• Title/Summary/Keyword: fracture permeability

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Characteristics of Fracture System of the Upper Devonian Grosmont Formation, Alberta, Canada (캐나다 앨버타 상부 데본기 Grosmont층의 불연속면 구조 특성)

  • Um, Jeong-Gi;Kim, Min-Sung;Choh, Suk-Joo
    • Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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    • 2010.09a
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    • pp.790-799
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    • 2010
  • The Upper Devonian Grossmont Formation in Alberta, Canada reserves an estimated 50 billion cubic meters of bitumen and possess about 1/6 of the total bitumen resources in northern Alberta. However, unlike the overlying Athabasca oil sands, non conventional bitumen resources has not been developed as yet. The carbonate rocks of Grosmont Formation have been subject to various stages of diagenesis, including dolomatization and karstification with a strong effect on the distribution of porosity and permeability, which resulted in highly heterogeneous reservoirs. An extensive fracture logging and mapping was performed on total of six boreholes located in the study area to explore the characteristics of fracture geometry system and the subsurface structures of carbonates reservoir that holds bitumen. Fractal dimension was used as a measure of the statistical homogeneity of the fractured rock masses. The applicability of random Cantor dust, Dc, as a fractal parameter was examined systematically. The statistical homogeneity of fractured carbonates rock masses was investigated in the study area. The structural domains of the rock masses were delineated depthwise according to estimated Dc. The major fracture orientation was dominated by horizontal beddings having dip of $0-20^{\circ}$. Also, fractures having high dip angles existed with relatively low frequency. Three dimensional fracture network modeling for each structural domain has been performed based on fracture orientation and intensity, and some representative conceptual models for carbonates reservoir in the study area has been proposed. The developed subsurface conceptual models will be used to capture the geomechanical characteristics of the carbonates reservoir.

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Perforation optimization of hydraulic fracturing of oil and gas well

  • Zhu, Hai Yan;Deng, Jin Gen;Chen, Zi Jian;An, Feng Chen;Liu, Shu Jie;Peng, Cheng Yong;Wen, Min;Dong, Guang
    • Geomechanics and Engineering
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    • v.5 no.5
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    • pp.463-483
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    • 2013
  • Considering the influences of fluid penetration, casing, excavation processes of wellbore and perforation tunnels, the seepage-deformation finite element model of oil and gas well coupled with perforating technique is established using the tensile strength failure criterion, in which the user-defined subroutine is developed to investigate the dynamic evolvement of the reservoir porosity and permeability. The results show that the increases of perforation angle and decreases of perforation density lead to a higher fracture initiation pressure, while the changes of the perforation diameter and length have no evident influences on the fracture initiation pressure. As for initiation location for the fracture in wellbore, it is on the wellbore face while considering the presence of the casing. By contrast, the fractures firstly initiate on the root of the tunnels without considering casing. Besides, the initial fracture position is also related with the perforation angle. The fracture initiation position is located in the point far away from the wellbore face, when the perforation angle is around $30^{\circ}$; however, when the perforation angle is increased to $45^{\circ}$, a plane fracture is initiated from the wellbore face in the maximum horizontal stress direction; no fractures was found around perforation tunnels, when the angel is close to $90^{\circ}$. The results have been successfully applied in an oilfield, with the error of only 1.1% comparing the fracture initiation pressure simulated with the one from on-site experiment.

A Study on Improvement Effects on Fractured Rock Mass by Consolidation Grouting in Tunnel (터널 내 파쇄지반 개량을 위한 압밀그라우팅 성능 평가 연구)

  • 정교철;서용석
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.12 no.2
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    • pp.189-202
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    • 2002
  • In this study we carried out the in situ test in order to explore the grouting effects of fracture zone on mechanical properties and permeability in tunnel. After consolidation grouting the rock mass averaged 2.30 in the modulus of deformation and 2.49 in the modulus of elasticity. The results obtained through this study are as follows. (1) With advance of the injection steps, the total cement take shows uniformity of the rock mass. (2) After consolidation grouting the improvement of permeability can be identified by reduction of Lugeon values. (3) Grouting injection can improve deformability and strength of rock mass. (4) More mechanical improvement appears for more deformable rock mass before grouting injection.

