Gouge formation and dilation impacts to flow during fracture shearing

Flow in fractures is of critical importance to fluid flow in low-permeability shales, particularly when they restrict vertical migration from reservoirs. The Mt. Simon Sandstone is a target for geologic CO2 sequestration and the overlying Eau Claire Formation is the sealing formation capping this reservoir. The lower Eau Claire, a primary barrier to upward migration of CO2 from the Mt. Simon, is lithologically heterogenous with a mixture of...