Given that the confining pressure boosts, the rise in resistance to longitudinal crack propagation leads to a gradual changeover of shale failure mode from longitudinal to inclined shear failure that demonstrates an escalation in rock plasticity. If the confining pressure reaches 30 MPa, there remain community shear microcracks within https://vertechs21.wordpress.com/2025/11/26/revolutionizing-the-depths-how-advanced-drilling-fluids-are-transforming-well-energy-and-services/