Grain Crushing, Pore Collapse and Strain Localization in Porous Sandstone

Abstract

In many reservoir engineering and tectonic problems, the ability to predict the occurrence and extent of inelastic deformation and strain localization hinges upon a fundamental understanding of the phenomenology and micromechanics of compaction in reservoir rock. This paper reviews recent research advances on inelastic compaction and strain localization in porous sandstone, with focus on the synthesis of laboratory data, quantitative characterization of damage, fracture mechanics modeling and discrete element simulation. Specific topics reviewed here include: phenomenology of inelastic compaction and failure, micromechanics of grain crushing and pore collapse, bifurcation analysis and discrete element modeling of compaction bands, and stress conditions for the propagation of compaction bands.