GEOL

3003

Lecture 3

Rheology of
Rocks

Dr. A
 Rheology

Rheology:
“science of deformation and flow of
matter”
or
relationship between stress and strain
 Rheology

The three basic modes of rheological behavior are:

Elastic
Plastic
Viscous

The mechanical behavior of most rocks can be

expressed in terms of these modes of rheology
Factors Affecting Rock Deformation

Pc
 Macroscopic Behavior

BRITTLE
Macroscopically discontinuous
Material loses cohesion across a brittle fracture

DUCTILE
Macroscopically continuous
Material deforms permanently without losing cohesion
Macroscopic Behavior
Stress-strain Relationships
Stress-strain Relationships

ultimate strength
Stress-strain Relationships
 Idealized Elastic Material

Linear relationship between

force and extension.
(Hooke, 1676)
Strain gages mounted on
Aluminum sample

Aluminum Specifications
Alloy 6061-T6
published elastic modulus range
10,150,000 psi to
11,603,000 psi

Published Poisson’s Ratio

0.33

Two single grid Strain gages used for measurement of axial

and lateral strain
 Strain Gaged aluminum sample test results

Aluminum Stress Strain Plot

30000
Poisson's Ratio Young's Modulus
n= 0.33 E= 10,417,000 psi
25000

20000 n= -e lateral / e axial

Stress (psi)

15000
E= Ds/ De
10000

5000 Axial Strain Gage

Radial Strain Gage

0
-0.001 0.000 0.001 0.002 0.003
Strain (in/in)
Elastic Behavior

E = Stiffness
Y = Young’s modulus
G = Shear modulus
K = Bulk modulus
n = Poisson’s ratio
Calculating Elastic Parameters

K
K K

K K

K
K K
 Stiffness and Strength

“Lest there be any possible, probably, shadow of doubt,

strength is not, repeat not, the same thing as stiffness.
Stiffness, or Young’s modulus or E, is concerned with how
stiff, flexible, springy or floppy a material is. Strength is the
force or stress needed to break a thing. A biscuit is stiff but
weak, steel is stiff and strong, nylon is flexible (low E and
strong), raspberry jelly is flexible (low E) and weak. The two
properties together describe a solid about as well as you can
reasonably expect two figures to do.”

(Gordon, New science of strong materials, 2006)

Beyond Elastic Deformation
Plastic Behavior
 Real Experimental Rocks at OU

Young’s Modulus, the Bulk Modulus and/or

Compressibility, Shear Modulus

E , K, C, G

Function(Confining pressure, or depth, or stress …)

Influence of stress on σ-ε diagram

Indiana Limestone
10% porosity
Rock Strength = 6,245 psi
e axial
Proportional limit σ pl » 5300 psi Length = 2.2261 inches
Diameter = 0.995 inches

ne
Zo
ic
st
la
rEa
ne
Li

E = (4700-2000)/(0.0015-0.00076)
= 3,648,648 psi
 Zone
st ic
Pla e axial
Length = 2.2261 inches
Diameter = 0.995 inches
 e axial

Length = 2.2261 inches

Diameter = 0.995 inches

e
Zon
ear
i n
onl
N
σu Ultimate Strength = 6,245 psi; or Strength at Failure
ast ic
Pl
σY e 3,
Zon
σ pl e axial
Proportional limit σ pl » 5300 psi Length = 2.2261 inches
Diameter = 0.995 inches

ic
t
as
El
r
ea
in
,L
2
ne
Zo

E = 3,648,648 psi
i near
onl
1 , N
one
Z
 Rock Strength = 9,130 psi

e 3 , Plastic e axial
Zon

Length = 2.187inches
σ pl » 5700 psi Diameter = 0.995 inches

tic
las
rE

1 inch
ea
in
,L2
ne
Zo

E = 4,000,000 psi
r
nea
i
onl
, N
ne1
Zo
 Rock Strength = 11,300 psi

st ic
3, Pla
one
Z
Length = 2.184 inches
Diameter = 0.995 inches
σ pl » 6200 psi
tic
as

1 inch
El
ar
ne
Li
2,

E= 4,500,000 psi
ne
Zo

e ar
nlin
o
N
1,
one
Z
 Summary of the results Limestone; 10% porosity

Confining Pressure Young’s Modulus Proportional Limit Failure Strength (psi)

(psi) (psi) (psi)

