An experimental investigation of the characteristics of cataclastic bands in high-porosity sandstones

Abstract Cataclastic bands in high-porosity sandstones significantly influence fluid flow, thus impacting the exploration and development of oil and gas. However, little experimental research has been conducted on the main factors controlling the formation, evolution, and physical properties of cataclastic bands. Moreover, it is difficult to use field surveys to discern variations and trends in the structural and physical properties of cataclastic bands formed during different deformation processes. In this study, we used a high-pressure and low-velocity ring-shear apparatus to analyze high-porosity, pure sandstone. Multiple sets of ring-shear experiments were carried out using the effective normal stress or shear displacement as a single variable. The experimental samples were analyzed based on physical property tests and thin sections. Our results indicate that the particles in the cataclastic bands generally have better roundness and are smaller (by at least two to three orders of magnitude) than the host rock. The porosity and permeability of the cataclastic bands are ~70% lower and two to three orders of magnitude lower than those of the host rock, respectively. The characteristics of the cataclastic bands are controlled by two main factors, namely, the effective normal stress and shear displacement. The effective normal stress controls the intensity of the cataclasis, and the shear displacement controls the physical properties of the grains and indirectly controls the evolutionary stage, which corresponds to the intensity of cataclasis. As the effective normal stress or shear displacement increases, the cataclasis in the cataclastic bands intensifies, and the grain size decreases; then, the decrease in the porosity gradually declines, and the permeability decrease and thickness increase and then plateau. The results of this study reveal the evolutionary mechanisms of the structural and physical properties of cataclastic bands in high-porosity sandstones and lay a theoretical foundation for determining the effect of these bands on fluid flow in oil and gas reservoirs.