A seismological overview of the induced earthquakes in the Duvernay play near Fox Creek, Alberta

This paper summarizes the current state of understanding regarding the induced seismicity in connection with hydraulic fracturing operations targeting the Duvernay Formation in central Alberta, near the town of Fox Creek. We demonstrate that earthquakes in this region cluster into distinct sequences in time, space, and focal mechanism using (i) cross‐correlation detection methods to delineate transient temporal relationships, (ii) double‐difference relocations to confirm spatial clustering, and (iii) moment tensor solutions to assess fault motion consistency. The spatiotemporal clustering of the earthquake sequences is strongly related to the nearby hydraulic fracturing operations. In addition, we identify a preference for strike‐slip motions on subvertical faults with an approximate 45° P axis orientation, consistent with expectation from the ambient stress field. The hypocentral geometries for two of the largest‐magnitude (M ~4) sequences that are robustly constrained by local array data provide compelling evidence for planar features starting at Duvernay Formation depths and extending into the shallow Precambrian basement. We interpret these lineaments as subvertical faults orientated approximately north‐south, consistent with the regional moment tensor solutions. Finally, we conclude that the sequences were triggered by pore pressure increases in response to hydraulic fracturing stimulations along previously existing faults.

[1]  Spatiotemporal Variations in the Completeness Magnitude of the Composite Alberta Seismicity Catalog (CASC) , 2016 .

[2]  Gail M. Atkinson,et al.  Source analysis of a potential hydraulic‐fracturing‐induced earthquake near Fox Creek, Alberta , 2016 .

[3]  P. Segall,et al.  Injection‐induced seismicity: Poroelastic and earthquake nucleation effects , 2015 .

[4]  George E. King,et al.  Thirty Years of Gas Shale Fracturing: What Have We Learned? , 2010 .

[5]  C. Dinske,et al.  Probability of a given‐magnitude earthquake induced by a fluid injection , 2007 .

[6]  Douglas S. Dreger,et al.  85.11 - TDMT_INV: Time Domain Seismic Moment Tensor INVersion , 2003 .

[7]  D. Eaton.  Alberta Telemetered Seismograph Network ( ATSN ) : Real-time Monitoring of Seismicity in Northern Alberta , 2014 .

[8]  G. Dresen,et al.  Effects of long‐term fluid injection on induced seismicity parameters and maximum magnitude in northwestern part of The Geysers geothermal field , 2015 .

[9]  David P. Schaff,et al.  Semiempirical Statistics of Correlation-Detector Performance , 2008 .

[10]  L. Stasiuk,et al.  Fault‐controlled dolomitization at Swan Hills Simonette oil field (Devonian), deep basin west‐central Alberta, Canada , 2001 .

[11]  Yajing Liu,et al.  Stress drop estimates and hypocenter relocations of induced seismicity near Crooked Lake, Alberta , 2016 .

[12]  V. Vavryčuk.  Inversion for the Composite Moment Tensor , 2015 .

[13]  Michael R. Brudzinski,et al.  Distinguishing induced seismicity from natural seismicity in Ohio: Demonstrating the utility of waveform template matching , 2015 .

[14]  Stefan Wiemer,et al.  Geomechanical modeling of induced seismicity source parameters and implications for seismic hazard assessment , 2013 .

[15]  H. Kao,et al.  Fluid Injection and Seismic Activity in the Northern Montney Play, British Columbia, Canada, with Special Reference to the 17 August 2015 Mw 4.6 Induced Earthquake , 2017 .

[16]  Gail M. Atkinson,et al.  Estimation of Moment Magnitude (M) for Small Events (M<4) on Local Networks , 2014 .

[17]  Michael R. Brudzinski,et al.  Earthquakes Induced by Hydraulic Fracturing in Poland Township, Ohio , 2014 .

[18]  R. Davies,et al.  Hydraulic fractures: How far can they go? , 2012 .

[19]  Dennis Denney,et al.  Thirty Years of Gas-Shale Fracturing: What Have We Learned? , 2010 .

[20]  Celso G. Reyes,et al.  The Waveform Suite: A Robust Platform for Manipulating Waveforms in MATLAB , 2011 .

[21]  K. Haug,et al.  Linking fossil reefs with earthquakes: Geologic insight to where induced seismicity occurs in Alberta , 2016 .

[22]  D. Eaton,et al.  The Cardston Earthquake Swarm and Hydraulic Fracturing of the Exshaw Formation (Alberta Bakken Play) , 2015 .

[23]  Mirko van der Baan,et al.  Hydraulic Fracturing and Seismicity in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin , 2016 .

[24]  D. Agnew.  Equalized Plot Scales for Exploring Seismicity Data , 2015 .

[25]  G. Masters,et al.  Update on CRUST1.0 - A 1-degree Global Model of Earth's Crust , 2013 .

[26]  M. Sacchi,et al.  Crustal imprints of Precambrian orogenesis in western Laurentia , 2015 .

[27]  K. Potma,et al.  The Devonian of Western Canada -- Aspects of a Petroleum System: Introduction , 2001 .

