Using Microseismic to Interpret Hydraulic Fracturing Stimulation Efficiency: A 3D Dynamic Approach

Microseismic monitoring performed during hydraulic fracturing records rock failure that occurs during or after stimulation. The processed microseismic event catalog can be used to study the dynamic fracturing process and estimate the background fracture and stimulation efficiency. However, in microseismic applications the event catalogs are commonly used as static datasets, where the temporal and spatial evolution information is often ignored or not used to its full potential. Consequently, the natural fractures in the resevoir and the dynamic fracture growth information are not fully revealed. This paper describes how coupling microseismic data with well pressure measurements and image logs presents an enhanced workflow for analyzing microseismic events in a temporal and spatial manner. By using a dataset obtained in a Devonian shale gas reservoir, we illustrate the added value of using microseismic as a dynamic dataset to understand the fracture network growth due to injection.