CSIRO's hydraulic fracturing group are gaining greater understanding of hydraulic fracture mechanics and its application to an expanding range of industries.
Hydraulic fracturing is a core technology in conventional petroleum production and in fast growing areas of unconventional gas, geothermal energy and carbon capture and storage. It is also a cornerstone of innovative new methods in mining.
The group’s goal is to understand the complex, multi-scale mechanics of hydraulic fracturing at a fundamental level in order to develop numerical models, monitoring methods and powerful and flexible hydraulic fracture technologies that support a growing breadth of industries.
Outcomes from our fundamental mechanics studies provide building blocks for a new generation of commercial and research hydraulic fracturing simulators that account for multi-scale processes in hydraulic fracturing and the interaction of hydraulic fractures with natural fractures in the reservoir rock.
The researchers hope to pioneer new applications of hydraulic fracturing to pre-condition ore bodies for caving-type mining operations, enhance gas drainage from coal seams, geothermal reservoir development and for carbon capture and storage operations.
The group works closely with industry as well as International and Australian universities.
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