Submit

Login Login

Register Register

Home / Journals / ENERGY / Online First / doi:10.32604/ee.2026.084373
Journal Menu
Special Issues
Table of Content

All issues

Online First

2026

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Past Issues

Open Access

ARTICLE

Study on Energy Evolution Mechanisms and Damage Mechanisms of Shale under Hydration

Deru Li1, Lin Zhao1, Ruohao Wang1, Jingtian Zhai1, Hongtao Liu1, Mengjiang Wang1, Lianke Cui1, Yan Zhang2,*
1 Petroleum Engineering Technology Research Institute, Henan Oilfield Branch, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Nanyang, China
2 State Key Laboratory of Low Carbon Catalysis and Carbon Dioxide Utilization, Yangtze University, Wuhan, China
* Corresponding Author: Yan Zhang. Email: email
(This article belongs to the Special Issue: Progress and Prospects of Hydraulic Fracture Network Morphology Characterization, Flow Simulation and Optimization Technology for Unconventional Oil and Gas Reservoirs)

Energy Engineering https://doi.org/10.32604/ee.2026.084373

Received 21 April 2026; Accepted 29 June 2026; Published online 27 July 2026

Abstract

Exploration and production activities targeting shale oil and gas have become an essential part of developing unconventional hydrocarbon resources. To clarify the damage mechanisms and mechanical property evolution of shale under hydration, uniaxial compression tests were conducted on shale specimens with different hydration states. Based on energy dissipation theory, the mechanical response characteristics, failure modes, and energy evolution behaviors of hydrated shale were systematically investigated. The results indicate that hydration leads to substantial reductions in shale peak strength and elastic modulus, which decrease by 60.8% and 49%, respectively, under saturated conditions. Meanwhile, hydration markedly alters the failure mode of shale, causing a gradual transition from brittle failure dominated by the rapid release of elastic strain energy to ductile failure governed by the sustained evolution of dissipated energy. In addition, the fracture surface energy exhibits an overall increasing trend with hydration time, increasing rapidly at the early stage of hydration and then tending to stabilize.

Keywords

Shale; hydration-induced damage; energy evolution; mechanical degradation; unconventional reservoirs

  • 194

    View

  • 33

    Download

  • 1

    Like

Related articles
Copyright© 2026 Tech Science Press
© 1997-2026 TSP (Henderson, USA) unless otherwise stated

Share Link