| Title | Mathematical Modeling of Fracture Interfacial Slip With Lubrication |
|---|---|
| Authors | Lorenzo Fusi |
| Year | 2026 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | Fracture failure, poro-elastic solid, mathematical model |
| Abstract | Fault slip potential is often a critical factor in geothermal field operation. Geothermal systems are very complex to study, as they include, among many problems, thermal stress and multiphase reactive fluid flow, that could severely affect the rock properties, coupled with pressure change due to production and re-injection activities. We propose a study on the dynamics of an interfacial poro-elastic saturated layer within a rock fracture, to assess the in-situ stress state and the localized fluid flow within the fracture. Under the assumption that the slip in the rock fracture is controlled by ratio of shear and effective normal stress, we determine the conditions that allow one to detect areas of deformation within the poro-elastic fracture. The surrounding rocks are modeled as linear elastic solids with far field stress boundary conditions, while the fracture is modeled as a linear poro-lestic saturated material. In this study we consider the alteration of the fracture filling material due to fluid flow, like e.g. calcite dissolution after acidic fluid flow or rock properties degradation that can affect the fracture stability and modify the slip condition over time. The system has two intrinsic and different spatial scales with small aspect ratio that leads to a simplification of the original two-dimensional problem (lubrication & scaling). We propose the complete mathematical formulation of the problem, solving it numerically and determining the regions within the fracture that result in a slip condition, leading to a possible seismic activity. |