Dynamic in-situ CT imaging to study meso-structure evolution and fracture mechanism of shale during thermal-mechanical coupling condition

Abstract

Temperature has a significant impact on the occurrence characteristics and flow properties of oil and gas in shale reservoirs at in-situ conditions. Under thermal–mechanical coupling conditions, the macroscopic deformation instability characteristics and the evolution of the internal microstructure of shale are of great importance for the exploitation of shale oil and gas. However, most studies on the macroscopic and microscopic characteristics of shale only analyze the deformation and instability mechanisms of shale from observations of the post-failure microscopic structures. This paper employs a self-developed THM-CT coupling test system to study the macroscopic deformation characteristics of shale under triaxial compression at real-time temperatures, and simultaneously uses in-situ CT imaging technology to characterize the internal microstructure of shale under different stress levels. Real-time CT porosity obtained via in-situ CT imaging technology represents the mesoscopic structural parameters, together with macroscopic deformation characteristics, delineate the four stages of the entire deformation process in shale: initial compression, linear elastic deformation, yielding deformation, and post-failure. The deformation after peak-stress (σf) in shale is 1–3 times that before peak-stress (σf). The dissolution and softening of clay minerals within the internal micro-lamination of shale, along with the weakening of the internal structure, result in a decline in mechanical parameters such as stress strength (σf) and elastic modulus (E) with increasing temperature. The reconstruction of three-dimensional μCT digital volumes further reconstructs the internal fracture spatial structure under different stress levels during the deformation process, precisely characterizing the dynamic evolution of internal fracture nucleation, expansion, and coalescence during the whole test process. The failure characteristics of shales display notable heterogeneity and anisotropy. Internally, fractures experience a sequence of initiation, formation of vertical and oblique main fractures along the axial direction, and crossing connections between fractures. During test process, multiple occurrences of horizontal secondary micro-fractures extend along weakly cemented lamination, playing a connecting role between the main fractures. Importantly, a real-time quantitative relationship between the macroscopic and microscopic mechanics of rock has been established by linking the mesoscopic damage factor with the applied stress. It was found that the damage factor increases according to a power-law relationship with stress in the yield deformation phase. The variation in the mesoscopic damage factor serves as an intuitive index reflecting the systematic failure of rock, providing an early warning for the impending failure of shale.