Reservoir microseismicity at the Ekofisk Oil Field

Technical Report · Fri Jul 01 00:00:00 EDT 1994

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/10165414· OSTI ID:10165414

Rutledge, J T; Fairbanks, T D ^[1]; Albright, J N ^[2]; Boade, R R ^[3]; Dangerfield, J; Landa, G H ^[4]

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1. Nambe Geophysical, Inc., Santa Fe, NM (United States)
2. Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
3. Phillips Petroleum Co., Bartlesville, OK (United States)
4. Phillips Petroleum Co., Tananger (Norway)

A triaxial, downhole geophone was deployed within the Ekofisk oil reservoir for monitoring ambient microseismicity as a test to determine if microearthquake signals generated from discrete shear failure of the reservoir rock could be detected. The results of the test were positive. During 104 hours of monitoring, 572 discrete events were recorded which have been identified as shear-failure microearthquakes. Reservoir microseismicity was detected at large distances (1000 m) from the monitor borehole and at rates (> 5 events per hour) which may allow practical characterization of the reservoir rock and overburden deformation induced by reservoir pressure changes.

• Research Organization: Los Alamos National Lab. (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-36
• OSTI ID: 10165414
• Report Number(s): LA-UR-94-1357; CONF-940892-2; ON: DE94014725
• Resource Relation: Conference: Euro rock `94,Delph (Netherlands),9 Aug 1994; Other Information: PBD: [1994]
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

02 PETROLEUM
NORTH SEA
OIL FIELDS
SEISMIC SURVEYS
RESERVOIR ROCK
SEISMIC EFFECTS
EARTHQUAKES
NORWAY
NUMERICAL DATA
020200
RESERVES, GEOLOGY, AND EXPLORATION