Chemo-mechanical effects on rock strength, Young's modulus and poisson's ratio

The effect of fluids on rock strength, Young's Modulus and Poisson's Ratio is complicated and not well understood. However, many applications involving rock-fluid interactions are of considerable interest, and often pose significant physical and economic impact on a given project. Experimental measurements were carried out to assess the role of various fluids on Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio and strength of three rock types-Indiana limestone, Salt Wash South and Berea Buff sandstone. The alteration of mechanical properties as a function of fluid and exposure time was evaluated. Oven-dried, deionized water saturation, salt brine saturation, and odorless mineral spirits (OMS) saturation were assessed using unconfined compression testing. A number of triaxial compression tests at high confining pressures were also conducted. In all cases, drained conditions were maintained.