Experimental validation of microseismic emissions from a controlled hydraulic fracture in a synthetic layered medium

Abstract

A controlled hydraulic fracture experiment was performed on two medium sized (11” x 11” x 15”) synthetic layered blocks of low permeability, low porosity Lyons sandstone sandwiched between cement. The purpose of the research was to better understand and characterize the fracture evolution as the fracture tip impinged upon the layer boundaries between the well bonded layers. It is also one of the first documented uses of passive microseismic used in a laboratory environment to characterize hydraulic fracturing. A relatively low viscosity fluid of 1000 centipoise, compared to properly scaled previous work (Casas 2005, and Athavale 2007), was pumped at a constant rate of 10 mL/minute through a steel cased hole landed and isolated in the sandstone layer. Efforts were made to contain the hydraulic fracture within the confines of the rock specimen to retain the created hydraulic fracture geometry. Two identical samples and treatment schedules were created and differed only in the monitoring system used to characterize the microseismic activity during the fracture treatment. The first block had eight embedded P-wave transducers placed in the sandstone layer to record the passive microseismic emissions and localize the location and time of the acoustic event. The second block had six compressional wave transducers and twelve shear wave transducers embedded in the sandstone layer of the block. The intention was to record and process the seismic data using conventional P-wave to S-wave difference timing techniques well known in industry. While this goal ultimately not possible due to the geometry of the receiver placements and the limitations of the Vallene acquisition processing software, the data received and the events localized from the 18 transducer test were of much higher numbers and quality than on the eight transducer test. This experiment proved conclusively that passive seismic emission recording can yield positive results in the laboratory. Just as in the field, this provides one of the best far field (away from the well bore) measurements to assess hydraulic fracture behavior. It also provides a calibration tool to extend laboratory results to field scale endeavors. The identification of strong microseismic activity at stress states far below fracture initiation confirms that rocks are critically stressed meta-stable materials and that microseismicity is caused by stress changes, not fractures directly. Advancements are necessary to fully exploit the potential of the microseismic method in laboratory sized samples. Both processing and visualization enhancements are necessary to realize the full benefits of this promising technology in the laboratory environment.