ABSTRACT

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the influence of pore fluid type on fault mechanics by means of sliding friction tests on 30° sawcut cylindrical specimens in a triaxial apparatus. Tests were run dry and with mineral oil or water as pore fluids with the experimental program designed to obtain a variety of sliding behaviors (stable/unstable sliding) at different levels of confining pressure (500, 2000, 5000 psi). Viscosity and lubricating effects of the fluids and chemical interactions of the pore fluids with the quartz grains of the gouge are the processes envisioned as affecting the mechanical properties of the experimental faults. These results may assist in understanding the role of pore fluid composition on induced seismicity and reactivation of faults during oil and gas production and the subsequent influence that these could have on the sealing capacity of the fault itself.

Keywords:
equation of state, elastic portion, fault reactivation, PVT measurement, pore fluid type, fluid modeling, pore fluid composition, Pore Fluid, Upstream Oil & Gas, strength
Subjects:
Reservoir Characterization, Fluid Characterization, Phase behavior and PVT measurements, Fluid modeling, equations of state
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2000. A.A. Balkema - Permission to Distribute - American Rock Mechanics Association
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