Microseismic monitoring of the Chaveroo oil field, New Mexico
Induced microseismicity was monitored in the Chaveroo oil field in southeastern New Mexico during a pressurized stimulation of a well being prepared as an injector for a waterflood operation. In addition, the microseismicity was monitored for 5 weeks following the stimulation while the area was under normal waterflood production. Little seismicity was detected during the 5.5 hour stimulation in which three thousand barrels of water were injected into the reservoir at pressures ranging from 96 to 257 bars in excess of hydrostatic pressure. Intermittent monitoring over the 5-week period indicated detectable seismicity occurred during waterflood production. Monitoring during the 5 weeks, however, was not complete enough to draw general conclusions on temporal variations of observed microseismicity. Seventy-three good quality events recorded over a cumulative 24 hours of intermittent monitoring were located using the hodogram technique. Events were detected at distances up to 1700 m from the monitor well but most occurred within 900 m. The map of microearthquake locations indicated that events occurred in the vicinity of producing wells and away from injection wells. The first half of the sequence of mappable events occurred along linear trends, but the pattern became more scattered during the later half of the sequence. The lack of seismicity during the pressurized injection and the increased seismicity levels occurring away from injection wells during waterflood production, suggest seismicity is not induced by Mohr-Coulomb failure. 6 refs., 6 figs.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/FE
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-7405-ENG-36
- OSTI ID:
- 6763089
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-90-1514; CONF-900907--2; ON: DE90012100
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
020200* -- Petroleum-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
DETECTION
EARTHQUAKES
FAILURES
FEDERAL REGION VI
FLUID INJECTION
FRACTURES
GEOLOGIC DEPOSITS
MAPPING
MINERAL RESOURCES
NEW MEXICO
NORTH AMERICA
OIL FIELDS
PETROLEUM DEPOSITS
RESOURCES
SEISMIC DETECTION
SEISMIC EVENTS
SEISMICITY
USA
WATERFLOODING