In situ stress field of eastern Australia

New in situ data based on hydraulic fracturing and overcoring have been compiled for eastern Australia, increasing from 23 to 110 the number of in situ stress analyses available for the area between and including the Bowen and Sydney Basins. The Bowen Basin displays a consistent north‐northeast maximum horizontal stress (σ_H) orientation over some 500 km. Stress orientations in the Sydney Basin are more variable than in the Bowen Basin, with areas of the Sydney Basin exhibiting north‐northeast, northeast, east‐west and bimodal σ_H orientations. Most new data indicate that the overburden stress (σ_V) is the minimum principal stress in both the Bowen and Sydney Basins. The Sydney Basin is relatively seismically active, whereas the Bowen Basin is relatively aseismic. Despite the fact that in situ stress measurements sample the stress field at shallower depth than the seismogenic zone, there is a correlation between the stress measurements and seismicity in the two areas. Mohr‐Coulomb analysis of the propensity for failure in the Sydney Basin suggests 41% of the new in situ stress data are indicative of failure, as opposed to 13% in the Bowen Basin. The multiple pre‐existing structural grains in the Sydney Basin further emphasise the difference between propensity for failure in the two areas. Previous modelling of intraplate stresses due to plate boundary forces has been less successful at predicting stress orientations in eastern than in western and central Australia. Nonetheless, stress orientation in the Bowen Basin is consistent with that predicted by modelling of stresses due to plate boundary forces. Variable stress orientations in the Sydney Basin suggest that more local sources of stress, such as those associated with the continental margin and with local structure, significantly influence stress orientation. The effect of local sources of stress may be relatively pronounced because stresses due to plate boundary forces result in low horizontal stress anisotropy in the Sydney Basin.     

Numerical analysis of the effect of natural microcracks on the supercritical CO2 fracturing crack network of shale rock based on bonded particle models

The problem of predicting the geometric structure of induced fractures is highly complex and significant in the fracturing stimulation of rock reservoirs. In the traditional continuous fracturing models, the mechanical properties of reservoir rock are input as macroscopic quantities. These models neglect the microcracks and discontinuous characteristics of rock, which are important factors influencing the geometric structure of the induced fractures. In this paper, we simulate supercritical CO₂ fracturing based on the bonded particle model to investigate the effect of original natural microcracks on the induced‐fracture network distribution. The microcracks are simulated explicitly as broken bonds that form and coalesce into macroscopic fractures in the supercritical CO₂ fracturing process. A calculation method for the distribution uniformity index (DUI) is proposed. The influence of the total number and DUI of initial microcracks on the mechanical properties of the rock sample is studied. The DUI of the induced fractures of supercritical CO₂ fracturing and hydraulic fracturing for different DUIs of initial microcracks are compared, holding other conditions constant. The sensitivity of the DUI of the induced fractures to that of initial natural microcracks under different horizontal stress ratios is also probed. The numerical results indicate that the distribution of induced fractures of supercritical CO₂ fracturing is more uniform than that of common hydraulic fracturing when the horizontal stress ratio is small.     

Coupled finite‐element simulation of injection well testing in unconsolidated oil sands reservoir

This paper presents a finite‐element (FE) model for simulating injection well testing in unconsolidated oil sands reservoir. In injection well testing, the bottom‐hole pressure (BHP) is monitored during the injection and shut‐in period. The flow characteristics of a reservoir can be determined from transient BHP data using conventional reservoir or well‐testing analysis. However, conventional reservoir or well‐testing analysis does not consider geomechanics coupling effects. This simplified assumption has limitations when applied to unconsolidated (uncemented) oil sands reservoirs because oil sands deform and dilate subjected to pressure variation. In addition, hydraulic fracturing may occur in unconsolidated oil sands when high water injection rate is used. This research is motivated in numerical modeling of injection well testing in unconsolidated oil sands reservoir considering the geomechanics coupling effects including hydraulic fracturing. To simulate the strong anisotropy in mechanical and hydraulic behaviour of unconsolidated oil sands induced by fluid injection in injection well testing, a nonlinear stress‐dependent poro‐elasto‐plastic constitutive model together with a strain‐induced anisotropic permeability model are formulated and implemented into a 3D FE simulator. The 3D FE model is used to history match the BHP response measured from an injection well in an oil sands reservoir. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

