Interpreting post-injection acoustic emission in laboratory hydraulic fracturing experiments

A.P. Bunger, J. Kear, Arcady Dyskin, Elena Pasternak

Research output: Chapter in Book/Conference paperConference paperpeer-review

13 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Copyright (2014) ARMA, American Rock Mechanics Association This paper presents data from laboratory scale hydraulic fracturing experimentation with acoustic emission (AE) monitoring. The motivation is firstly to confirm existence of the post-injection surge in the AE rate observed by other investigators. Secondly, unlike previous investigations, a re-pressurization stage is included to test whether AE is driven by the interaction of the two hydraulic fracture surfaces as they contact one another during the closure period that follows an injection- shut in cycle. Our results show that the AE rate indeed increases when the pressure is relieved after the first injection/propagation stage. However, re-opening the fracture through a second pressurization and allowing it to close again proved unsuccessful in causing a second increase in the AE rate. Instead, the AE rate is observed to decay hyperbolically with the time from the first moment of pressure relief with no impact from the second injection/closure stage. This hyperbolic decay in AE rate is in accordance with Omori's law, that is, it is statistically similar to earthquake aftershocks. The AE in our laboratory experiments were therefore apparently not associated with closure but rather to the somewhat surprising propensity of the rock to produce AE aftershocks from the vicinity of a hydraulic fracture under zero-loading conditions during the hours to days following its creation.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publication48th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2014
Place of PublicationUnited States
PublisherAmerican Rock Mechanics Association
Pages1-8
Volume1
ISBN (Print)9780989484411
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Event48th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2014 - Minneapolis, United States
Duration: 1 Jun 20144 Jun 2014

Conference

Conference48th US Rock Mechanics / Geomechanics Symposium 2014
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityMinneapolis
Period1/06/144/06/14

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