FRACTURE MONITORING AND CHARACTERISATION.

摘要

Fracture monitoring and characterisation of a subterranean fracturing process is described. Hydraulic fracturing conditions intended to induce tensile crack opening or compressional crack closure of a fracture responsible for a microseismic event in the Earth formation are selected and a hydraulic fracturing operation is performed using the selected conditions to cause tensile crack opening or compressional crack closure of the fracture responsible for a microseismic event in the Earth formation. Induced motion data from the microseismic event is received using a plurality of receivers, and the received data is analysed to track the development of the fracture responsible for the microseismic event and/or to track a proppant distribution within the fracture.