Equivalent Permeability Distribution for Fractured Porous Rocks: Correlating Fracture Aperture and Length

<div>Meshes for the discrete fracture model, in which the bold lines denote fracture grids (left), and the corresponding equivalent permeability component <svg height="12.5794pt" id="M42" style="vertical-align:-3.29107pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -9.28833 17.4906 12.5794" width="17.4906pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M480 416C480 431 465 448 438 448C388 448 312 383 252 330C217 299 188 273 155 237H153L257 680C262 700 263 712 253 712C240 712 183 684 97 674L92 648L126 647C166 646 172 645 163 606L23 -6L29 -12C51 -5 77 2 107 8C115 62 130 128 142 180C153 193 179 220 204 241C231 170 259 106 288 54C317 0 336 -12 358 -12C381 -12 423 2 477 80L460 100C434 74 408 54 398 54C385 54 374 65 351 107C326 154 282 241 263 299C296 332 351 377 403 377C424 377 436 372 445 368C449 366 456 368 462 375C472 386 480 402 480 416Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,6.474,3.132)"><path d="M545 403C545 425 527 451 498 451C448 451 400 404 312 286L290 341C262 412 246 451 219 451C182 451 138 404 92 345L112 323C152 368 169 378 181 378C192 378 201 359 216 321L257 214C184 115 142 69 113 69C102 69 93 73 88 79S78 89 68 89C47 89 24 61 24 40C24 8 49 -12 75 -12C125 -12 175 31 271 175L312 64C330 15 357 -12 382 -12C421 -12 475 35 515 98L496 121C466 88 439 62 420 62C402 62 384 92 363 147L325 247C349 280 374 309 397 333C422 361 446 381 462 381C471 381 481 374 488 366C493 360 499 357 505 357C521 357 545 380 545 403Z"></path></g><g transform="matrix(.0091,0,0,-0.0091,11.652,3.132)"><path d="M545 403C545 425 527 451 498 451C448 451 400 404 312 286L290 341C262 412 246 451 219 451C182 451 138 404 92 345L112 323C152 368 169 378 181 378C192 378 201 359 216 321L257 214C184 115 142 69 113 69C102 69 93 73 88 79S78 89 68 89C47 89 24 61 24 40C24 8 49 -12 75 -12C125 -12 175 31 271 175L312 64C330 15 357 -12 382 -12C421 -12 475 35 515 98L496 121C466 88 439 62 420 62C402 62 384 92 363 147L325 247C349 280 374 309 397 333C422 361 446 381 462 381C471 381 481 374 488 366C493 360 499 357 505 357C521 357 545 380 545 403Z"></path></g></svg> for different correlation exponents <svg height="8.68572pt" id="M43" style="vertical-align:-0.0498209pt" version="1.1" viewbox="-0.0498162 -8.6359 10.095 8.68572" width="10.095pt" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g transform="matrix(.013,0,0,-0.013,0,0)"><path d="M743 375C743 570 607 650 407 650H136L130 622C214 612 220 606 204 526L125 122C110 43 105 36 24 27L17 0H250C382 0 482 23 571 76C680 141 743 248 743 375ZM644 379C644 188 520 36 305 36C277 36 249 38 229 46C205 55 202 71 212 126L293 553C300 588 306 600 317 606C330 613 356 617 390 617C547 617 644 537 644 379Z"></path></g></svg> (right).</div>

Geofluids

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Figure 4

Figure 4: Equivalent Permeability Distribution for Fractured Porous Rocks: Correlating Fracture Aperture and Length 