Surface microseismic hydrofrac monitoring: QC and more

The microseismic monitoring - an innovative technology - is normally employed to determine the geometrics of a fractured zone created by hydrofrac operations. In this report, emphasisis made on one more capability of the microseismic monitoring, namely, the monitoring over QC and technological risks of hydrofrac operations, as applied to the West Siberian oil-gas-condensate fields. The perspectives of determination of hydraulic fracture filtration characteristics in situ are considered also. The paper is based on the reports made by the authors in both the ENERCON 2013 andXIII Gal’perin readings 2013 conferences.
Materials and methods
Hydrofrac passive seismic monitoring with surface seismic array, microseismic monitoring, adaptive source tomography
Results
The experience of the application of surface microseismic monitoring performed for quality control operations for fracturingoil and gas fields in Western Siberia is outlined
Сonclusions
Microseismic technology helps to seeand understand what is happening in the borehole environment during stimulation and extrapolate the results to future fracturing to reduce technological risks and optimize the oilfield development. This approach makes the monitoring work is quite cost-effective providing strict documentary basis for the design of a rational development strategy.