A Methodology to Formulate Stochastic Continuum Model from Discrete Fracture Network Model and Analysis of Compatibility between two Models (개별균열 연결망 모델에 근거한 추계적 연속체 모델의 구성기법과 두 모델간의 적합성 분석)

  • 장근무;이은용;박주완;김창락;박희영
    • Tunnel and Underground Space
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    • v.11 no.2
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    • pp.156-166
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    • 2001
  • A stochastic continuum(SC) modeling technique was developed to simulate the groundwater flow pathway in fractured rocks. This model was developed to overcome the disadvantageous points of discrete fracture network(DFN) modes which has the limitation of fracture numbers. Besides, SC model is able to perform probabilistic analysis and to simulate the conductive groundwater pathway as discrete fracture network model. The SC model was formulated based on the discrete fracture network(DFN) model. The spatial distribution of permeability in the stochastic continuum model was defined by the probability distribution and variogram functions defined from the permeabilities of subdivided smaller blocks of the DFN model. The analysis of groundwater travel time was performed to show the consistency between DFN and SC models by the numerical experiment. It was found that the stochastic continuum modes was an appropriate way to provide the probability density distribution of groundwater velocity which is required for the probabilistic safety assessment of a radioactive waste disposal facility.

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An Experimental Study on the Roof Exposure Waterproofing Method of Tenon Jointing Type used Shiplap Rubberized Asphalt Color Sheet (반턱 고무 아스팔트 칼라 시트를 이용한 접합부 맞춤식 옥상 노출 방수공법에 관한 실험적 연구)

  • Lee, Jung-Hoon;Lee, Sun-Gyu;Kwak, Hyo-Ya;Oh, Sang-Keun
    • Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Building Construction Conference
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    • 2008.05a
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    • pp.73-77
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    • 2008
  • In this study, we would like to study on the application of roof exposure waterproofing method of joint stability through shiplap rubberized asphalt color sheet to complement problem of fracture, exfoliation and water leakage by existing roof exposure sheet waterproofing material joint weakness. Accordingly, examined basis performance and stability for joint that shiplap rubberized asphalt color sheet through test of that tensile strength, bonding strength, water permeability after bonding, peel resistance after bonding, lengthen resistance after bonding and hang resistance after bonding. The results of this study, waterproofing method to using shiplap rubberized asphalt color sheet is judged to solved fracture, exfoliation and water leakage problems happened in joint by problem was joint of exposure sheet by minimizing gap of joint being integration by shiplap.

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A Numerical study on characteristics of fluid flow in a three-dimensional discrete fracture network with variation of length distributions of fracture elements (3차원 이산 균열망 흐름장에서 균열요소의 길이분포 변화에 따른 내 유체 흐름 특성에 관한 수치적 연구)

  • Jeong, Woochang
    • Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
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    • v.52 no.2
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    • pp.149-161
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    • 2019
  • In this study, the effect of the fluid flow characteristics on the length distribution of the fracture elements composing the fracture network is analyzed numerically using the 3D fracture crack network model. The truncated power-law distribution is applied to generate the length distribution of the fracture elements and the simulations of fluid flow are carried out with the exponent ${\beta}_l$ from 1.0 to 6.0. As a result of simulations, when the exponent ${\beta}_l$ increases, the length distribution of the fracture elements gradually decreases, and the connectivity between the fracture elements affecting the permeability of the fracture network becomes weak. When we analyzed the distributions of flow rate calculated at each fracture element with the exponent ${\beta}_l$, the mean flow rate at ${\beta}_l=1.0$ was estimated to be about 447 times larger than that at ${\beta}_l=6.0$ and for the flow calculated at the outflow boundary of the fracture network, the case of ${\beta}_l=1.0$ was estimated to be 6,440 times larger than that of ${\beta}_l=6.0$.

Development of the External Fixator for a Bone Fracture (골절치료용 체외고정기기 개발을 위한 연구)

  • 윤희열;한정수;한창수
    • Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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    • v.23 no.4
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    • pp.317-322
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    • 2002
  • In this paper, the problems of the external fixator that have developed for a distal radius fracture so far are analyzed, and accordingly, the characterizations, which must have a prototype, are arranged. C-Arm is used. This instrument makes it possible for the real play of the internal body by x-ray permeability. From this data. it is possible to induce important design factors Finally. a basic mechanism, which has to be applied, is decided, and the Solid Edge program, which uses a 3-D design tool, completes then total instrument design.

