The Influence of Hydraulic Fracturing on Microseismic Propagation

The microseismic method is a crucial technology for locating the fracture location in the hydraulic fracturing process. Conventionally, the velocity model is usually constructed by well logs, seismic data or calibration shots which ignore the influence of fracturing domain. In this paper, we study the real-time influence of hydraulic fracturing on microseismic propagation. Based on the fluid seepage equation, fracture mechanics and the critical pressure criterion, we simulate the 3D hydraulic fracturing process and obtain the microseismic events and pore pressure distribution. Then the velocity model is constructed with the Coates-Schoenberg method and fracture compliances. The 3D ray tracing method is applied to model the microseismic travel time and direction. Simulation results show that, the deviation caused by the fracturing domain varies considerably from different receiver locations, the overall deviation increases with fracturing progress, and the deviation distribution of travel time and direction are quite similar.