Development of an Advanced Hydraulic Fracture Mapping System

As microseismic monitoring expands, a wide variety of monitoring configurations have evolved including vertical, horizontal and deviated observation wells as well as surface and near-surface monitoring. All monitoring configurations have a common data quality indicator: signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) such that the higher the SNR the more accurate and confident the results. The key criteria for a successful microseismic project therefore primarily involve maximizing SNR. Data acquisition can be designed to optimize SNR by using low-noise equipment designed to record appropriate data quality, deployed as close as possible to the target zone. Sample rate should be tailored to the signal bandwidth, and the equipment should also have optimal directional response although for individual microseismic events both will be controlled by the data SNR. Finally, the position of the sensor array will control the fundamental location accuracy, although this will be commonly be a trade-off with SNR depending on logistical constraints of monitoring wellbore access. Recent processing techniques based on seismic migration methods, offer automated and repeatable processing with inherent signal conditioning which provided SNR improvement. Associated with the automated processing is the ability of realtime delivery of all the microseismic events for realtime stimulation decisions. A demonstration with an automatically processed dataset, illustrated the importance of filtering the events based on SNR. Low SNR events had higher location uncertainty, such that both the volume of the microseismic cloud and its aspect ratio were made anomalously large. An accurate microseismic image was produced by filtering out the low confidence, low SNR events. Beyond the geophysical processing aspects, it is equally important that the microseismic project be designed so that engineering value can be extracted by determining valuable fracture details or answering key questions.

show abstract

Hydraulic Fracturing 101: What Every Representative, Environmentalist, Regulator, Reporter, Investor, University Researcher, Neighbor and Engineer Should Know About Estimating Frac Risk and Improving Frac Performance in Unconventional Gas and Oil Wells.

King

2012

All Days

435

256

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Identification of risk, the potential for occurrence of an event and impact of that event, is the first step in improving a process by ranking risk elements and controlling potential harm from occurrence of a detrimental event. Hydraulic Fracturing has become a hot environmental discussion topic and a target of media articles and University studies during development of gas shales near populated areas. The furor over fracturing and frac waste disposal was largely driven by lack of chemical disclosure and the pre-2008 laws of some states. The spectacular increase in North American natural gas reserves created by shale gas development makes shale gas a disruptive technology, threatening profitability and continued development of other energy sources. Introduction of such a disruptive force as shale gas will invariably draw resistance, both monetary and political, to attack the disruptive source, or its enabler; hydraulic fracturing. Some "anti-frack" charges in media articles and university studies are based in fact and require a state-by-state focused improvement of well design specific for geology of the area and oversight of overall well development. Other articles have demonstrated either a severe misunderstanding or an intentional misstatement of well development processes, apparently to attack the disruptive source. Transparency requires cooperation from all sides in the debate. To enable more transparency on the oil and gas side, both to assist in the understanding of oil and gas activities and to set a foundation for rational discussion of fracturing risks, a detailed explanation of well development activities is offered in this paper, from well construction to production, written at a level of general public understanding, along with an initial estimation of frac risk and alternatives to reduce the risk, documented by literature and case histories. This discussion is a starting point for the well development descriptions and risk evaluation discussions, not an ending point.

show abstract

Development of an Advanced Hydraulic Fracture Mapping System

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

Hydraulic Fracturing in Southern Florida: A Critical Analysis of Potential Environmental Impacts

Hydraulic Fracturing in Southern Florida: A Critical Analysis of Potential Environmental Impacts

Key Criteria for a Successful Microseismic Project

Hydraulic Fracturing 101: What Every Representative, Environmentalist, Regulator, Reporter, Investor, University Researcher, Neighbor and Engineer Should Know About Estimating Frac Risk and Improving Frac Performance in Unconventional Gas and Oil Wells.

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About