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Experimental investigation of the microstructural evolution of weakly cemented sandstone under seepage erosion

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Abstract

The coal-bearing strata in the Ordos Basin, China, formed in the Jurassic, and the associated sandstone aquifer is characterized by a short diagenesis time and weak cementation. Affected by seepage erosion, interstitial materials migrate inside the sandstone formation, resulting in changes in porosity and permeability over time and ultimately increasing the risk of mine water damage. Based on the combination of cast thin section (CTS) analysis, X-ray diffraction (XRD) testing, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) testing, the changes in the porosity and pore structure parameters of medium-grained sandstone and coarse-grained sandstone under seepage were studied. On this basis, the relationship between porosity and seepage erosion time, porosity composition, and pore size was also established using the T2 spectrum distribution curve of weakly cemented sandstone samples obtained by NMR. The results show that the medium-grained and coarse-grained sandstone’s critical displacement pressures (DP) are approximately 0.5 MPa and 0.3 MPa, respectively. When the DP does not reach the critical value, the weak cementing material separates and moves inside the sample, leading to mutual conversion between pores of different sizes. Meanwhile, the total porosity changes only slightly. After DP exceeds the critical value, some weakly cemented substances can escape from the sample, significantly changing the microscopic pore structure inside the sample, increasing large-scale pores, enhancing water conductivity and increasing total porosity. These research results are of great theoretical significance for mine water disaster prevention and control in China’s western mining area.

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Data availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors are extremely grateful for the financial support from these organizations.

Funding

Financial support for this work was provided by the Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (No. ZR2021MD016), the National Natural Science Youth Foundation of China (No. 52304239), and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51509148).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Earth Science and Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China

    Weijie Zhang, Danyang Zhang, Chenghao Han, Qian Ren, Wenwu Zhou & Jiuchuan Wei

  2. College of Energy and Mining Engineering, Shandong University of Science and Technology, Qingdao, 266590, China

    Chenghao Han

  3. Shandong Provincial Research Institute of Coal Geology Planning and Exploration, Ji’nan, 250104, Shandong, China

    Wenwu Zhou

Authors
  1. Weijie Zhang
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  2. Danyang Zhang
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  3. Chenghao Han
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  4. Qian Ren
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  5. Wenwu Zhou
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  6. Jiuchuan Wei
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Correspondence to Chenghao Han.

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Zhang, W., Zhang, D., Han, C. et al. Experimental investigation of the microstructural evolution of weakly cemented sandstone under seepage erosion. Bull Eng Geol Environ 82, 440 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03471-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-023-03471-2

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