A MECHANISM BASED FRAMEWORK FOR SELECTING ACOUSTIC STIMULATION REGIMES IN CLOGGED URANIUM IN SITU LEACHING WELLS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.23051134Abstract
Declining injectivity and productivity of uranium in situ leaching wells are mainly associated with mechanical, geochemical, and biogenic clogging of the screen and near-filter zone. This study develops a mechanism-based procedure for selecting acoustic stimulation regimes using hydraulic, hydrochemical, particle-release, and structural-safety indicators. A frequency-dependent attenuation model relates excitation frequency and formation permeability to the effective treatment radius. Published laboratory and field evidence is synthesized with poroelastic relationships to distinguish three treatment objectives: localized deposit disruption, mobilization and removal of fine particles, and formation-scale filtration activation. Ultrasonic treatment is recommended for strongly bonded deposits near the screen, low-frequency stimulation for a broader filtration response, and controlled pulsed treatment for resistant obstruction within verified structural limits. The main result is a selection matrix linking the diagnosed clogging mechanism with the preferred action, verification criterion, and operational limitation. Treatment success is defined by a sustained reduction in hydraulic resistance together with mechanism-specific hydraulic, hydrochemical, and particle-release evidence. The procedure provides a reproducible basis for planning and monitoring uranium ISL well rehabilitation.Keywords
uranium in situ leaching, process well, near-filter zone, clogging, acoustic stimulation, poroelasticity, permeability, treatment radiusReferences
Biot, M. A. (1956). Theory of propagation of elastic waves in a fluid-saturated porous solid. I. Low-frequency range. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 28(2), 168-178. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1908239
Biot, M. A. (1956). Theory of propagation of elastic waves in a fluid-saturated porous solid. II. Higher frequency range. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 28(2), 179-191. https://doi.org/10.1121/1.1908241
Johnson, D. L., Koplik, J., & Dashen, R. (1987). Theory of dynamic permeability and tortuosity in fluid-saturated porous media. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 176, 379-402. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0022112087000727
Pride, S. R., Berryman, J. G., & Harris, J. M. (2004). Seismic attenuation due to wave-induced flow. Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth, 109(B1), B01201. https://doi.org/10.1029/2003JB002639
White, J. E. (1975). Computed seismic speeds and attenuation in rocks with partial gas saturation. Geophysics, 40(2), 224-232. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1440520
Dvorkin, J., Mavko, G., & Nur, A. (1995). Squirt flow in fully saturated rocks. Geophysics, 60(1), 97-107. https://doi. org/10.1190/1.1443767
Gurevich, B., Makarynska, D., de Paula, O. B., & Pervukhina, M. (2010). A simple model for squirt-flow dispersion and attenuation in fluid-saturated granular rocks. Geophysics, 75(6), N109-N120. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.3509782
Beresnev, I. A., & Johnson, P. A. (1994). Elastic-wave stimulation of oil production: A review of methods and results. Geophysics, 59(6), 1000-1017. https://doi.org/10.1190/1.1443645
Kouznetsov, O. L., Simkin, E. M., Chilingar, G. V., & Katz, S. A. (1998). Improved oil recovery by application of vibroenergy to waterflooded sandstones. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 19(3-4), 191-200. https://doi. org/10.1016/S0920-4105(97)00022-3
Mohsin, M., & Meribout, M. (2015). Ultrasound assisted enhanced oil recovery: A review. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 27, 79-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2014.10.001
Mullakaev, M. S., Abramov, V. O., & Abramova, A. V. (2017). Ultrasonic piezoceramic module for downhole applications to stimulate low-productivity wells. Journal of Petroleum Science and Engineering, 159, 480-488. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.petrol.2017.08.067
Hamida, T., & Babadagli, T. (2008). Effects of ultrasonic waves on immiscible and miscible displacement in porous media. Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects, 316(1-3), 176-189. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.colsurfa.2007.09.012
Hamida, T., & Babadagli, T. (2008). Displacement of oil by different interfacial tension fluids under ultrasonic waves. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, 15(4), 274-278. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultsonch.2007.09.012
Pu, C., Shi, D., Zhao, S., Xu, H., & Shen, H. (2011). Technology of removing near-wellbore inorganic scale damage by high-power ultrasonic treatment. Petroleum Exploration and Development, 38(2), 243-248. https://doi.org/10.1016/ S1876-3804(11)60030-X
Avvaru, B., Patil, M. N., Gogate, P. R., & Pandit, A. B. (2006). Ultrasonic enhancement of leaching rate of uranium from low-grade ore. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research, 45(22), 7639-7645. https://doi.org/10.1021/ie060599x
Suslick, K. S. (1990). Sonochemistry. Science, 247(4949), 1439-1445. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.247.4949.1439
Plesset, M. S., & Prosperetti, A. (1977). Bubble dynamics and cavitation. Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics, 9, 145-
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.fl.09.010177.001045
Zairov, S., Mekhmonov, M., Mukhabbat, R. et al. Enhancement of technological well productivity during in situ leaching using optimized multi-strand detonation cord charges (12–20 g/m): experimental study. J. Eng. Appl. Sci. 73, 168 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1186/s44147-026-01022-6
Zhao, Z., Han, Z., Niu, H., et al. (2022). Enhanced leaching performance of low-permeability uranium-bearing sandstone using low-frequency vibration. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 14(4), 1187-1199. https:// doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2021.10.013
Zhao, Z., Han, Z., Niu, H., et al. (2023). Mechanism of low-frequency vibration enhancing leaching in uranium-bearing sandstone: Experiments and pore-scale interpretation. Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, 15(6), 1250-1264. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrmge.2022.12.031
Zairov, S., Mekhmonov, M., Demin, V., Akhmatnurov, D., Musin, R., & Zberovskyi, V. (2026). Mathematical model of acoustic stimulation of wells to increase rock permeability. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science, 1630(1), 012031. https://doi.org/10.1088/1755-1315/1630/1/012031
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 MUHANDISLIK VA IQTISODIYOT
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
