractured Rock

Short-Timescale Chemo-Mechanical Effects and their Influence on the Transport Properties of Fractured Rock

Stress‐mediated closing of fractures: Impact of matrix diffusion

Long‐term observation of permeability in sedimentary rocks under high‐temperature and stress conditions and its interpretation mediated by microstructural investigations

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