Experimental Investigation on the Mechanical Behavior of Victorian Brown Coal under Brine Saturation

Abstract

Successful hydraulic fracturing depends on the characteristics of the induced fracture network, which controls the enhancement of permeability and ultimate gas production. Among the various factors, the brine concentration in the pore fluid can significantly affect the process, through alterations in microstructure and the impacts of this on rock mechanical behavior. This paper investigates the mechanical behavior of coal in terms of UCS, brittleness, and volumetric-strain deformation and characterizes the induced fracture network caused by monocyclic uniaxial compression on coal samples saturated with varying brine concentration (i.e., 0%, 10%, and 20% NaCl by weight). The mechanical analys..