Passive seismic monitoring of hydraulic fracture experiments at the Multiwell Experiment site

Redesign of hardware, software, and data-reduction techniques associated with the Sandia National Laboratories' Borehole Seismic System (BSS) have made possible better estimates of hydraulic fracture geometry at the Multiwell Experiment (MWX) site. The redesigned system now incorporates four geophones per axis and provides up to 112 dB of downhole gain, for 100 times the sensitivity of the original system. Improved signal-to-noise ratios, extended frequency response and increased digitization rates have made possible the acquisition and processing of data which were previously inaccessible. A maximum likelihood event location scheme, which incorporates an algorithm based on the use of spherical statistics, is used to compute the location of microseismic events and error estimates for these locations. Accuracy estimates for the redesigned system, based on the ability to locate perforation shots, indicates a 25 ft (7.6 m) uncertainty in the location of individual microseismic events using data from two BSS receivers. This resulted in a high level of confidence in determination of the azimuth of the November 1, 1986, hydraulic fracture in the Fluvial B sandstone. A reasonable determination of the azimuth, propped wing length and height for the September 23, 1987, hydraulic fracture in the Fluvial E sandstone was possible using datamore » from only one BSS receiver. 15 refs., 32 figs., 6 tabs.« less