Active and passive seismic imaging of a hydraulic fracture in diatomite

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1992 · Journal of Petroleum Technology; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2118/22756-PA· OSTI ID:5605253

Vinegar, H J; Wills, P B; De Martini, D C ^[1]

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1. Shell Development Co. (US)

This paper reports on a comprehensive set of experiments including remote- and treatment-well microseismic monitoring, interwell shear-wave shadowing, and surface tiltmeter arrays, that was used to monitor the growth of a hydraulic fracture in the Belridge diatomite. To obtain accurate measurements, and extensive subsurface network of geophones was cemented spanning the diatomite formation in three closely spaced observation wells around the well to be fracture treated. Data analysis indicates that the minifracture and main hydraulic fracture stimulations resulted in a nearly vertical fracture zone (striking N26{degrees}E) vertically segregated into two separate elements, the uppermost of which grew 60 ft above the perforated interval. The interwell seismic effects are consistent with a side process zone of reduced shear velocity, which remote-well microseismic data independently suggest may be as wide as 40 ft. The experiments indicate complicated processes occurring during hydraulic fracturing that have significant implications for stimulation, waterflooding, in fill drilling, and EOR. These processes are neither well understood nor included in current hydraulic fracture models.

• OSTI ID: 5605253
• Journal Information: Journal of Petroleum Technology; (United States), Vol. 44:1; ISSN 0022-3522
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
HYDRAULIC FRACTURING
CRACK PROPAGATION
SEISMIC SURVEYS
OIL WELLS
DIATOMACEOUS EARTH
ENHANCED RECOVERY
FRACTURES
MEASURING METHODS
MONITORING
SEISMIC DETECTORS
SEISMIC S WAVES
WATERFLOODING
WELL DRILLING
WELL STIMULATION
DRILLING
FAILURES
FLUID INJECTION
FRACTURING
GEOPHYSICAL SURVEYS
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
RECOVERY
SEISMIC ARRAYS
SEISMIC WAVES
STIMULATION
SURVEYS
WELLS
020300* - Petroleum- Drilling & Production