Review of Kerogen’s Geomechanical Properties: Experiments and Molecular Simulation

Measuring the mechanical properties of kerogen, the predominant constituent of organic matter in shale is exceedingly difficult as it constitutes small-scale aggregates interspersed in rocks. Kerogen is characterized by significantly lower stiffness compared to inorganic minerals, thereby the kerogen regions are potential areas for study during, for example, drilling or macroscopic fracture propagation in the course of hydraulic fracturing. For instance, the elastic modulus of kerogen-rich spots is around 10 GPa, while it is about 70 GPa for quartz. Failure of the kerogen nanocantilever beam shows an elastic strain-hardening behavior, indicating a higher energy requirement to propagate a crack. Studies illustrated that the kerogen’s mechanical properties are controlled by maceral composition and are positively correlated to the maturity level. This paper provides a comprehensive review of how the mechanical properties of kerogen are elucidated experimentally and contrast the results with the properties delineated from molecular simulation. In addition, we relate kerogen innate attributes, such as maturity and type, to the physical qualities measured and substantiate why accurate knowledge of the mechanical characteristics is pivotal from a hydraulic fracturing perspective.