Compaction Trends of Elastic Properties and Permeability in Shales

% We present methodology that allows measuring vertical hydraulic permeability and a full stiffness tensor of transversely isotropic shale samples simultaneously during mechanical compaction experiments. In this study we investigated artificial shales composed of quartz, smectite, and kaolinite. For the first time, compaction trends of these properties are obtained, at a 15--40~\% porosity range. The hydraulic permeability values of these shales exhibit exponential compaction trends and lay within the bounds of compaction trends found in natural shales. Strong correlations between the hydraulic permeability and elastic properties of shales are observed.