Fracture imaging methods employing skeletonization of seismic emission tomography data

摘要

Disclosed herein are various embodiments of methods and systems for providing a graphical skeletonization representation of fractures and faults in a subsurface of the earth. According to some embodiments, as fracturing fluid is pumped into a target geologic formation through a well bore, and as the formation fractures or faults in response to the fracturing fluid being pumped under high pressure therein, seismic wavefronts are generated at points of fracture related to movement of a fluid pressure wave induced by fracturing or other fluids moving through the formation, or the extraction of fluids such as gas and/or oil from the formation, which are detected by surface and/or downhole sensors. Data corresponding to signals generated by the surface and/or downhole sensors are recorded and subsequently analyzed to determine in near real-time the locations of the fractures or faults using skeletonization data processing techniques and methods.

主权项

1. A method of imaging the growth of a fracture or fault network in a volume of the earth's subsurface in the vicinity of a well bore resulting from the injection of hydraulic fracturing fluid through said well bore into said volume of the earth's subsurface, comprising:
selecting a portion of a microseismic data set recorded continuously during a data acquisition time period in which hydraulic fracturing fluid is injected through said well bore into said volume of the earth's subsurface, using a plurality of sensors positioned proximate said volume of the earth's subsurface, said microseismic data set representing microseismic emissions from faults or fractures resulting from said injection of hydraulic fracturing fluid; subdividing said continuously recorded microseismic data set into a plurality of time windows; processing said selected portion of said continuously recorded microseismic data set within a plurality of said time windows to generate three dimensional spatial representations of fractures or faults in said volume of the earth's subsurface resulting from injection of hydraulic fracturing fluid through said well bore into said volume of the earth's subsurface; and generating a time lapse display of selected ones of said three dimensional spatial representations of fractures or faults to show the growth of a fracture or fault network resulting from said injection of hydraulic fracturing fluid through said well bore into said volume of the earth's subsurface.