Injection and Tracking of Micro-Seismic Emitters to Optimize Unconventional Oil and Gas (UOG) Development
The goals and objectives with this project are to develop fracture and fracture proppant mapping and monitoring technologies that will facilitate both efficient and environmentally prudent development of Unconventional Oil and Gas (UOG) resources. We will achieve these concurrent objectives by developing two novel technologies and then deploy these technologies in an Unconventional Oil and Gas (UOG) well before, during and after a formation fracturing operation. The first of these technologies is Injectable Acoustic Micro Emitters (IAME or AME) that can be mixed with proppant in small or very small, equal to or less than 1%, concentrations by mass and volume, and injected into newly created hydro fractures concurrent with the proppant. The second enabling technology is an ultra-sensitive large-bandwidth large-aperture Fiber Optic Seismic Vector Sensor (FSOVS) array that can be deployed in both vertical and horizontal wells. The IAME/AME mixed with the regular proppant will generate small, pressure actuated, seismic signals at a delayed time after the proppant injection has stopped and after the proppant – IAME/AME mixture has reached deep into the fracture network. These acoustic signals will allow tracking the actual location of the proppant and compare these locations with the location of the fracturing of the rock. This data will also allow tracking the width and radial extent of the fractures by mapping the number of acoustic signals from each 3D location. The Fiber Optic Seismic Vector Sensor (FOSVS) array will also record the sounds from the casing perforations that are created at known locations. The seismic data from these sources at the known locations will then be used to calibrate both the seismic acquisition system including the vector orientation of the 3C pods as well as generating a 3D velocity model. The FOSVS system will also monitor the hydraulic fracturing process and the injection of the proppant into the fractures during the reservoir stimulation. It will do so by recording and locating first the micro seismic data generated during the fracturing of the rock making up the oil and gas reservoir formation and, second, the flow of the proppant and associated fluids and third by recording and locating the time-delayed micro seismic data generated by the Injectable Acoustic Micro Emitters (IAME/AME) that were mixed with the proppant prior to injecting the mixture into the hydro-fractures.
- Research Organization:
- Paulsson, Inc., Van Nuys, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Fossil Energy (FE), Oil & Natural Gas
- DOE Contract Number:
- FE0024360
- OSTI ID:
- 1596620
- Report Number(s):
- Final Rpt DE-FE0024360
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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