Drainage Estimation and Proppant Placement Evaluation from Microseismic Data

Abstract

In this case study we outline how microseismic analysis can be used to optimize treatment design and determine the portion of the stimulated rock volume that should be productive. To begin, microseismic data was acquired with a permanently installed shallow buried array of geophones during the hydraulic fracturing of 17 wells in the Marcellus Shale. The processed results were used to conduct a multi-disciplinary study integrating geology, geomechanics, reservoir and completion engineering, and ultimately, production data. A stress inversion from focal mechanisms was performed, and correlations were made between hydrocarbon production and microseismic results. That work, in conjunction with the variability in the stimulation approach, was used to optimize the treatment design on an individual wellbore and on a field development scale. Treatment design analysis indicated optimum wellbore spacing, stage spacing and length as well as evaluated the vertical coverage of the treatment within the Marcellus. Incorporating information from source mechanisms, an event magnitude calibrated discrete fracture network (DFN) was modeled taking into account the seismic energy of the events, rock properties, the injected fluid volume and efficiency. Evaluating the placement of proppant inside the DFN enables distinction between the part of the stimulated rock volume (SRV) that contributes to production in the long term, and the part of the reservoir that was affected by the treatment but may not be hydraulically connected over a longer period of time. Finally, the permeability of the stimulated fracture system was calculated from the microseismic results. This allows for the evaluation of the drainage volume and estimation of production.

Theoretical assessment of the full_moment_tensor resolvability for receiver arrays used in microseismic monitoring

“…Such additional information is used to determine geomechanical parameters of the stimulated rock and improve the interpretation. For instance, based on event locations and their source mechanisms, we can estimate discrete fracture network, compute stimulated rock volume, invert for local stress field or estimate pore pressure perturbations needed to activate faults (e.g., Zoback, 2007;Warpinski et al, 2013;Neuhaus et al, 2014). These additional parameters lead to better understanding and optimization of the reservoir stimulation resulting in an increased reservoir permeability and hydrocarbon production.…”

SRV Analysis of Shale Gas Wells in China

“…The SRV-based rate and pressure transient models can estimate the hydraulic fracture length and formation permeability, which can provide significant insights into production performance evaluation and forecasting. Two methods are often used to determine SRV in shale gas reservoirs including microseismic imaging during hydraulic fracture stimulation (Ouenes, et al, 2014;Carl, at al, 2014;, production rate and pressure transient analysis (Nick, et al, 2014;Song, et al, 2011). Craig and Jon (2014) compared the two abovementioned methods and formed a more holistic approach to combine the application of microseismic measurements and rate & pressure transient analysis.…”