Microseismic monitoring for operators and regulators (MORE)

微震事件是非常小的地震，可以通过对地下地质水库的人为影响而产生。尽管这些事件的强度通常仅相当于折断铅笔的能量，但这些事件提供了岩石如何断裂以及流体可能流动的详细描述。监测微震事件有许多应用，包括页岩气增产（压裂）、CO2储存、废水处理和地热工程。特别是页岩气已经成为美国经济游戏规则的改变者，但越来越多的监管机构要求对注入操作进行微震监测。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测，但很可能所有欧洲水力压裂作业都将被要求进行微震监测。布里斯托大学在过去的10年里一直在做这方面的研究，在技术上走在了曲线的前面，因为行业规范是简单地定位事件。事件位置是有用的，但通常不是流体刺激中的功效的良好指标-压裂法通常失败。为了解决这个问题，我们开发了一套软件，它可以描述震源的特征，监测裂缝网络的发展，并有可能跟踪地下流体的迁移。这将确定未开发的区域并指导后续处理。一个重要的市场优势是我们的目标是自动化实时监控。这项技术还发挥着重要的环境监测作用，因为它可以用来通知监管程序，限制在不利环境（高预先存在的压力）中进行可能具有破坏性的操作。拟议的项目将把一系列研究级程序连接成一个商业级软件包。这将提供一个软件，以实施监测诱发地震活动的最佳做法。我们与行业和潜在客户有着良好的联系，一家大型地震采集公司表示有兴趣进入微震监测领域，一家拥有钻孔操作经验但没有微震监测经验的中小企业，以及一家对监测页岩气勘探地区基线地震活动感兴趣的中型公司。

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.