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Microseismic data interpretation — what do we need to measure first?
- Source: First Break, Volume 36, Issue 2, Feb 2018, p. 55 - 58
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- 01 Feb 2018
Abstract
Currently, there are four widely discussed theories used to describe how microseismicity interacts with hydraulic fracturing. Each theory has a different implication for the interpretation of microseismicity used for reservoir modelling. Therefore, better understanding of the relationship between microseismicity and hydraulic fracture stimulation is needed before further reservoir models are developed and applied. This would lead to a more precise estimation of hydrocarbon production and give greater value to microseismic data. We may use either seismic or non-seismic methods. While non-seismic methods provide an independent view of hydraulic fracturing they only provide a limited amount of information on the relationship between hydraulic fracturing and microseismicity. We propose micro-seismic monitoring of directivity as the most promising way to determine the orientation of fault planes and associated slip vectors. Although this is a suitable method it requires sensors in multiple azimuths that are well coupled to obtain reliable high frequency signals. We suggest using Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) sensors which are capable of sampling high frequencies and may provide continuous data along long offsets at reasonable costs.