0 3,648,648 5300 6245

500 4,000,000 5700 9130

2000 4,500,000 6200 11300

Berea Sandstone
19% Porosity
 Strength = 10,110 psi c
Pl asti
e 3,
Zon
e axial
σ pl » 8500 psi

tic
as
El
ar
ne
Li
2,
ne
Zo

i near
nl
1, N E =(8500-4000)/(0.0052-0.0032)
o
ne
Zo = 2,250,000 psi
 Strength = 16,490 psi
l ast i c
e 3, P
Zon e axial

σ pl » 10900 psi

ic t
as
El
ar
ne
Li
2,
ne
Zo

r
nea
i
N onl E =(10000-6000)/(0.0041-0.0028)
,
ne1 = 3,076,923 psi
Zo
 Strength= 24,233 psi
ti c
l a s
,P
ne3
Zo

σ pl » 15500 psi

tics
Ela
ar
ine
,L
2
ne
Zo

E =(15500-5000)/(0.005-0.002)
r
ea
lin

= 3,500,000 psi
on
,N
1
ne
Zo
 Rock Strength = 30,022 psi

ti c
l a s
,P
ne3
Zo
σ pl » 17500 psi

ic
st
la
rE
a
ne
Li
2,
ne
Zo

E =(13000-5000)/(0.004-0.0018)
ear =3,636,363 psi
nlin
No
e 1,
n
Zo
 Rock Strength = 34,443 psi

e axial
ti c
l a s
,P
ne3
Zo
σ pl » 18500 psi
ic
st
la
rE
ea
in
2,L

E=(17000-5000)/(0.005-0.002)
ne
Zo

= 4,000,000 psi
ear
l in
on
N
1,
one
Z
 Indiana Limestone 10% porosity
Confining Young’s Proportional Failure Strength
Pressure (psi) Modulus (psi) Limit (psi) (psi)
0 3,648,648 5300 6245
500 4,000,000 5700 9130
2000 4,500,000 6200 11300

Berea Sandstone 19% porosity

Confining Young’s Proportional Failure
Pressure (psi) Modulus (psi) Limit (psi) Strength (psi)

0 2,250,000 8500 10,110

1000 3,076,923 10900 16,490
3000 3,500,000 15500 24,233
5000 3,636,363 17500 30,022
7000 4,000,000 18500 34,443
• Young’s modulus for porous
material and in particular rocks is
a function of confining stress and
or depth!
• Stress at failure or rock Strength
is a function of confining stress
and or depth!
 Mohr–Coulomb Failure Criterion
M-C failure envelop
τ = c+σ tan f
NOT REAL FOR
ROCKS!
f (friction angle)
τ

(cohesion) c

f O
0 σ3 σ1
σ
 Is Mohr-Coulomb failure criterion applicable to all rocks?

“Although it is widely used, Coulomb’s criterion is not a particularly

satisfactory peak strength criterion for rock material. The reasons for this
are:

(a) It implies that a major shear fracture exists at peak strength.

Observations such as those made by Wawersik and Fairhurst (1970)
show that this is not always the case.
(b) It implies a direction of shear failure which does not always agree with
experimental observations.
(c) Experimental peak strength envelopes are generally non-linear. They
can be considered linear only over limited rages of σn or σ3.”

Rock Mechanics For Underground Mining

-- Brady B. and Brown E. 1985
 Triaxial tests on granite samples.

Non-linear failure envelope.

σ2 σ1

s2
Hoek et al. (2000)
Why Rock Strength Matter
Young’s modulus for metals and plastics
E = function(Temperature)

ViscoElasticity (Creep and Relaxation)

E = function(Time)

Rocks and Porous Materials

E = function(Temperature, Time, Stress,
Etc.)
Influence of temperature on σ-ε diagram

Young’s modulus increases

when temperature decreases;
but more brittle

Methacrylate plastic
Viscoelasticity of Rocks

Young’s Modulus, Bulk Modulus etc.

E = function(Time)
K = function(Time)

Creep & Relaxation

 e
e(t = ∞) = σ/E(∞)
E = E(t) decreases with time

σ σ
σ=constant
e= e(t)
e increases under constant σ,
phenomenon of CREEP!!!
e(t = 0) = σ/E(0)

0 Time
Section 3.8 (Hibbeler, 9th edition)
 σ
E = E(t) decreases with time

e is held constant,
σ(t = 0) = E(0)e σ decreases with time
(Relaxation phenomenon!!!)
σ σ

e= constant
σ= σ(t)

σ(t = ∞) = E(∞)e

0 Time
Viscous Behavior
 Viscosity

Strain rate proportional to differential stress

Common Materials

= 1 cP
Centipoise or cP
 Rheological Equations - Brittle
Byerlee’s Law
Stress-strain
strain rate-time
relationships

Pressure-dependent

t = µsn’

50

for 3 < sn < 200 MPa t = 0.85 s’n

for 200 < sn < 1700 MPa t = 10 MPa + 0.65 s’n
Rheology
Strength of the Crust and Rheology
 Petroleum Reservoirs/Formations
x
y
z
szz

rob*g*TVD1

sxx
syy

rob*g*TVD2

rob is the overburden density.

