Fracture Network Connectivity and Its Evolution

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• Weiwei Zhu, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Thursday 02 October 2025, 11:30-12:30
• Open Plan Area, Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows, Madingley Rise CB3 0EZ.

If you have a question about this talk, please contact Catherine Pearson.

Fractures are ubiquitous in crustal rocks due to the harsh environment of the deep subsurface and the inherent brittleness of the rock. These fractures, which represent planes of rock failure, significantly influence rock stability and are pivotal in predicting geohazards. Additionally, fractures typically provide highly permeable pathways for fluid flow in the subsurface, making them crucial for oil and gas exploration and production, subsurface hydrogen storage, geological CO₂ sequestration, and nuclear waste disposal.

Connectivity is a key characteristic of fracture networks, intricately linked to their mechanical and hydrological properties. In this seminar, an automated fracture interpretation technique is introduced, enabling the acquisition of large amounts of natural fracture data. Subsequently, an efficient discrete fracture network modeling software is presented, allowing the generation of complex fracture networks and the realization of advanced functionalities. Novel fracture metrics for single and multiple fracture clusters are also introduced, providing a means to quantify the connectivity of complex fracture networks and investigate potential influential factors. A DEM -LBM method is adopted to simulate the hydraulic fracturing process, demonstrating the dynamic evolution of fracture networks under significant stress disturbances. During this process, the dynamic evolution of connectivity can be characterized using the proposed novel metrics.

This talk is part of the Institute for Energy and Environmental Flows (IEEF) series.

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