American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2015 - 76

SpecialReport: Study In Geophysics

Assessing the effectiveness of fracturing operations requires understanding both the
natural and induced fracture network impacted by stimulation from production-related
activities. Advancements in seismic and microseismic have made the technology increasingly production focused, offering operators insight into the effects of their operations on the connected fracture network and vice versa.

karsting, and changes in dip rate. Additional
attribute analysis from full-offset, fullazimuth multicomponent surveys may
distinguish rock types within a zone that
may not have a stratigraphic and structural
seismic signature. Interpreters gain a better
understanding of the rock fabric, he says.
Dawson Geophysical has been conducting multicomponent surveys for 15
years. "We have generated 3-C volumes
from multicomponent surveys in the
Bakken, Marcellus, Permian, and East
Texas/Louisiana," attests Jumper. "These
surveys provide a better understanding
in both conventional and unconventional
plays that aid in high grading drilling activity."
Jumper says he has seen encouraging
results across various basins from microseismic as well. Geophysicists are
using this technology to understand rock
physics and improve fracturing efficiency.
"As microseismic develops, the goal is
to be able to see in real time what is happening during the fracture stimulation,"
he points out.
He says microseismic technology is
moving from a tool used primarily to
seeing what happened in the past to a
predictor of the future.
Production Focused Seismic
Assessing the effectiveness of fracturing
operations requires understanding both
the natural and induced fracture network

76 THE AMERICAN OIL & GAS REPORTER

impacted by stimulation from production-related activities. Ross Peebles, senior
vice president of E&P services at Global
Geophysical Services, says advancements
in seismic and microseismic have made
the technology increasingly production
focused, offering operators insight into
the effects of their operations on the con-

nected fracture network and vice versa.
Traditionally used as a post-mortem
tool, Peebles says microseismic becomes
proactive in nature when acquired before,
during and after fracture operations.
Utilizing Global Geophysical's method,
he says acquiring ambient or passive
seismic before the fracture images natural
fractures and faults that help customize
stage-by-stage frac planning. Acoustic
activity then is recorded continuously
during fracture stimulation. Peebles says
these signals are used to directly image
induced fractures and stimulated natural
fractures as complex surfaces, revealing
the effect of stimulation.
"Data collected before and during
fracturing can be overlaid to see how
natural and stimulated activity are related,"
he says. "If we can see where natural
fractures are, and how they affect the
frac job, then we can provide guidance
on where production is likely to come
from and where stimulation can be most
effective."
Quiet time recording after the fracture
operation captures the acoustic activity
around the well while it is in production.
"The more acoustically active parts of
the lateral tend to be more productive,"
Peebles mentions.
He says Global Geophysical also can
use permanent surface or buried arrays
to periodically listen to the field to get a

With improvements in recording technology and the advent of autonomous nodal recording systems, both microseismic and traditional reflection seismic can be recorded using
one system. In this image from Global Geophysical, the fault probability attribute from
3-D seismic is co-rendered with the semblance attribute from ambient seismic on an
Eagle Ford horizon in La Salle County, Tx. Faults are shown in black and acoustic activity
is in color (bright color equals higher magnitude of acoustic activity).

American Oil and Gas Reporter - May 2015

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