Poisson’s Ratio as the Master Variable: A Single-Parameter Energy-Conscious Model (PNE-BI) for Diagnosing Brittle–Ductile Transition in Deep Shales

As shale gas development extends into deeper formations, the unclear brittle-ductile transition (BDT) mechanism and low fracturing efficiency have emerged as critical bottlenecks, posing challenges to the sustainable and economical utilization of this clean energy resource. This study, focusing on the Liangshang Formation shale of Sichuan Basin’s Pingye-1 Well, pioneers a paradigm shift by identifying Poisson’s ratio ( ν ) as the master variable governing this transition. Triaxial tests reveal that ν systematically increases with depth, directly regulating the failure mode shift from brittle fracture to ductile flow. Building on this, we innovatively propose the Poisson’s Ratio-regulated Energy-based Brittleness Index (PNE-BI) model. This model achieves a decoupled diagnosis of BDT by quantifying how ν intrinsically orchestrates the energy redistribution between elastic storage and plastic dissipation, utilizing ν as the sole governing variable to regulate energy weighting for rapid and accurate distinction between brittle, transitional, and ductile states. Experiments confirm the ν -dominated energy evolution: Low ν rocks favor elastic energy accumulation, while high ν rocks (>0.22) exhibit a dramatic 1520% surge in plastic dissipation, dominating energy consumption (35.9%) and confirming that ν enhances ductility by reducing intergranular sliding barriers. Compared to traditional multi-variable models, the PNE-BI model utilizes ν values readily obtained from conventional well logs, providing a transformative field-ready tool that significantly reduces the experimental footprint and promotes resource efficiency. It guides toughened fracturing fluid design in ductile zones to suppress premature closure and optimizes injection rates in brittle zones to prevent fracture runaway, thereby enhancing operational longevity and minimizing environmental impact. This work offers a groundbreaking and sustainable solution for boosting the efficiency of mid-deep shale gas development, contributing directly to more responsible and cleaner energy extraction.