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Shale anisotropy and natural hydraulic fracture propagation: An example from the Posidonienschiefer, Germany

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Originator:The Pennsylvania State University

Publication_Date:2019

Title:

Shale anisotropy and natural hydraulic fracture propagation: An example from the Posidonienschiefer, Germany

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John N. Hooker1,2 Micha Ruhl1,3 Alexander J. Dickson1,4 Lars N. Hansen1 Erdem Idiz1 Stephen P. Hesselbo5 Joe Cartwright1 1Department of Earth Sciences, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, OX1 3AN, UK 2Department of Geosciences, Penn State University, 503 Deike Building, University Park, Pennsylvania 16802, USA 3 Irish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG) & Department of Geology, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, Dublin, Ireland 4Department of Earth Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW20 0EX, UK 5Camborne School of Mines and Environment and Sustainability Institute, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, UK

Online_Linkage: http://www.datacommons.psu.edu/

Description:

Abstract:

 Cores recovered from the Posidonienschiefer (Posidonia Shale) in the Lower Saxony Basin, Germany, contain calcite filled fractures (veins) at low angle to bedding. The veins preferentially form where the shale is both organic rich and thermally mature, supporting previous interpretations that the veins formed as hydraulic fractures in response to volumetric expansion of organic material during catagenesis. Despite the presence of hydrocarbons during fracturing, the calcite fill is fibrous and so the veins appear to have contained a mineral-saturated aqueous solution as they formed. The veins also contain myriad host-rock inclusions having sub-millimetric spacing. These inclusions are strands of host rock that were entrained as the veins grew by separating the host rock along bedding planes, rather than cutting across planes. The veins therefore produce significantly more surface area—by a factor of roughly five, for the size of veins observed—compared to an inclusion-free fracture of the same size. Analysis of vein geometry indicates that, with propagation, fracture surface area increases with fracture length raised to a power between 1 and 2, assuming linear aperture-length scaling. As such, this type of fracture efficiently dissipates elastic strain energy as it lengthens, stabilizing propagation and precluding dynamic crack growth. The apparent separation of the host rock along bedding planes suggests that the mechanical weakness of bedding planes is the cause of this inherently stable style of propagation.

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Calendar_Date:2019

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Contact_Organization:Penn State

Contact_Person:John Hooker

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City:University Park

State_or_Province:Pennsylvania

Postal_Code:16802

Country:USA

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:jzh497@psu.edu

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State_or_Province:Pennsylvania

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Contact_Organization:Penn State Data Commons

Contact_Position:Metadata Coordinator

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Address_Type:mailing address

Address:

115 Land and Water Building

City:University Park

State_or_Province:Pennsylvania

Postal_Code:16802

Country:United States

Contact_Voice_Telephone:814-865-8792

Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address:datacommons@psu.edu

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