Mechanical Responses and Permeability Evolution in Porous Sandstones Under Cyclic Loading Conditions: Implications for Subsurface Hydrogen Storage

• Published in: Rock mechanics and rock engineering Vol. 58; no. 9; pp. 10643 - 10673
• Main Authors: Wen, Ming, Harpers, Nick, Inskip, Nathaniel Forbes, Buckman, Jim, Singh, Kamaljit, Miller, Paul, Busch, Andreas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Vienna Springer Vienna 01.09.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Alternative energy sources; Aquifers; Axial strain; Civil Engineering; Compaction; Compression; Computed tomography; Confining; Cracking (corrosion); Cyclic loading; Cyclic loads; Deformation; Dilatancy; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Edge dislocations; Experiments; Fluctuations; Fossil fuels; Gases; Geophysics/Geodesy; Grain size; Grain size distribution; Hydrogen; Hydrogen storage; Hysteresis loops; Mechanical properties; Membrane permeability; Microstructural analysis; Microstructure; Natural gas; Oil and gas operations; Original Paper; Permeability; Pore pressure; Pore water pressure; Porosity; Pressure; Quartz; Renewable resources; Reservoir storage; Reservoirs; Rocks; Sandstone; Sedimentary rocks; Shear; Shear bands; Size distribution; Strain; Underground storage; United States > US; Cyclic loading; Micro-CT; Porous sandstones; Underground hydrogen storage; Permeability evolution

In underground hydrogen storage operations, reservoir rocks often experience periodic pore pressure fluctuations due to annual or more frequent gas extraction and injection cycles. These fluctuations subject the reservoir rocks to cyclic effective stress changes, causing their mechanical and transpo...