TVD g is the gravity acceleration.
 In-situ Stress

s v = Vertical Principle Stress or Overburden

h
s h = Minimum Horizontal Principal Stress
sv s H = Maximum Horizontal Principal Stress

sh sH
 In-situ Stress

r g h1
sv
s v = r g h » 1.1 psi / ft
sh sH

(25kPa / m)

sv
r g h2 sv

sh sH

r g h3 sH sH
sh

sH
sv

sh sh sH

Depth sv
Wellbore Drilling
sV

sV
sV

sHsH
sH sh
sh
sh

Horizontal
Vertical
Incline Drilling
Drilling
Drilling
 Real Reservoirs Elastic Approach
x
y
z
szz szz szz

po rob*g*TVD1
sxx sxx
syy syy
syy sxx

rob*g*TVD2

TVD TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
Constitutive equations (Hooke’s law)
y
z E é v ù
s ij = e + e d
1 + v êë
kk ij ú
szz ij
1 - 2v û

e ij =
1
E
[
(1 + v)s ij - vs kk d ij ]
sxx
syy

e kk = e xx + e yy + e zz
TVD s kk = s xx + s yy + s zz
 Elastic Approach
x
Constitutive equations (Hooke’s law)
y
z E é v ù
s ij = e + e d
1 + v êë
kk ij ú
szz ij
1 - 2v û

e ij =
1
E
[
(1 + v)s ij - vs kk d ij ]
sxx
syy
In Cartesian coordinates (xyz)

e xx =
1
E
[
(1 + v)s xx - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) ]
e yy
1
[
= (1 + v)s yy - v(s xx + s yy + s zz )
E
]
e zz
1
[
= (1 + v)s zz - v(s xx + s yy + s zz )
E
]
e kk = e xx + e yy + e zz
TVD s kk = s xx + s yy + s zz
 Elastic Approach
x
If lateral movement is inhibited: e xx = e yy = 0
y
z
e xx =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s xx - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0
szz

e yy =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s yy - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0

sxx
syy

TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
If lateral movement is inhibited: e xx = e yy = 0
y
z
e xx =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s xx - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0
szz

e yy =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s yy - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0

sxx
syy Simplify and rearrange
s xx = v(s yy + s zz )

s yy = v(s xx + s zz )

TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
If lateral movement is inhibited: e xx = e yy = 0
y
z
e xx =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s xx - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0
szz

e yy =
1
E
[ ]
(1 + v)s yy - v(s xx + s yy + s zz ) = 0

sxx
syy Simplify and rearrange
s xx = v(s yy + s zz )

s yy = v(s xx + s zz )

Solving for s xx & s yy yields

v
s xx = s yy = s zz
1- v
TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
y v
z s xx = s yy = s zz
1- v
szz

Well at TVD = 10,000 ft with overburden

sxx s zz = ( r ob * g ) * TVD » 1 psi / ft *10,000 ft

syy » 10,000 psi

TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
y v
z s xx = s yy = s zz
1- v
szz

Well at TVD = 10,000 ft with overburden

sxx s zz = ( r ob * g ) * TVD » 1 psi / ft *10,000 ft

syy » 10,000 psi

Shale: v » 0.35
0.35
s xx = s yy = s zz = 0.55 σ zz » 5,500 psi
1 - 0.35

TVD
 Elastic Approach
x
y v
z s xx = s yy = s zz
1- v
szz

Well at TVD = 10,000 ft with overburden

sxx s zz = ( r ob * g ) * TVD » 1 psi / ft *10,000 ft

syy » 10,000 psi

Shale: v » 0.35
0.35
s xx = s yy = s zz = 0.55 σ zz » 5,500 psi
1 - 0.35

Sandstone: v » 0.25
0.25
s xx = s yy = s zz = 0.33 σ zz » 3,300 psi
1 - 0.25
TVD
End Lecture 3-4