Geomechanical Insights from Reservoir-Scale Fracture Network Imaging

Alfred Lacazette
Global Geophysical Services, Inc.

The presentation will focus on geomechanical insights gained from a new passive-seismic imaging method that directly images hydraulic fractures and natural-fracture flow-networks at the reservoir scale. Examples will be presented from hydraulic fracture treatments and from imaging of natural ambient seismic emissions. Images and movies of both pre-frac ambient emissions and hydraulic fracture treatments show that in most cases, classical mode-I bi-wing hydraulic fracture propagation is very limited. Stimulation is accomplished primarily by shear reactivation of pre-existing natural fracture networks. In one case the imaging indicates that a natural fracture network was damaged by a fracture treatment. A case of ambient imaging of a natural fracture network in a fractured carbonate field will also be presented.

AAPG Search and Discovery Article #90178©2013 AAPG Geosciences Technology Workshop, Baltimore, Maryland, July 16-17, 2013