Conference paperOpen access
Mathematical model of acoustic stimulation of wells to increase rock permeability
- Navoi State University of Mining and Technologies, Navoi, Uzbekistan
- Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University, Karaganda, Kazakhstan
- M.S. Poliakov Institute of Geotechnical Mechanics of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Dnipro, Ukraine
https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1630/1/012031
Highlights
- Sandstones of uranium deposits: permeability 0.2–1.0 mD, porosity 25–35%, acoustic attenuation 1.5–3.5 m⁻¹.
- Worked example: permeability from 1.00×10⁻¹⁵ to 4.85×10⁻¹⁵ m² in 50 ms at 3.0 MPa and 20 kHz.
- Effective radius grows logarithmically with pressure amplitude and falls with attenuation, frequency and well radius.
- Best frequency range for uranium deposits: 50–200 Hz.
- Effects modelled: opening of microcracks, break-up of colloidal deposits, release of capillary-bound fluid.
Abstract
The article presents a mathematical model of acoustic stimulation of wells to increase the permeability of productive formations in conditions of uranium deposits exploited by the underground leaching method. The model is based on solving the equations of elastic wave propagation in a saturated porous-fractured medium taking into account the elastic, filtration and viscoelastic characteristics of the ore-bearing rocks. Analytical dependences of the radius of the effective impact of the acoustic field on the frequency-energy parameters of the source (frequency, amplitude, pressure in the well) and the filtration-capacitive properties of the formation are obtained. A parametric analysis of the influence of the acoustic impact spectrum on the dynamics of microcrack opening, destruction of colloidal deposits and mobilization of capillary-bound fluid is carried out. The modeling is consistent with the data of laboratory and pilot studies at operating uranium facilities, which confirms the adequacy of the model. The obtained results allow us to reasonably select optimal acoustic impact modes to intensify filtration with minimal energy costs.
English abstract from the paper. The authors’ abstract, reproduced under CC BY 4.0.
In plain English
The model treats the ore-bearing rock as a saturated porous and fractured medium with elastic, filtration and viscoelastic properties and solves the equations of elastic wave propagation in it. It gives analytical relations between the radius over which the acoustic field acts and the frequency, amplitude and well pressure of the source and the filtration and storage properties of the layer.
A parametric analysis shows how the spectrum of the acoustic action affects the opening of microcracks, the break-up of colloidal deposits and the release of capillary-bound fluid. The authors report that the model agrees with laboratory and pilot tests at operating uranium sites, and that it can be used to choose acoustic regimes that increase filtration at the lowest energy cost.
In a worked example (rock density 2600 kg/m³, Young's modulus 18 GPa, Poisson's ratio 0.25, initial permeability 1×10⁻¹⁵ m², acoustic pressure 3.0 MPa at 20 kHz), permeability rises to 4.85×10⁻¹⁵ m² within 50 ms, with the largest gain in the first milliseconds. For the sandstones of uranium deposits, with a permeability of 0.2–1.0 mD, a porosity of 25–35% and an attenuation coefficient usually of 1.5–3.5 m⁻¹, the effective radius grows logarithmically with the pressure amplitude and shrinks as attenuation, frequency or well radius increase. The authors put the best frequency range for stimulating uranium deposits at 50–200 Hz.
How to cite
S. Zairov, M. Mekhmonov, V. Demin, D. Akhmatnurov, R. Musin and V. Zberovskyi (2026). Mathematical model of acoustic stimulation of wells to increase rock permeability. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, vol. 1630 (RMGET 2025), 012031. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1630/1/012031