Monitoring, modeling and interpretation of felt and non-felt induced seismicity from hydraulic fracturing treatments

微地震事件是一种非常小的地震，可能与储层中的压裂和流体流动有关。由于震级较低，地面上很少能感觉到这些地震。微震活动被石油和天然气行业用来监测“致密”油气藏的水力增产。因此，它是最近加拿大西部传统石油生产复苏以及新致密烃油田开发的基础技术之一。碳氢化合物产量的增加通常也会导致水产量的增加，这些水必须经过处理、回收或地下处置。在某些情况下，水力压裂处理和/或盐水处理会导致断层重新激活，从而在地表感受到地震活动。微震技术的现状已经成熟，可以通过建立大学-工业合作伙伴关系（微震工业联盟）来加速发现。该合作研究和开发项目的目标是：1)继续研究如何最好地处理和解释微地震数据；2)创造新的知识，以提高我们对地震过程的地质力学方面的理解；3)研究可感知地震活动性、水力压裂处理和盐水处理之间是否存在因果关系，如果存在因果关系，如何降低诱发地震活动性的危害；4)培养高素质人才（HQP），以满足这一重要技术领域的行业需求；5)加强产学研之间的知识转移。本项目将资助18名理学士、4名理硕士、6名博士研究生和5名博士后。通过这种合作关系建立的大学-产业协同效应将创建一个创新平台，有望在感应和非感应诱发（微）地震活动的监测、建模和解释方面产生改变游戏规则的进步。

Microseismic events are very small earthquakes that can be associated with fracturing and fluid flow inreservoirs. These events are rarely, if ever, felt at the surface due to their low magnitudes. Microseismicity is used by the oil and gas industry to monitor hydraulic stimulation of "tight" hydrocarbon reservoirs. As such, it is one of the technologies underpinning the recent revival of conventional oil production in Western Canada, as well as the development of new tight-hydrocarbon fields. Increased hydrocarbon production generally also leads to increased water production, which must either be treated, recycled or disposed of underground. In some cases, hydraculic fracturing treatments and/or salt-water disposal has led to fault reactivation, causing seismicity felt at the surface. The current state of microseismic technology is ripe for accelerated discovery within an established university-industry partnership (Microseismic Industry Consortium). The objectives of this collaborative research and development program are: 1) to continue ongoing research on how to best process and interpret microseismic data; 2) to create new knowledge to improve our understanding of geomechanical aspects of earthquake processes; 3) to investigate if causal links exist between felt seismicity, hydraulic fracturing treatments and salt-water disposal, and if so how to reduce the hazard of induced seismicity; 4) to train highly-qualified personnel (HQP) to meet the demands of industry within this important technical field; and, 5) to enhance knowledge transfer between academia and industry. In particular, this project will provide support for at least 18 B.Sc. 4 M.Sc., 6 Ph.D. students, and 5 postdoctoral fellows.The university-industry synergies established through this partnership will create an innovation platform that promises to yield game-changing advances in the monitoring, modeling and interpretation of felt and non-felt induced (micro)-seismicity.