Effect of pore pressure and confining pressure on fracture permeability

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Abstract

The effective pressure pe for measurements of fluid permeability 〈k〉 is shown to be (pc − spp) where pc is confining pressure, pp is pore pressure, and s depends on the topography of the fracture surfaces and rock type. Measurements of flow through simulated fractures by Kranz et al. [1] show that s can vary between 0.5 and 1.0. The analysis here suggests that 〈k〉13 should be linearly related to ln pe. Data from studies by Kranz et al. [1], Brar & Stesky [2], and Jones [3] follow the theoretical relationship.

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