Mechanical Characterization of Low Permeable Siltstone under Different Reservoir Saturation Conditions: An Experimental Study

Abstract

Hydro-fracturing is a common production enhancement technique used in unconventional reservoirs. However, an effective fracturing process requires a precise understanding of a formation’s in-situ strength behavior, which is mainly dependent on the formation’s in-situ stresses and fluid saturation. The aim of this study is to identify the effect of brine saturation (concentration and degree of saturation (DOS)) on the mechanical properties of one of the common unconventional reservoir rock types, siltstone. Most common type of non-destructive test: acoustic emission (AE) was used in conjunction with the destructive tests to investigate the rock properties. Unconfined compressive strength (UCS..