Constraining Static and Dynamic Properties of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs Using Microseismic

Natural fractures often provide preferential pathways for fluid circulation or provide enhanced connectivity between wells and the matrix for exchange of fluids and/or heat, and thus their properties control to a large degree both the production profile from producing wells and well injectivity. The discrete fracture network (DFN) approach provides a natural framework for describing and modeling of geological structures observed in the wellbore and from seismic, and their dynamic responses to changes in down-hole and reservoir pressures during injection/depletion. However, the approach is necessarily stochastic and requires assumptions about fracture extent and occurrence away from the well. In this paper we illustrate how microseismic monitoring during hydraulic stimulation provides a means to constrain both static properties (size, intensity, connectivity) and dynamic properties (hydraulic and mass balance apertures, geomechanical and compliance models) when used in combination with standard fracture interpretation and production logging. Using an example of a geothermal basement reservoir subjected to multi-stage stimulation, the workflow for fracture interpretation followed by coupled simulation of fracture flow and geomechanics is illustrated.