Revolutionizing Hydraulic Fracturing: Thailand’s First Borehole Microseismic Monitoring Success in an onshore Oil Field

For the first time in the region, borehole microseismic monitoring was successfully deployed to evaluate hydraulic fracturing in a tertiary clastic basin in Thailand. This project marks a significant milestone in optimizing tight reservoir development through real-time monitoring.

High-sensitivity geophones were installed in a monitoring well to track fracture propagation during hydraulic stimulation. A 3D velocity model, noise filtering, and STA/LTA event detection were applied to process and locate microseismic events as small as magnitude −4 with 2–5 m uncertainty.

Results revealed asymmetric fracture growth influenced by stress anisotropy and geological structures. Real-time monitoring enabled identification of stage overlap, reducing unnecessary pumping stages and improving stimulation efficiency.

This success demonstrates the potential of borehole microseismic technology for optimizing hydraulic fracturing and provides a valuable framework for future applications in similar geological settings and CCS MMV monitoring.