Role of fluids in the hydromechanical behavior of heterogeneous fractured rocks: in situ characterization and numerical modelling: Fid-Bau Portal

Role of fluids in the hydromechanical behavior of heterogeneous fractured rocks: in situ characterization and numerical modelling

Cappa, Frédéric

Abstract

Abstract Hydromechanical coupled processes in a shallow fractured rock mass were investigated in situ through field experiments and numerical simulations. The experimental approach consists of performing simultaneous and multi-frequency measurements of fluid pressures and displacements at different points and on different fracture types within a carbonate reservoir. Two kinds of experiments were conducted at the Coaraze Laboratory Site (France): At the fracture network scale, a global hydraulic loading by groundwater level change shows that the coupling between fluid flow and deformation is simultaneously governed by a dual-permeability hydraulic behaviour and a dual-stiffness mechanical behaviour. The following fluid flow and hydromechanical conceptual scheme was established: first, a transient flow only occurs in faults with high permeability; second, when a steady-state flow is reached in faults, water flows from faults into lower permeability bedding planes. The intact rock matrix is practically impervious but the connectivity between the discontinuities is high. When fluid pressure changes occur within the fracture network, the hydromechanical coupling is direct in the highly permeable faults where a pressure change induces a deformation change. No direct hydromechanical coupling occurs within the lower permeability zones where deformation is not directly correlated with pressure changes. This means that the mechanical deformation of the bedding planes and rock matrix is induced by the fault deformation.At the single fracture scale, the hydromechanical behaviour was evaluated by performing hydraulic pulse injection testing. This test was monitored using high-frequency (f = 120 Hz) hydromechanical measurements conducted with innovative fiber-optic borehole equipment. The hydromechanical response is simultaneously monitored at two measuring points spaced about 1 m apart within the plane of the sub-vertical fracture. Observed fluid pressure versus normal displacement curves shows a characteristic loop-shaped evolution in which the paths for loading (pressure increase) and unloading (pressure decrease) are different. The test was evaluated by coupled hydromechanical modelling using a distinct element technique. By matching the loop behaviour, modelling indicates that the pulse pressure increase portion allows the fracture hydromechanical properties to be determined while the pulse pressure decrease portion is strongly influenced by the hydromechanical effects within the surrounding fractured rock mass. A sensitivity study shows that the key parameters to coupled hydromechanical processes in such fracture systems are the initial hydraulic aperture and normal stiffness of the fracture, the stiffness of the rock matrix and the geometry of the surrounding fracture network.