Date of Award

2026

Abstract

Hydraulic fracturing relies on proppants to preserve fracture conductivity under reservoir stresses. The long-term performance of propped fractures is influenced by grain crushing, redistribution of fines, pack rearrangement, proppant–rock embedment, and shear deformation. These mechanisms are not fully understood under combined compression and shear stress paths, particularly when viscous carrier fluids interact with fractured rock and proppant packs. This dissertation provides experimental data and device development to characterize proppant and rock behavior relevant to these coupled mechanical and hydraulic processes.Proppant grain-scale strength and pack-scale mechanical response were first examined through uniaxial grain tests, crushing tests, and drained and undrained triaxial shear tests. The influence of particle degradation on shear strength, dilation, and residual resistance was quantified by comparing uncrushed and crushed packs. Permeability of pre-crushed proppant packs (under closure stresses of 35 and 70 MPa) was assessed using constant-head tests, with comparisons to existing permeability models. The effect of fluid viscosity on pack permeability was evaluated to quantify combined influences of fines generation and viscous flow. Rock–proppant interaction was investigated through vertical compression of rock–proppant joints under dry, water-saturated, and viscous fluid conditions. Measurements included embedment depth and vertical displacement under closure loading to evaluate the influence of fluid condition on embedment response. Finally, a high-pressure ring shear device was designed and fabricated to provide an integrated experimental capability for propped fractures subjected to combined compression, continuous shear, and controlled fluid conditions. The apparatus enables measurement of shear-induced crushing, embedment, dilation/compaction, pore pressure, and permeability under controlled boundary stresses. The results establish relationships between particle failure mechanisms, permeability variation, fluid conditions, and rock–proppant contact behavior, providing experimental data and a testing framework for analyzing propped fracture response under continuous shear and coupled fluid–solid interactions.

Document Type

Dissertation

First Advisor

Majid Ghayoomi

Second Advisor

Eshan Dave

Third Advisor

Pania Newell

Department or Program

Civil and Environmental Engineering

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

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