Effects of Plastic Deformation on the Transport Properties of Rocksalt

C.J.A. Sinn, P. Giacomel, C.J. Peach, S. Hangx, C.J. Spiers

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaperAcademic

Abstract

It has recently been suggested that plastic deformation of rocksalt in nature can lead to the development of significant permeability to fluids, even under fully ductile deformation conditions. It is proposed that the key mechanisms controlling this permeability development are (1) reconnection of occluded grain boundary brine inclusions to form a fluid network, and (2) passive stretching and intersection of fluid inclusions in deforming salt. The creation of such fluid pathways would lead to migration of brine and hydrocarbons through the rocksalt formation, despite the usual assumption that salt is practically impermeable.
We combine new and previous work to assess the impact of these two mechanisms on the transport properties of deforming salt. Our analysis shows that, for natural brine contents and microscale distributions, the permeability of a connected pore network remains very low, as brine-filled pore and film apertures are too small to support significant fluid flow. Furthermore, stretching of fluid inclusions is fully counteracted by surface-energy-driven, solution-precipitation transfer. We therefore infer that the previously proposed mechanisms are very unlikely to render rocksalt permeable in a Darcian sense, on either engineering or geological timescales.
Original languageEnglish
Pages101-120
Number of pages19
Publication statusPublished - 12 Sept 2018
EventThe Mechanical Behaviorof Salt IX: 9th Conference on the Mechanical Behavior of Salt - Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Hannover, Germany
Duration: 12 Sept 201814 Sept 2018
Conference number: 9
http://www.saltmech.com

Conference

ConferenceThe Mechanical Behaviorof Salt IX
Abbreviated titleSaltMech IX
Country/TerritoryGermany
CityHannover
Period12/09/1814/09/18
Internet address

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