A Brief History of Microseismic Mapping in Unconventional Reservoirs

Microseismic monitoring has played a critical role in the success of oil and gas production from unconventional reservoirs over the last ten years. Several surveys spanning that period, including the first survey in a shale gas field, describe the evolution of that success. These case histories illustrate important lessons learned about influence of fine geologic structures on the fracture behaviour of these reservoirs during stimulation. These stimulation mapping examples chronicle the evolution of modern completion techniques to address and exploit these reservoir complexities; and describe the economic impact of applying microseismic monitoring to these operations.