Tohoku University · Engineering
Professor Bailong Liu's research lab specializes in the mechanical and fluid transport behaviors of unconsolidated and unconventional reservoir rocks, with a focus on hydraulic fracturing, fluid invasion, and permeability evolution. The lab develops advanced numerical models—integrating pore-scale network modeling, solid mechanics, and continuum mechanics—to simulate complex processes such as pore-throat clogging, microcrack formation, and visco-plastic deformation in porous media. Their work bridges microscale mechanisms with field-scale applications, particularly in challenging environments like oil sands and methane hydrate reservoirs. The lab emphasizes predictive modeling for enhanced hydrocarbon recovery and reservoir management.
Figures are computed from collected data and may differ slightly.
Summary Hydraulic fracturing can produce a main fracture and increase flow efficiency. It can also result in the invasion of fracturing fluid, which can produce clay swelling. The invasion can block the pores and throats in the porous media and damage matrix permeability, while it can also induce microcracks under certain conditions. This study developed a numerical model to evaluate the permeability change induced by the invasion. Both pore-throat clogging and microcracks are integrated into th
Summary With the development of unconventional resources, such as oil sands and methane hydrate reservoirs, the importance of the mechanical performance model for underground unconsolidated rocks has increased significantly. The commonly used numerical approach for unconsolidated rocks is the discrete-element method (DEM). However, the extensive calculations required by the DEM make it inadequate for simulating unconsolidated rock behavior on a field scale. An alternative is the continuum approa
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