Abstract
It is widely acknowledged in current research that underground fluid injection activities may induce earthquakes, which has become a significant factor in constraining the exploitation of underlying resources. To better understand the effects of fault properties on injection-induced fault activation and shear slip behavior, sandstone samples containing single fractures with different roughness were prepared, and fluid was injected into the critically stressed samples under constant normal stress. The results show that the critical injection pressure, as well as the fluid overpressure ratio, decreases with increasing roughness. Rough fractures present an obvious dilatancy followed by shear slip mode, while dilatancy and shear slip occur almost simultaneously for smooth fractures. All fractures undergo varying degrees of abrasion failure, but shearing-off failure appears only on the roughest fractures where the damage is severe, and the failure types are contributed to the change in permeability. Further investigation reveals that the fluid overpressure ratio depends on the fluid diffusion rate which determines the homogeneity of the fluid pressure distribution over the fracture at the given injection rate. Since the peak slip rate is in the range of slow slip events in natural faults with apparent slip velocity variation and negligible stress drop, the injection-induced instability exhibits quasi-dynamic sliding and is insignificantly correlated with roughness. In terms of energy release, rough fractures accumulate more elastic energy in the critical state, so more seismic moment is released during the injection-induced slip process.
Highlights
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The critical injection pressure and the fluid overpressure ratio decreased with increasing roughness.
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Rough fractures underwent significant normal displacement before injection-induced activation.
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The prop** of fracture asperities and shearing-off failure boosted the permeability of the fracture, while the abrasion failure caused blockage of the permeate path, and the permeability abated instead.
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The injection-induced instability exhibited quasi-dynamic sliding with a low correlation with roughness.
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Data availability
The datasets supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, Dawei Hu, upon reasonable request.
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Acknowledgements
This study was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (Grant no. 2022YFE0137200) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant no. 52179114, 41941018). We sincerely thank the editor, Yossef H. Hatzor, and two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on this paper, which greatly improved the quality of our manuscript.
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Conceptualization: DH, BZ; Data curation: BZ; Formal Analysis: BZ, FY; Investigation: BZ; Methodology: DH, BZ; Writing—original draft: BZ; Writing—review and editing: HZ, DH, BZ; Resources: HZ, DH, FY; Supervision: HZ, DH, FY.
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Appendices
Appendix A
See Fig. 12.
a CNC diamond wire-cutting machine. b Input curve as cutting stroke. c Schematic diagram of specimen wire cutting
Appendix B
See Fig. 13.
3D scan profiles of the fracture surfaces before and after the test: a test IS1, b IS2, c IS3, and d IS4
Appendix C
a Time history of stress and displacement of the Test IS2. b The enlarged view of the injection-driven stage
a Time history of stress and displacement of the Test IS3. b The enlarged view of the injection-driven stage
a Time history of stress and displacement of the Test IS4. b The enlarged view of the injection-driven stage
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Zhang, B., Yang, F., Hu, D. et al. Laboratory Study on Injection-Induced Fault Activation and Slip Behavior on Fractures with Specified Roughness in Sandstone. Rock Mech Rock Eng 56, 7475–7494 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03439-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00603-023-03439-4