Tomographic imaging of fracture-fault permeability zones during drilling operations

摘要

Disclosed are various embodiments of methods for identifying faults and fractures, and other permeable features, within geologic layers during a drilling operation comprising; recording microseismic data during a drilling operation; recording times and positions of a drill bit in a well bore during the drilling operation; processing microseismic data at a plurality of selected times and locations to image microseismic events and identifying faults and fractures, and other permeable features, from corresponding images of microseismic events. In other embodiments, the integrity of a cementing operation may be verified by recording microseismic data during a cementing operation; recording times and positions of a cementing operation in a well bore during the cementing operation; processing microseismic data at a plurality of selected times and locations to image microseismic events and identifying faults and fractures, and other permeable features, within the cemented zone from corresponding images of microseismic events.

主权项

1. A method of identifying permeable features proximate a well bore during a drilling operation, comprising:
recording, over first periods of time, a microseismic data set during the drilling operation; recording, over second periods of time, drill bit positions, and times corresponding to the drill bit positions in the well bore during the drilling operation to form a drill bit position and time data set; correlating times of recording the microseismic data set with the drill bit positions and times corresponding to the drill bit positions recorded in the drill bit position and time data set; processing the microseismic data set at a plurality of selected times to generate microseismic event images associated with or arising from the drilling operation at drill bit positions in the well bore corresponding to said selected times, and identifying said permeable features proximate the well bore from the microseismic event images.