Estimating of water pressure to avoid hydraulic fracturing in water pressure test

  • Amnieh, Hassan Bakhshandeh;Masoudi, Majid
    • Computers and Concrete
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    • v.19 no.2
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    • pp.171-177
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    • 2017
  • Water pressure test operation is used before the grouting to determine the rate of penetrability, the necessity and estimations related to grouting, by the penetration of water into the borehole. One of the parameters which have the highest effect is pressure of water penetration since the application of excessive pressure causes the hydraulic fracture to occur in the rock mass, and on the other hand, it must not be so small that prevents from seeing mechanical weaknesses and the rate of permeability. Mathematical modeling is used for the first time in this study to determine the optimum pressure. Thus, the joints that exist in the rock mass are simulated using cylindrical shell model. The joint surroundings are also modeled through Pasternak environment. To obtain equations governing the joints and the surroundings, energy method is used accompanied by Hamilton principle and an analytical solution method is used to obtain the maximum pressure. In order to validate the modeling, the pressure values obtained by the model were used in the sites of Seymareh and Aghbolagh dams and the relative error rates were measured considering the differences between calculated and actual pressures. Modeling in the sections of Seymareh dam showed 4.75, 3.93, 4.8 percent error rates and in the sections of Aghbolagh dam it rendered the values of 22.43, 5.22, 2.6 percent. The results indicate that this modeling can be used to estimate the amount of pressure for hydraulic fracture in water pressure test, to predict it and to prevent it.

Development and Its Application of a Discrete Fracture Flow Model for the Analysis of Gas-Water Transient Flow in Fractured Rock Masses Around Storage Cavern (지하저장공동 주변 불연속 암반에서의 가스-물 천이유동해석을 위한 개별균열 유동모델의 개발 및 응용)

  • 나승훈;성원모
    • Proceedings of the Korean Geotechical Society Conference
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    • 2000.11a
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    • pp.705-712
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    • 2000
  • The fluid generally flows through fractures in crystalline rocks where most of underground storage facilities are constructed because of their low hydraulic conductivities. The fractured rock is better to be conceptualized with a discrete fracture concept, rather continuum approach. In the aspect of fluid flow in underground, the simultaneous flow of groundwater and gas should be considered in the cases of generation and leakage of gas in nuclear waste disposal facilities, air sparging process and soil vapor extraction for eliminating contaminants in soil or rock pore, and pneumatic fracturing for the improvement of permeability of rock mass. For the purpose of appropriate analysis of groundwater-gas flow, this study presents an unsteady-state multi-phase FEM fracture network simulator. Numerical simulation has been also conducted to investigate the hydraulic head distribution and air tightness around Ulsan LPG storage cavern. The recorded hydraulic head at the observation well Y was -5 to -10 m. From the results obtained by the developed model, it shows that the discrete fracture model yielded hydraulic head of -10 m, whereas great discrepancy with the field data was observed in the case of equivalent continuum modeling. The air tightness of individual fractures around cavern was examined according to two different operating pressures and as a result, only several numbers of fractures neighboring the cavern did not satisfy the criteria of air tightness at 882 kPa of cavern pressure. In the meantime, when operating pressure is 710.5 kPa, the most areas did not satisfy air tightness criteria. Finally, in the case of gas leaking from cavern to the surrounding rocks, the resulted hydraulic head and flowing pattern was changed and, therefore, gas was leaked out from the cavern ceiling and groundwater was flowed into the cavern through the walls.

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Development of Methodology for Fracture Network Analysis in the Unsaturated Zone using MINC Approach in TOUGH2 Code (TOUGH2 전산코드의 MINC 기법을 이용한 불포화 암반 내 단열 해석 방법론 개발)

  • Ha, Jaechul;Cheong, Jae-yeol;Kim, Soogin;Yoon, Jeonghyoun
    • The Journal of Engineering Geology
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    • v.26 no.3
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    • pp.325-330
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    • 2016
  • The second phase of low- and intermediate-level waste (LILW) disposal facility is under planned on the sedimentary rock in unsaturated zone. In this study, we created two meshes which were a matrix continuum mesh and a fracture continuum mesh to carry out 2 dimensional numerical modeling for groundwater flow in the unsaturated zone containing fractures focused on the second phase of LILW disposal facility. Two continuum meshes were developed using MINC in meshmaker module of TOUGH2 code. A fracture continuum mesh was included the k-field distribution of the permeability derived from the Discrete Fractured Network (DFN) modeling. To apply the unsaturated zone for the modeling, the gridding steps to generate mesh were developed. Each step to generate a mesh consisted of definition of materials, setting the initial conditions and creating grids using MINC. The methodology development of meshes in this study will be applied for more precise modeling of groundwater flow and mass transport.