PLANNING AND PERFORMING RE-FRACTURING OPERATIONS BASED ON MICROSEISMIC MONITORING
First Claim
1. A method of stimulating an earth formation, comprising:
- disposing a stimulation device at a borehole in an earth formation, the earth formation having been stimulated by an initial stimulation operation;
subsequent to the stimulation operation, performing a probe operation configured to cause movement of existing fractures in the formation;
measuring microseismic events occurring in the formation by one or more seismic receivers;
identifying one or more target zones in the formation based on the measuring, the one or more target zones exhibiting a reduced microseismicity relative to another zone in the formation; and
designing a re-stimulation operation configured to stimulate the one or more target zones to increase hydrocarbon production from the formation.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An embodiment of a method of stimulating an earth formation includes: disposing a stimulation device at a borehole in an earth formation, the earth formation having been stimulated by an initial stimulation operation; subsequent to the stimulation operation, performing a probe operation configured to cause movement of existing fractures in the formation; and measuring microseismic events occurring in the formation by one or more seismic receivers. The method further includes: identifying one or more target zones in the formation based on the measuring, the one or more target zones exhibiting a reduced micro seismicity relative to another zone in the formation; and designing a re-stimulation operation configured to stimulate the one or more target zones to increase hydrocarbon production from the formation.
48 Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of stimulating an earth formation, comprising:
-
disposing a stimulation device at a borehole in an earth formation, the earth formation having been stimulated by an initial stimulation operation; subsequent to the stimulation operation, performing a probe operation configured to cause movement of existing fractures in the formation; measuring microseismic events occurring in the formation by one or more seismic receivers; identifying one or more target zones in the formation based on the measuring, the one or more target zones exhibiting a reduced microseismicity relative to another zone in the formation; and designing a re-stimulation operation configured to stimulate the one or more target zones to increase hydrocarbon production from the formation. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A system for stimulating an earth formation, comprising:
-
a stimulation device configured to be disposed at a borehole in an earth formation, the earth formation having been stimulated by an initial stimulation operation; a microseismic monitoring system including one or more seismic receivers; and a processor configured to perform; subsequent to the stimulation operation, performing a probe operation via the stimulation device to cause movement of existing fractures in the formation; measuring microseismic events occurring in the formation by the one or more seismic receivers; identifying one or more target zones in the formation based on the measuring, the one or more target zones exhibiting a reduced microseismicity relative to another zone in the formation; and designing a re-stimulation operation configured to stimulate the one or more target zones to increase hydrocarbon production from the formation. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
-
Specification