Experimental Study on Mechanical Properties of Rock in Water-Sensitive Oil and Gas Reservoirs Under High Confining Pressure

Injecting high-pressure fluid into a reservoir rock mass will change the mechanical properties of the rock; the strength and safety of a shale well wall are also extremely critical. In order to investigate the law of variation in water-sensitive shale strength during fracturing, an experimental study on the mechanical properties of shale under high confining pressure and water–rock coupling was carried out. Taking water-sensitive shale rock as the research object, the effects of high confining pressure and water content on the mechanical properties, residual strength, and macroscopic and microscopic failure modes of shale were analyzed. The test results show that the stress–strain curve of the shale gradually shortened with the decrease in the water content in the stage of void compaction and plastic yield, and the peak of the stress–strain curve was continuously enhanced. The water content and the peak intensity exhibited a negative linear correlation. The elastic modulus and water content showed an exponentially decreasing distribution. However, as the water content increased, the decreasing rate became slower, the softening coefficient increased, and the plastic deformation increased. The research results provide basic load parameters for the strength and safety of the casing of an oil layer under fracturing conditions.