Mass-Transfer in Rock Mass with Contrasting Permeability: Theory and Laboratory Experiment

The authors have theoretically substantiated and experimentally tested the method of determining permeability of discontinuities as function of stresses in rock masses and reservoirs of quasi-regular layered deformation structure when fluid flows across the strike of the discontinuities. A linear model produces an analytical solution of a problem on stationary fluid flow in media with discontinuities, which allows finding the permeability kJ of the latter by the recorded flow rate. The tests are carried out using samples of sandstone blocks and a dependence is obtained for the interblock space opening h and the normal stress s. A lab-scale testing plant is proposed for the permeability tests with the coincident directions of compression and fluid flow. As a result of the experiments on gas flow in block samples subjected to normal loading, an empirical dependence is found for the specific discontinuity permeability kJ/h and the stress s, which can be approximated by a two-parameter fractional rational function.