Fluid-Induced Seismicity: Theory, Modeling, and Applications
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 131, Issue 9
Abstract
Operations including borehole fluid injections are typical for exploration and development of hydrocarbon or geothermic reservoirs. Microseismicity occurring during such operations has a large potential for understanding physics of the seismogenic process as well as in obtaining detailed information about reservoirs at locations as far as several kilometers from boreholes. We propose that the phenomenon of microseismicity triggering by borehole fluid injections is related to the process of the Frenkel–Biot slow wave propagation. In the low-frequency range (hours or days of fluid injection durations) this process reduces to the pore-pressure diffusion. We search for diffusion-related features of induced microseismicity. Two types of such signatures are considered. The first one is related to the geometry of microseismic clouds. Another type of signature is related to the probability of microearthquakes. On this basis we introduce a concept for interpretation of microseismic data which provides a possibility to infer information about hydraulic properties of rocks. Such information can be of significant importance for industrial applications and for understanding physical properties of geological structures.
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Acknowledgments
The writers thank Jack Dvorkin, Massimo Cocco, and one anonymous reviewer for useful comments that greatly improved the manuscript. Data of the Cotton Valley experiment are courtesy of T. Urbancic (ESG). This work has been supported in part by the WIT-University Consortium sponsors and in part by SHELL IEP.
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Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 131 • Issue 9 • September 2005
Pages: 947 - 952
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Oct 16, 2003
Accepted: May 28, 2004
Published online: Sep 1, 2005
Published in print: Sep 2005
Notes
Note. Associate Editor: Alexander H.-D. Cheng
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