对蓬安县三元水库大坝外坡裂缝产生的原因及整治工程的探讨

本文通过对蓬安县三元水库大坝外坡裂缝产生的原因分析，进而运用岩、土力学的理论与方法反算推论出了裂缝的产生不是深层坝体土滑动引起的，而是局部浅层坝体土在水的诱发作用下作蠕滑-拉裂变形所产生的。在明确了大坝裂缝产生的原因后，提出了一系列相应整治工程措施，以达到彻底根治裂缝和稳固大坝的目的。     

Statistical distribution of natural fractures and the possible physical generating mechanism

We have fitted field measurements of fracture spacings (from the vicinity of Lake Strom Thurmond, Georgia, U.S.A.) to the Weibull, Schuhmann and fractal distributions. The fracture spacings follow a fractal and Weibull distribution which implies that they were formed as a result of a repetitive fragmentation process. The limited variation of the fracture density with orientation in the study area suggests that the stress distribution generating these fractures may be uniform.     

用油田压裂资料估算应力值

本文比较了从油田压裂资料获得的应力值与专门的水压致裂应力测量结果。研究结果表明,前者的最小水平主应力可以和后者的精度相当,最大水平主应力的精度略低。以长庆油田岭261—2井1985年11月15日实际压裂记录结果和吉林油田东33—35井的压裂记录为例,提出了处理油田资料的方法,给出了相应的处理结果     

断裂对地下水力扩散的影响及其与诱发地震关系的讨论

本文重点讨论了断裂规模、断裂相交网络和断裂力学的性质对地下水力扩散的影响,及其与诱发地震的关系。指出断裂密集成带的地方,水力扩散大。根据流体流动规律,水力扩散沿断裂方向流体流速大,断裂越长越深,沿断裂方向水力扩散距离就越大。而水力扩散随深度的变化,由于不同深度上岩性变化和应力状态的不同,有的深度上的岩类可能出现扩容而增大水力扩散。因此它并不是随围压的增大而单值地减少。 文章指出断裂的末端和断裂的交汇处是地下水富集的地方,在水富集地方的四周,水力扩散比其它地方要大。另外现代活动的张性和张扭性断裂比压性和压扭性断裂的水力扩散大。文章还提出水沿断裂扩散是水库诱发地震的直接原因。水力扩散大的断裂,水库诱发地震的可能性大,规模大而活的断裂诱发地震的震级可能大。     

Fast-changing processes in a medium subject to loading as detected by resistivity measurements

Making measurements of electric resistivity at 16 s intervals, the authors noticed fast changes of this parameter prior to the occurrence of the main fracture. The changes are superposed on bay pulsations of increasing amplitude and decreasing period. This finding opens prospects for a wider use of an electric resistivity method and proves the high quality of automatic instruments, in particular their high resolution. It also gives evidence for the occurrence of short-period precursors in the fracture zone while the main fracture is being formed.     

The management of sewage sludge by the water industry in England and Wales

Summary The legislative framework within which the disposal of sewage sludge is managed in England and Wales and the methods employed are outlined. Those factors which affect management decisions are analysed and consideration is given to the environmental implications of those decisions. Sewage processes and sludge disposal are considered, and the problems, especially those of heavy metal contamination, are addressed. An indication is given as to how the Water Services Companies are likely to implement the more stringent controls on disposal. Finally, the future of sludge management in England and Wales is discussed.Abbreviations BAT Best available technology - BATNEEC Best available technology not entailing excessive cost - BOD₅ Biochemical oxygen demand - BPEO Best practicable environmental option - CBI Confederation of British Industry - CEST Centre for Exploitation of Science and Technology - COD Chemical oxygen demand - CSC Customer Services Committee - DAF Dissolved air flotation - DG Director General - DoE Department of the Environment - DS Dried solids     

阳朔铅锌矿的环境现状与尾矿废水处理模式分析

阳朔铅锌矿的环境污染因素主要是采矿废石、选矿尾矿、废液等，主要有害物质为Pb、Cd等重金属元素和残余的选矿药剂，对环境特别是下游环境存在潜在危害。该矿通过建设规范化的尾矿库和废水处理系统，采用尾矿浆由坝体向内(上游)倒流排放沉淀尾矿砂、废水经二级多池串联自然沉淀澄清的处理模式，增强了坝体稳定安全；不使用或极少使用化学沉淀药剂，降低了治污成本。废水处理后，水质清澈无异味，达到国家工业生产污水处理二级排放标准。