The use of broadband microseisms for hydraulic fracture mapping
When a hydrocarbon reservoir is subjected to a hydraulic fracture treatment, the cracking and slipping of the formation results in the emission of seismic energy. The objective of this study was to determine the advantages of using broadband (100 Hz to 1500 M) microseismic emissions to map a hydraulic fracture treatment. A hydraulic fracture experiment was performed in the Piceance Basin of Western Colorado to induce and record broadband microseismic events. The formation was subjected to four processes; break-down/ballout, step-rate test, KCL mini-fracture, and linear-gel mini-fracture. Broadband microseisms were successfully recorded by a novel three-component wall-locked seismic accelerometer package, placed in an observation well 211 ft (64 m) offset from the treatment well. During the two hours of formation treatment, more than 1200 significant microseismic events were observed. The occurrences of the events strongly correlated with the injection bore-bole pressures during the treatments. Using both hodogram analysis and time of arrival information, estimates of the origination point of the seismic events were computed. A map of the event locations yielded a fracture orientation estimate consistent with the known orientation of the field in the formation. This paper describes the technique for acquiring and analyzing broadband microseismic events and illustrate how the new broadband approach can enhance signal detectability and event location resolution.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States); Gas Research Inst., Chicago, IL (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-76DP00789
- OSTI ID:
- 10180566
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-93-0091C; CONF-931088-1; ON: DE93018830; CNN: Contract 5089-211-2059
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Society of Petroleum Engineers annual technical conference and exhibition,Houston, TX (United States),3-6 Oct 1993; Other Information: PBD: 1993
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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