-
f Production Induced Seismicity in the Netherlands - From quick-scan to advanced models
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 79th EAGE Conference and Exhibition 2017 - Workshops, Jun 2017, cp-519-00030
- ISBN: 978-94-6282-219-1
Abstract
Approximately one out of six producing onshore gas fields (both the Groningen Field and small fields in the north-western part of the country) in the Netherlands experiences production-induced seismicity. Poro-elasticity and related differential compaction were referred to as the prime mechanisms causing this seismicity. The observed onset of induced seismicity in the Netherlands occurred after a considerable pressure drop in the gas fields. A large range of methods has been applied to study the background of Dutch seismicity, ranging from quick scans to advanced 3D geomechanical modelling studies. We have shown that both simplified 2D and full-field 3D geomechanical models can be used to model the onset of reactivation and identify faults which are prone to be reactivated. One of the approaches we used was inclusion of dynamic rupture modelling in traditional geomechanics workflows. In dynamic rupture modelling, traditional static friction laws are displaced by dynamic slip evolution. This enabled us to include realistic nucleation and propagation of the seismic events, as e.g. extend of the rupture area and slip displacements could be determined. We present an overview of the different methods that have been used to better understand induced seismicity in the Dutch onshore gas fields, including our dynamic rupture modelling method and an outlook to what this could mean in the future.