Microporomechanical modeling of shale

Shale, a common type of sedimentary rock of significance to petroleum and reservoir engineering, has recently emerged as a crucial component in the design of sustainable carbon and nuclear waste storage solutions and as a prolific natural gas source. Despite its importance, the highly heterogeneous and anisotropic nature of shale has challenged the theoretical modeling and prediction of its mechanical properties. This thesis presents a comprehensive microporomechanics framework for developing predictive models for shale poroelasticity and strength. Modeling is accomplished through a multi-scale approach, in which the experimental evidence gathered from novel nanoindentation techniques and conventional macroscopic tests informs the development of a suit of micromechanics tools for linking composition and microstructure to material performance. Based on a closed loop approach of calibration and validation of elastic and strength properties at different length scales, it was possible to deconstruct shale to the scale of an elementary material unit with mechanical behaviors governed by invariant properties, and to upscale these behaviors from the nanoscale to the macroscale of engineering applications. The elementary building block for elasticity is an anisotropic solid characterizing the in situ stiffness of highly consolidated clay.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2010

Author dc:creator

• Ortega, J. Alberto (Jose Alberto)

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Franz-Josef Ulm.

• Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/57784

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/57784