Experimental development of low-frequency shear modulus and attenuation measurements in mated rock fractures: Shear mechanics due to asperity contact area changes with normal stress

Reservoir core measurements can help guide seismic monitoring of fluid-induced pressure variations in tight fractured reservoirs, including those targeted for supercritical CO2 injection. We have developed the first seismic-frequency “room-dry” measurements of fracture-specific shear stiffness, using artificially fractured standard granite samples with different degrees of mating, a well-mated tensile fracture from a dolomite reservoir core, as well as simple roughened polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) surfaces. We have adapted a low-frequency (0.01–100 Hz) shear modulus and attenuation apparatus to explore the seismic signature of fractures and understand the mechanics of asperity contacts under a range of normal stress conditions. Our instrument is unique in its ability to measure at low-normal stresses (0.5–20 MPa), simulating “open” fractures in shallow or high-fluid-pressure reservoirs. The accuracy of our instrument is demonstrated by calibration and comparison with ultrasonic measurements and ...