Data from: Brittle sedimentary strata focus a multimodal depth distribution of seismicity during hydraulic fracturing in the Sichuan basin, southwest China
Data files
Jan 17, 2024 version files 4.09 MB
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Data_S1.zip
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README.md
Jan 28, 2024 version files 4.09 MB
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Data_S1.zip
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README.md
Abstract
The number of background earthquakes (ML ≥ 0) in the southern Sichuan basin, southwest China, has increased thirtyfold as a result of hydraulic fracturing. Background events are originally deep (4-6 km) within the sedimentary section but build into a multimodal distribution both at depth and in the shallow stimulated reservoir (2-4 km) - representing a counterpoint to the usual triggering of seismicity on deep sub-reservoir basement faults. Surprisingly, the largest events (ML ≥ 3) evolve in the deep sedimentary strata (4-6 km) that are hydraulically isolated from the injection zone (2-4 km) by low permeability layers. We evaluate the friction-stability rheology of the strata within the full stratigraphic section to define the feasibility of nucleation within these shallow and deep strata. These show velocity-neutral to velocity-weakening behavior in the shallow reservoir transitioning to more strongly velocity-weakening with increase in both depth and temperature. Poroelastic stress calculations confirms that stress transfer, rather than transmitted fluid pressures, are capable of directly reactivating critically-stressed faults at depth, with fluid pressures the triggering source within the shallow reservoir.
README: Brittle sedimentary strata focus a multimodal depth distribution of seismicity during hydraulic fracturing in the Sichuan basin, southwest China
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.cvdncjt9p
Mengke An, Derek Elsworth, Fengshou Zhang, Rui Huang, Junlun Li, Zhengyu Xu, Zhen Zhong, and Manchao He. Brittle Sedimentary Strata Focus a Multimodal Depth Distribution of Seismicity during Hydraulic Fracturing in the Sichuan Basin, Southwest China. Tectonophysics.
Data S1
The friction-displacement data for the nine shear experiments on rock gouges from Xixiangchi to Doushantuo Formations in Sichuan Basin.
Authors
Mengke An
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong 100872, China.
Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, EMS Energy Institute and G3 Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Derek Elsworth
Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering, EMS Energy Institute and G3 Center, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Fengshou Zhang
Department of Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Rui Huang
Department of Geotechnical Engineering, College of Civil Engineering, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China.
Junlun Li
Laboratory of Seismology and Physics of Earth’s Interior, School of Earth and Space Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China.
Zhengyu Xu
PetroChina Hangzhou Institute of Geology, Hangzhou 310023, China.
Zhen Zhong
School of Civil Engineering, Shaoxing University, Shaoxing 312000, China.
Manchao He
State Key Laboratory for Geomechanics and Deep Underground Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing, Ch
File lists (files found within DataS1.zip)
An_et_al_2024_SICH_1.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_2.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_3.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_4.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_5.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_6.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_7.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_8.xlsx
An_et_al_2024_SICH_9.xlsx
File description
An_et_al_2024_SICH_1.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-1.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_2.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-2.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_3.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-3.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_4.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-4.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_5.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-5.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_6.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-6.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_7.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-7.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_8.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-8.
An_et_al_2024_SICH_9.xlsx – The shear displacement (column 1) and coefficient of friction (column 2) data for Experiment SICH-9.