[28]  Nasir Rahim,et al.  Application of Mechanical and Mineralogical Rock Properties to Identify Fracture Fabrics in the Devonian Duvernay Formation in Alberta , 2015 .

[29]  David W. Eaton,et al.  Fault activation by hydraulic fracturing in western Canada , 2016, Science.

[30]  S. Bell,et al.  A model for induced seismicity caused by hydrocarbon production in the Western Canada Sedimentary Basin , 1999 .

[31]  Jon E. Olson,et al.  Causal factors for seismicity near Azle, Texas , 2015, Nature Communications.

[32]  K. Assatourians,et al.  Ground Motions from Three Recent Earthquakes in Western Alberta and Northeastern British Columbia and Their Implications for Induced‐Seismicity Hazard in Eastern Regions , 2015 .

[33]  Gail M. Atkinson,et al.  Hydraulic fracturing and the Crooked Lake Sequences: Insights gleaned from regional seismic networks , 2015 .

[34]  Austin A. Holland,et al.  Earthquakes Triggered by Hydraulic Fracturing in South‐Central Oklahoma , 2013 .

[35]  M. Soltanzadeh,et al.  A Regional Geomechanical Study of the Duvernay Formation in Alberta , Canada , 2015 .

[36]  C. Dinske,et al.  Induced Repeating Earthquakes: An Indicator for Pore Pressure Changes? , 2014 .

[37]  D. Eaton,et al.  Discriminating induced seismicity from natural earthquakes using moment tensors and source spectra , 2016 .

[38]  J. Got,et al.  Origins of Amplitude Variations In Seismic Doublets: Source Or Attenuation Process? , 1993 .

[39]  R. Davies,et al.  Induced seismicity and hydraulic fracturing for the recovery of hydrocarbons , 2013 .

[40]  D. Schmitt,et al.  A revised crustal stress orientation database for Canada , 2014 .

[41]  I. Dricker,et al.  Characterization of an Earthquake Sequence Triggered by Hydraulic Fracturing in Harrison County, Ohio , 2014 .

[42]  Cliff Frohlich,et al.  Did (Or Will) Fluid Injection Cause Earthquakes? - Criteria for a Rational Assessment , 1993 .

[43]  E. Mountjoy,et al.  Fault and Conduit Controlled Burial Dolomitization of the Devonian West-Central Alberta Deep Basin , 2005 .

[44]  F. Waldhauser,et al.  A Double-Difference Earthquake Location Algorithm: Method and Application to the Northern Hayward Fault, California , 2000 .

[45]  Robert Tibshirani,et al.  Bootstrap Methods for Standard Errors, Confidence Intervals, and Other Measures of Statistical Accuracy , 1986 .

[46]  G. Dresen,et al.  Stress Tensor Changes Related to Fluid Injection at The Geysers Geothermal Field, California , 2013 .

[47]  S. Cox.  Injection-Driven Swarm Seismicity and Permeability Enhancement: Implications for the Dynamics of Hydrothermal Ore Systems in High Fluid-Flux, Overpressured Faulting Regimes—An Invited Paper , 2016 .

[48]  F. Stoakes.  Nature and Control of Shale Basin Fill and its Effect on Reef Growth and Termination: Upper Devonian Duvernay and Ireton Formations of Alberta, Canada , 1980 .

[49]  D. Eaton,et al.  Detection Threshold and Location Resolution of the Alberta Geological Survey Earthquake Catalogue , 2015 .

[50]  L. Eisner,et al.  Felt seismicity associated with shale gas hydraulic fracturing: The first documented example in Europe , 2014 .

[51]  T. Kohl,et al.  Change of stress regime during geothermal reservoir stimulation , 2014 .

[52]  Yajing Liu,et al.  Poroelastic stress triggering of the December 2013 Crooked Lake, Alberta, induced seismicity sequence , 2016 .

[53]  J. Bredehoeft,et al.  An Experiment in Earthquake Control at Rangely, Colorado , 1976, Science.

[54]  Yu Jeffrey Gu,et al.  An investigation of seismicity clustered near the Cordel Field, west central Alberta, and its relation to a nearby disposal well , 2014 .

[55]  G. Davies,et al.  Structurally controlled hydrothermal dolomite reservoir facies: An overview , 2006 .

[56]  James P. Evans,et al.  Hydrogeologic Controls on Induced Seismicity in Crystalline Basement Rocks Due to Fluid Injection into Basal Reservoirs , 2013, Ground water.

[57]  O. Heidbach,et al.  3-D geomechanical–numerical model of the contemporary crustal stress state in the Alberta Basin (Canada) , 2014 .

[58]  Friedemann Wenzel,et al.  Seismogenic index and magnitude probability of earthquakes induced during reservoir fluid stimulations , 2010 .

[59]  Luyi W. Shen,et al.  The Canadian Rockies and Alberta Network (CRANE): New Constraints on the Rockies and Western Canada Sedimentary Basin , 2011 .

[60]  A. McGarr,et al.  Maximum magnitude earthquakes induced by fluid injection , 2014 .