Microseismic monitoring for operators and regulators (MORE)

微地震事件是一种非常小的地震，可以通过人为影响地下地质储层而产生。尽管这些事件的强度通常只相当于折断铅笔的能量，但这些事件提供了岩石如何破裂以及流体可能在何处流动的详细描述。微地震事件的监测有许多应用，包括页岩气增产（压裂）、二氧化碳储存、废水处理和地热工程。在美国，页岩气已经成为一项经济变革，但越来越多的监管机构要求对注入作业进行微地震监测。这项技术的市场正在迅速增长，在美国，只有不到5%的水力压裂作业受到监控，但很可能所有欧洲的水力压裂作业都需要进行微地震监测。布里斯托尔大学在过去的10年里一直在这一领域进行研究，并且在技术方面处于领先地位，因为行业规范是简单地定位事件。事件位置是有用的，但往往不是流体增产效果的一个很好的指标——水力压裂经常失败。为了解决这个问题，我们开发了一套软件，可以表征震源，监测裂缝网络的发展，并有可能跟踪流体在地下的运移。这将确定未开发的区域并指导后续治疗。一个显著的市场优势是我们的目标是自动实时监控。该技术还发挥着重要的环境监测作用，因为它可以用于通知监管程序，以限制在不利环境（高预先压力）中潜在的破坏性操作。拟议的项目将把一系列研究级方案与一个商业级软件包联系起来。这将为监测诱发地震活动提供最佳实践的软件。我们与行业和潜在客户有着良好的联系，并且有一家大型地震采集公司表示有兴趣进入微地震监测领域，一家具有井眼作业经验但没有微地震监测经验的中小企业，以及一家对页岩气勘探区域基线地震活动监测感兴趣的中型公司。

Microseismic events are very small earthquakes, which can be generated through anthropogenic influences on sub-surface geologic reservoirs. Even though the magnitude of these events is usually only equivalent in energy to that of breaking a pencil, these events provide a detailed description of how the rock is fracturing and where fluids may be flowing. There are number of application of monitoring microseismic events, including shale-gas stimulation (fracking), CO2 storage, waste-water disposal and geothermal engineering. Shale-gas in particular has been an economic game changer in the USA, but increasingly regulators are requiring microseismic monitoring of injection operations. The market for this technology is growing quickly - less than 5% of fracking operations are monitored in the USA, but it highly likely that all European fracking operations will be required to have microseismic monitoring. Bristol University has been doing research in this area for the past 10 years and is ahead of the curve in technology, as the industry norm is to simply locate events. Event locations are useful, but are often not a good indicator of the efficacy in fluid stimulation - fracking often fails. To address this, we have developed a suite of software that characterises the seismic source, monitors fracture network development, and holds the potential to track fluid migration through the subsurface. This will identify untapped regions and guide subsequent treatments. A significant market advantage is our aim for automated real-time monitoring. This technology also plays an important environmental monitoring role, as it can be used to inform regulatory procedures that will limit potentially damaging operations in unfavourable environments (high pre-existing stress). The proposed project will link a series of research-grade programmes into a commercial-grade software package. This will provide the software to implement a best-practice for monitoring induced-seismicity. We have good links with the industry and potential clients, and have expressions of interest from a larger seismic acquisition company looking to move into the microseismic monitoring, a SME with experience in borehole operations but not microseismic monitoring, and a mid-size company interested in monitoring baseline seismicity in regions of shale-gas exploration.